Japanese Miso-Glazed Eggplant Burgers With Fresh Pickles Recipe

Updated August 29, 2018

20140730-burger-toppings-week-japanese-miso-eggplant-burger-vicky-wasik-1.jpg — A slab of tender roasted, miso-glazed eggplant tops these juicy burgers. . Vicky Wasik

Topped with tender, miso-glazed roasted eggplant and fresh Asian cucumber pickles, these burgers strike a sweet-savory balance that's hard to resist.

Why this recipe works:

Using 80-percent lean ground beef guarantees juicy, flavorful burgers.
Handling the ground beef as little as possible and only seasoning the exterior creates a patty with a perfect hamburger texture that isn't tight like meatloaf.

Burger Toppings Week: Japanese Miso-Eggplant Burger With Fresh Pickles

Recipe Details

Japanese Miso-Glazed Eggplant Burgers With Fresh Pickles Recipe

Active 35 mins

Total 45 mins

Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons mirin (see note)
2 tablespoons sake
1/4 cup mild red or white miso
6 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 large globe eggplant, cut crosswise into 4 (1/2 inch thick) rounds (see note)
Vegetable oil, for brushing
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
2 cups thinly sliced Japanese or English cucumbers (about 2 Japanese or 1/2 English)
1 1/2 pounds freshly ground beef chuck, preferably about 80 percent lean, formed into 4 (4 1/2 inch wide) patties
Freshly ground black pepper
Mayonnaise, preferably Kewpie, for serving
Sriracha, for serving
4 English muffins, split and toasted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together mirin, sake, miso, and 2 tablespoons sugar until well combined. Set aside.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush eggplant slices with vegetable oil and set on prepared baking sheet. Bake eggplant, turning once, until very tender, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine vinegar, water, remaining 4 tablespoons sugar, and 1/2 tablespoon salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat. Add cucumber slices and stir. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or a double layer of heavy duty paper towels, pressing down until towel is saturated with liquid and in direct contact with the cucumbers. Let rest 10 minutes, then transfer cucumbers to a sealable container. Top up with liquid and discard the rest. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Season patties generously with salt and pepper. Cook to desired doneness on a hot grill or in a skillet on the stovetop, 125°F for medium rare or 135°F for medium. Transfer to a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Turn on broiler. Brush top sides of eggplant slices with miso glaze and broil until browned on top, about 2 minutes. Spread mayonnaise and sriracha on English muffin top halves. Set burger patties on English muffin bottom halves, and top each with an eggplant slice. Top with pickled cucumbers, saving the rest for another use, close burgers and serve immediately.

Notes

Mirin is a sweet rice-based wine. It can be found in any Japanese or Asian grocery story. If unavailable, you can make a substitute by heating 1 cup of sake with 1 cup of sugar until dissolved. While you only need 4 slices of eggplant for these burgers, you can (and should) cook even more slices of the eggplant, using the extra glaze, because they're delicious.

This Recipe Appears In

Burger Toppings Week: Japanese Miso-Eggplant Burger With Fresh Pickles

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
612	Calories
31g	Fat
41g	Carbs
40g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	612
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g	40%
Saturated Fat 10g	48%
Cholesterol 116mg	39%
Sodium 810mg	35%
Total Carbohydrate 41g	15%
Dietary Fiber 3g	12%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 40g
Vitamin C 2mg	9%
Calcium 145mg	11%
Iron 4mg	25%
Potassium 664mg	14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.