KRAZY KOREAN BURGERS

Method

1. With the motor running, drop the garlic and ginger into a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the pancetta and pulse until finely chopped. Add the onion, chilli flakes, soya bean paste, chilli paste, sugar and pepper, and process until fairly smooth. Set the pancetta mixture aside.
2. Crumble the beef into a large bowl. Add the soda water, sesame seeds and pancetta mixture and mix together with your hands, being careful not to overwork the mixture. Form it into four patties, each 2.5 cm (1 in) thick and 10 cm (4 in) wide. Make a depression in the centre of each patty, as burgers tend to rise in the middle during cooking. This will help them come out flat. If not cooking immediately, cover the patties and refrigerate.
3. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Lightly season the burgers with salt, if necessary. Put them in the pan depression-side up and cook for about 7 minutes, flipping halfway through, until browned and cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, heat a two-burner griddle/stove-top grill pan or frying pan over a medium-high heat. Spread both sides of the buns with the butter and cook cut-side down for a minute until lightly toasted. If working in batches, toast the bottom buns first. Transfer to individual plates.
5. Put a burger on each bottom bun and top with lettuce and then the cucumber kimchi. Smear some Korean ketchup and doenjang mayonnaise on the top buns and place on the burgers. Secure with a bamboo skewer or long toothpick, if you like, and serve immediately.