Weekly Recipe #10: Asei's No-Nonsense BBQ Burgers

This week’s recipe comes from our sriracha-loving chef Asei! He says:
“I love to barbecue, and this is a good way to incorporate some tasty veggies in and on top of your burger. I would recommend using local grass-fed beef and organic pork for the best flavor, such as Thousand Hills beef and Lorentz pork, which can be found at any local co-op. Also, the beef could be substituted for free-range ground chicken from Larry Schultz, also found at most local co-ops.”
Asei’s No-Nonsense BBQ Burgers w/ Pickled Veggies and Sriracha Mayo
(Makes approximately eight 8-ounce burgers [big guys!])
Pickled Veggies:
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
2 cups white vineger
5 black pepper corns
2 tbsp. mustard seed
1 cup white sugar
1. Dissolve sugar in vinegar, add veggies and let sit covered in the fridge for 24 hours. If you like it spicy, add a jalapeño.
Sriracha Mayo:
1 cup mayo
3 tbsp. sriracha
1 bunch cilantro, minced
1 tsp. lemon or lime zest
1 clove garlic, minced
2. Mix all ingredients and let sit for two hours in the fridge.
Burger:
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 onion, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp. salt
3 tbsp. pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh parsley, minced
1 pickled jalapeño or pickled sweet pepper, minced
1/2 tsp. dry chipotle powder
3. Mix burger ingredients together. Shape into patties and cook on the grill at 155 degrees until medium done.
4. Assemble burger. Closed-faced: mayo on the bun, then burger, then pickled veggies. Open-faced: pickled veggies on the bun, then burger, then mayo, topped with some field greens for a gourmet presentation.