Ono (Delicious”) Kim Chee Slider Burgers

This burger is a tribute to the State of Hawaii with its diverse racial and multiple cultures.The burger creates a melting pot of cultural flavors by perfectly blending the sweetness of the Hawaiian sweet bread, spicy Korean Kim Chee, and the “good old” traditional American cheese burger, to create a burger with a little “kick”. “Ono” in Hawaiian means delicious and busy cooks will enjoy the ease of quick preparation without the sacrifice of taste.

Ingredients:

6 slices mild cheddar cheese

Patties

1 Cup chopped won bok (Chinese Cabbage) Korean-style Kim Chee
2 tablespoon Ko Cho (Chu) Jang Paste (Korean Hot Bean Paste)
1 egg
1/2 Cup bread crumbs
4 to 6 drops Tabasco Sauce (more or less to your taste)
1 pound ground beef

Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
12 King’s Hawaiian (or other) sweet rolls, split
3 cups shredded Manoa lettuce leaves (or other local grown/your favorite lettuce leaves)
12 (1/8 inch thick) Maui Onion slices (or other sweet onion slices)
12 (1/4 inch thick) Kamuela Tomato slices (or other local grown/your favorite Tomato slices)

Instructions:

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.

Cut each cheese slice into 1/4 to create little cheese squares to fit the sweet rolls. Set aside. (Each burger will have two (2) cheese squares.)

To make the patties, first, chop won bok (Chinese Cabbage) Korean-style Kim Chee, without squeezing/draining the kim chee liquid, to make 1C. Next,
combine all the chopped kim chee, Ko Cho Jang paste, egg, bread crumbs, and Tabasco sauce in a large bowl and mix well. Add ground beef. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions and form the portions into patties to fit the sweet rolls.

When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover and cook, turning once, until done to preference, 4 or 5 minutes on each side. When the burger is almost done, place 2 slices mini-square cheddar cheese on top of each burger. Also, during the last few minutes of cooking, place the sweet rolls, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly.

To assemble the burgers, on each sweet roll bottom, place 1/4 cup shredded lettuce, a patty, and then an onion slice and a tomato slice. Add the sweet roll tops and serve.