I need to interrupt my chapters about the travel in Asia…. but i think u will going to forgive me. I need to introduce u the best ·burger· in my life.

Its not a hamburger at all. Much more. I have the influence of Asia and of Barcelona of course – where i am trying to settle now. So the job hunting is a very hard activity – i need some break to relax… this is the moment when my new ·burgerbun· born…

I m gonna be honest. I do not like hamburger. For this simple reason, i do not eat hamburger. And i did not want to make hamburger – such a coincidence hm? But i had something else in my mind – and after a couple of dayz brainstorming… it called for a final burger.

The other thing in my mind was a piece of protein. The main ingredient… No meat at all. Its fish – it is a huge tuna rib – i dont think it has got a proper English name, u can call it tuna belly or more well-known the Japanese expression:  Toro.

This is my main influence of Barcelona – seems that nowadays people love to discover new parts of animals what they used to throw away before. Like this cut of the tuna – the fattiest piece what u can easily imagine as a piece of pork. The cut comes behind the fin of the fish – u can call it rib when u have the bone with it. Beautiful piece – like a wagyu beef – has got its marbling characteristics (like a thin net of fat covers all the meat). Thats exactly what i tried 2 times in posh restaurants and i wanted to try by myself – just needed to spend 30 euros for half kilo hehehehhe :).

Unfortunately i cant really tell u the secrets how to prepair – not because i dont want but cause i can not. Our oven is f8cked up totally – i think that the thermometer just stopped working so if u turn it on – will goes on the highest temperature in 10 minutes. Anyway – i guess that ideally (obviously depending on the size of your cut) around 45 minutes should be enough at 160degrees… I turned my oven on with the fish already inside (in a ceramic ramekin covered with the sauce and cling film) and was definitely ready in 40 minutes.

We all know how real hamburger looks like… should not even waste a single word to describe it. Well – mine looks a bit different. First of all – i made my bun. Not as hard as u think – just time consuming. I was planning to steam anyway (instead of baking in the oven) – so i purchase some good quality flour (low in gluten) and for the perfection – some black sesame seeds. So my bun basically done with a bit of fresh yeast, soda bicarb, fat and almost fermented wheat-milk. Its just soooo sexy, has got exactly the opposite make up like a normal bun (mine is white like a snow cause of the steaming and has got dark dots of the black sesame seed — not a brown shiny bun of baking with white dots of white sesame seed….). And i do love to steam buns – has got much more sweetness – which is pretty useful if u are going to work with lots of saltiness like i do.

steamed buns:

• 600g flour
• 1 big tbsp fresh yeast
• around 300ml warm water (i used the wheat-milk)
• 1tsp soda bicarb
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 6tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp good quality fat
• i do not use salt here – but u can put a pinch if u like

I tried a super Vietnamese recipe… the sauce i cooked the steak in… i made a fish-caramel and later poached onions, garlic and ginger in it. U just need a big piece of palm sugar and a bottle of fish sauce (all my friends hate me when im using it because of the smell… hehe – but its just pure umami… sorry guyzzzz:))))).

caramel sauce:

• 900g brown palm sugar chopped into pieces
• 600ml fish sauce (nam pla)
• whatever u like, onions, garlic, ginger chilli etc etc…

—- start to make your caramel out of the sugar (slowly if u dont wanna burn it), when it starts to bubble – carefully add your fish sauce, stir couple of times and done – add your onions just at the end if u want to keep some crunchiness, the temperature is still hot enough to poach —

Really important: a bit of green – a bunch of fresh coriander – as we like it a lot. No fuss. However i have friends who just hate this herb like the evil. Ok, i dont mind if u use just normal salad leaves as u get used to with normal “american style” hamburgers. Pfffffffffffffffffffffffff…. shame though. :P

Like a glory on the top – approx. 250g slow cooked tuna toro – its possible that the 40 minutes i gave to this piece was a bit more than enough – BUT its sooooo rich in fat that seems impossible to dry it out. The texture was like butter, do not need to bite cause its melting between your lips.

Last but never the least – our old friend, Mr. Kimchi is coming around again. We need that mild spiciness and acidic fermentation for balance.

kimchi:

• 1 nappa cabbage chopped
• 2tbsp salt
• 2tbsp sugar

———- mix and rest overnight – wash the next day ——————–

• 100g sugar
• 20 crushed garlic cloves
• 20 slices of ginger
• 50g chilli flakes
• 4tbsp fish sauce (i use a good amount)
• 4tbsp soy sauce
• 100ml pineapple juice
• 2tbsp salted shrimps
• 50g chopped spring onions
• 75g julienne carrots
• 2 shredded apples

———- marinate all together, u can start to taste after a week ——————-

Dont forget about the crunchiness: if u are as lucky as i am having everything crazy in the cupboard – use some amazing crunchy pork floss. Others can use any kind of fried nuts. Will do.

I finished my bun with a thin layer of peanut butter. Sorry. I just love it. And it does give the final touch (ok ok ok – i dont look so u can put some mayonnaise now) hehehehehehe…..

Well… nothing left… ENJOY LIKE I DO. LIKE A PIG. :D