Korean beef bulgogi burgers with kimchi mayo

A staple at our Slow & Low events is smoked meat sushi. Korean beef sushi with kimchi mayo has made a couple of appearances and has been well received. With sushi not requiring a lot of meat there’s always leftovers from a 2kg oyster blade which means room to experiment. In this recipe the beef and mayo is the same as what goes into the sushi, we’ve just swapped out the rice and nori for buns and a red cabbage mix.

When it comes to pulled beef there are a number of cuts you can use from chuck, bolar blade or our favourite, oyster blade. Oyster blade has a thick streak of collagen running through the middle that turns into that sticky, sweet gelatin when fully rendered. Unlike other popular low and slow beef cuts like ribs or brisket, oyster blade needs to be cooked a little further. As always you’re looking for a feel more than an internal temperature however around the 210f/99c mark will usually result in a well rendered blade.

ingredients

for the Korean beef

• oyster blade (typically around the 2kg mark)*
• salt & pepper or your favourite beef rub
• 1/2 cup kecap manis
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

*This will make more than you need to fill 4 rolls. It will keep in the fridge for a few days, however if you’re looking to get adventurous we like to make sushi with the beef along with the kimchi mayo, cucumber and pickled ginger.

for the kimchi mayo

• 1/2 cup Kewpie mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup chopped kimchi
• 2 tsp sesame oil

for everything else

• 1/4 red cabbage
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 4 bread rolls

directions

1. Combine the Korean beef sauce ingredients in a small pot and bring to simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Cook the oyster blade as discussed here and begin basting with the sauce when the internal temperature of the meat is somewhere around 180f/82c and do so every 30 minutes until cooked. Reserve some of the sauce to mix through the meat once it has been pulled.
3. Combine the mayo, kimchi and sesame oil.
4. In a bowl mix through the cabbage, spring onions and soy.
5. Toast the buns, add the cabbage mix followed by the beef and smother the top half of the bun with the mayo.
6. Enjoy your Korean beef burgers!

For other barbecue beef ideas click here.