I have a dream of one day cooking with Bobby Flay and soaking in all of his grill master secrets.  I could watch Bobby Flay's BBQ Addiction on the Food Network all day, everyday and be completely entertained and so what if I take notes like I am in school.  His food is always bright, fresh, grilled to perfection, and there is always an unexpected twist of flavors.  Sometimes I like to channel my inner Bobby Flay (even though I'm a girl) when I am coming up with a recipe or putting a twist on an old favorite.  Burgers are a blank canvas to something tasty and beautiful and they beg to be made new.  These Bibimbap pork burgers take my favorite pork burgers to a whole new level and they are going to knock your socks off.

I happen to be a BBQ addict through and through.  You will find me grilling in the dead of winter or in a rain storm because I love the flavor so much.  People always ask me if Canean does the grilling in our house, and they are always a little shocked when I say no.  Truth be told I usually don't let him anywhere near the grill, other than to light it up for me. 

I grew up in a family of grillers and even though my dad would never let me cut the grass (that was for my brother), he did let me grill.  And I have loved it ever since.  The smells, the char, the process...I am the grill master (inner Bobby Flay speaking).

Back to the burgers.  Bibimbap is a Korean dish that I had for the first time in Miami back in February.  The flavors are salty, spicy, and slightly sweet from the sauce and the bowl is packed full of veggies and topped with a fried egg.  As I was brainstorming new burger ideas, Bibimbap seemed like the perfect combination to pack inside and on top of a pork burger.

Let me just say, HOLY MOLY is this burger good.  The pork marries with the Korean flavors so nicely and you get a moist, charred burger topped with spinach, sautéed veggies, bean sprouts, spicy sauce, and a fried egg.  The flavors are insane together.

After one bite it's a party in your mouth.

I couldn't imagine a better burger to grill on Labor Day, and if you are having any friends over, they might never leave after they eat this burger.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

Ingredients:

• 2 Lbs. of Ground Pork (this makes 6 burgers)
• 1 Zucchini
• 1 Carrot
• 1/2 Cup Shitake Mushrooms
• 1/2 Cup Fresh Spinach
• 1/2 Cup Bean Sprouts
• Soy Sauce (2 Tbsp. for the burgers, and 3 Tbsp. for the veggies)
• 2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
• 4 Cloves of Garlic
• Gochujang with Garlic (2 Tbsp. for pork and more for spreading on your bun) I bought mine at Whole Foods.
• Buns for the Burgers

Directions:

• Season your ground pork with 4 cloves of minced or pressed garlic, add your 2 tbsp. soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. Gochujang and some pepper.  Mix thoroughly and make into patties.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
• Julienne or spiralize your zucchini, carrot, and mushrooms so that they are all in thin strips.  Sauté in the sesame oil and add your soy sauce after about 3 minutes.  Cook for about 3-5 more minutes until veggies just soften, but still have bite.  Set aside.
• Grill the burgers on each side for about 6 minutes or until pork is cooked through.  You can adjust heat depending on your grill and how hot it gets.
• While your burgers are cooking, fry 6 eggs to go on top of each burger leaving the yoke a little runny unless your like it cooked through. 
• In the last minute or two of grilling, place your buns on the grill and toast.
• Remove burgers and buns from the grill.
• To assemble, place your burger on the bottom of the bun, layer some fresh spinach, some of the sautéed veggies, your fried egg, and then your bean sprouts.  Spread some a good bit of the Gochujang on the other half of the bun and place on top. 
• Serve immediately.

There you have it.  My new favorite burger. 

P.S.  Just so you know, one day I'm going to drink Sangria and cook with Bobby Flay on his rooftop grill pad and it's going to be freakin' fantastic, even if he doesn't know it yet.