Vietnamese Banh Mi Hamburger with Pickled Vegetables

Ingredients:

Hamburgers

• 900 g of minced pork
• 6 crushed cloves of garlic
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 tbsp. chopped ginger
• 2 tablespoons Vietnamese fish sauce (Nuoc nam)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 2 - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil to grease the grill grate
• 6 sesame seeds, halved Kaiser rolls good quality
• 6 tablespoons softened salted butter
• 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 6 tbsp. soft pork or liver pate
• 1/2 English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 thinly sliced ​​jalapeño chili peppers
• 18 sprigs of fresh cilantro

Pickled vegetables: daikon and carrots

• 1.5 cups daikon, thinly sliced
• 1.5 cups thinly sliced ​​carrots
• 3/4 cup table vinegar
• 3/4 cup sugar

Preparation:

1. To prepare pickled daikon and carrotsCombine the daikon, carrots, vinegar, and sugar in a bowl. Mix well until the vegetables are completely coated with the dressing. Let marinate.
2. Preheat a charcoal grill with a lid to medium-high heat or a gas grill to medium-high heat. If you don't have a grill, simply heat a grill pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
   
   To make the patties, combine the pork, garlic, diced chili pepper, ginger, fish sauce, soy sauce, five-spice powder, sugar, and lime zest and juice in a bowl. Mix well. Divide the mixture among 6 portions and form into round patties.
   
   Grease the grill grate with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the grate and cook for 6-7 minutes on each side until cooked through. Turn the patties 90 degrees halfway through each side to create the distinctive grill marks.
3. Spread the cut side of each bun half with 1/2 tablespoon (30 g) butter and grill until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
   
   Spread a tablespoon of mayonnaise on the bottom of each bun and a tablespoon of pâté on the top. Top with cucumber and chili pepper slices, then place a patty on top. Drain the carrots and daikon and heap the vegetables on each patty. Add cilantro sprigs and top the burgers with the pâté-smeared bun halves. Enjoy!
   
   Submission optionThese burgers can be made with a baguette. In this case, form the patties into oval shapes. Hamburger buns are a bit softer and easier to use than the ones I chose for this recipe. If you have the option, buy some black pepper paste so that the flavor comes through in the burger. For added appeal and ease of serving, the burgers can be cut in half and skewered. Sweet potato fries or taro chips are a great accompaniment!