Beijing with a “Zing” Burger

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. freshly ground chuck
1/2 tsp. salt, more or less to taste
1 egg white
1 tsp. plus 1 TBSP sesame oil
1/2 tsp. roasted red chili paste
2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 TBSP. dark soy sauce
3 TBSP. hoisin sauce
1 TBSP water
1 small zucchini, cut into matchstick pieces 2″ long
1 small carrot, peeled and cut same as zucchini
1 cup thinly sliced bok choy
1 TBSP wasabi
6 fresh sesame sandwich buns, split
Oil or non-stick spray for grill

Instructions

BURGERS:
Mix salt, egg white, 1 tsp. sesame oil and 1/4 tsp. chili paste in a small bowl. Add to ground chuck and mix thoroughly. Form meat into 6 patties equal to the size of the sesame buns. Cover and keep chilled.
SAUCE:
Combine remaining 1/4 tsp. chili paste, rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and water. Mix with a fork until well blended.
COOKING:
Spray or brush gas grill cooking surface with oil. Preheat to Med-High. Sear burgers two minutes per side, basting with sauce on each side. Turn grill down to Med-Low and continue to cook until desired doneness (8-10 more minutes for medium well) with cover down. Baste twice more while cooking. Toast buns on the outside of the grill rack during last minute of cooking.
VEGETABLE TOPPING:
While burgers are cooking, heat remaining 1 TBSP sesame oil in a large non-stick saute pan. When oil is hot, quickly stir fry zucchini, carrots and bok choy until crisp-tender, about two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 TBSP of the basting sauce. NOTE: Can be done ahead of time and set aside.
TO ASSEMBLE BURGERS:
Brush a thin layer of the remaining basting sauce on the bottom of each bun. Place burger on bun. Spread each burger with a thin swirl of wasabi, then top with stir-fry vegetables.