Hoisin Burgers

I found the recipe for Hoisin burgers on a blog called No Recipes. I love that name for a blog. I wish I was cleaver enough in the kitchen to whip up meals without the aid of a recipe. Guess I just need to get more practice in the kitchen. The extent of my creativity only extends to making substitutions. Perhaps this is the first step on the journey to inventing a recipe?

Hoisin sauce, for those of you who aren't in the know, is kind of like a Chinese BBQ sauce. It's tangy and sweet with a hint of spiciness for balance. I think it is delicious and I wish I remembered to use it more often.

The first time I used Hoisin Sauce in a meal was shortly after I got married. I told Mrblocko what I was planning on cooking and rattled off the ingredients. I got to the Hoisin Sauce and he did one of those cartoon double takes. "You want to use what?!!!" I said, "Yeah, Hoisin Sauce. It's supposed to be similar to BBQ sauce. Don't you like it?" Apparently, he thought I said "Poison Sauce." Like I would try to do him in by feeding him something called poison sauce. Wouldn't that be a tad obvious???

For some reason I forgot to take a picture. Oh yeah, that's because the burgers fell apart on the grill. I thought I should add an egg to the meat mix as a binder. It is something I do out of habit when I make burgers. There was enough liquid with the Hoisin, sesame oil, and soy sauce. The egg was overkill. The meat mix looked fine when I combined all the ingredients; I just couldn't leave well enough alone. Whatever you do, resist the urge to add an egg when you make these burgers. You'll be really glad you did.

The recipe includes directions for making pickled onions. I didn't make them because I wasn't in the mood to eat or make them. I bet they would have been a tasty addition to the flavors in the burger. I am going to make these burgers again, without the egg. I think they will be even tastier if they can survive the grill long enough to get a bit of a char on them.

Hoisin Burgers from No Recipes
1 lb of lean organic ground beef
1 green onion minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tbs minced cilantro
1 tsp minced ginger
1 Tbs hoisin sauce
1 tsp sesame seed oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp ground white pepper

Combine the ingredients for the patty with your hand; be careful not to over mix it. Form the patties and stick them on parchment paper until you’re ready to cook them. Grill or Fry as desired.