Name: Banh Mi Burgers
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 1½ teaspoons fish sauce; 1½ teaspoons packed dark brown sugar; ½ teaspoon grated lime zest plus ¼ cup lime juice (2 limes); ¼ teaspoon table salt; 8 ounces daikon radish , peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks; 1 small carrot , peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks; 1 slice hearty white sandwich bread , torn into 1‑inch pieces; 1 shallot , minced; 2 tablespoons milk; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; ½ teaspoon pepper; 1½ pounds ground pork; ½ teaspoon table salt; 1 teaspoon vegetable oil; ½ cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons Sriracha; 1½ teaspoons grated lime zest; 6 ounces chicken or duck liver pâté; 4 kaiser rolls , toasted if desired; ¼ English cucumber , halved lengthwise and sliced thin; 1 jalapeño chile , stemmed and sliced thin (optional); 12 sprigs fresh cilantro , trimmed and cut into 2‑inch pieces

Banh Mi Burgers

By Russell Selander

Published on June 16, 2020

Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

Pickles

1½ teaspoons fish sauce 1½ teaspoons packed dark brown sugar ½ teaspoon grated lime zest plus ¼ cup lime juice (2 limes)¼ teaspoon table salt 8 ounces daikon radish, peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks1 small carrot, peeled and cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks

Burgers

1 slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1‑inch pieces1 shallot, minced2 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon fish sauce ½ teaspoon pepper 1½ pounds ground pork ½ teaspoon table salt 1 teaspoon vegetable oil ½ cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons Sriracha 1½ teaspoons grated lime zest 6 ounces chicken or duck liver pâté 4 kaiser rolls, toasted if desired¼ English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced thin1 jalapeño chile, stemmed and sliced thin (optional)12 sprigs fresh cilantro, trimmed and cut into 2‑inch pieces

Before You Begin

You can find pâté in the gourmet cheese section of most well-stocked supermarkets. Be sure to use a smooth-textured pâté, not a coarse country pâté. Avoid pickling the radishes and carrots for longer than 1 hour; they will begin to turn limp and gray. If food safety is your primary concern, you may want to cook your burger to a higher internal temperature. To learn more, check out this guide.

Instructions

for the pickles

Whisk fish sauce, sugar, lime zest and juice, and salt in medium bowl until sugar and salt have dissolved. Stir in radish and carrot and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. Drain vegetables and set aside for serving.

for the burgers

Using fork, mash bread, shallot, milk, fish sauce, and pepper to paste in large bowl. Break ground pork into small pieces and add to bowl with bread mixture. Gently knead with hands until well combined. Divide pork mixture into 4 equal portions, then gently shape each portion into ¾‑inch-thick patty. Using your fingertips, press center of each patty down until about ½ inch thick, creating slight divot.

Season patties with salt. Heat oil in 12‑inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until just smoking. Transfer patties to skillet, divot side up, and cook until well browned on first side, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip patties, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook until browned on second side and meat registers 150 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer burgers to platter and let rest for 5 minutes.

Whisk mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime zest together in bowl. Spread pâté evenly over roll tops and bottoms followed by half of mayonnaise mixture. Serve burgers on rolls, topped with pickled vegetables; cucumber; jalapeño, if using; and cilantro sprigs, passing extra mayonnaise mixture separately.