From Our Kitchen to Yours: Kombu Brisket Burgers With Cabbage Cole Slaw

A note on Kombu- While this may be an unfamiliar ingredient, I cannot encourage becoming acquainted with it enough. Kombu is an edible kelp that is essential to Japanese food. It can be found at any Asian food store and often at gourmet grocers as well. When you wrap your steaks with Kombu overnight, it will cure them with the naturally occurring MSG that is crystalized on the surface of the dried seaweed and packs an Umami punch that you will love! 

Ingredients 

• 2 Lbs. brisket (makes 8 four-ounce patties) 
• Kombu (enough to wrap your steaks) 

Cabbage Coleslaw

• 1 small head of cabbage, finely sliced  
• 1 small yellow onion, finely sliced using mandolin  
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt  
• dash of rice vinegar (to taste) 
• 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds 

Burger Sauce 

• ¼ cup sake  
• Dash of mirin 
• 1 Tbsp. white or red miso  
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 
• 1 Tbsp. Tomato paste or ketchup  
• Add soy sauce to taste 

Recipe Preparation 

Step 1: Prep the Patties

24 hours before preparing your burgers:

1. Cut slices from the brisket that you plan to grind for hamburger, making sure to get a healthy fat cap on the steaks.
2. Once sliced, wrap in the steaks completely in the dried Kombu, (depending on the size of the leaves, it may take 2 or three.)
3. Wrap in saran wrap.
4. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

The natural salt from the Kombu should be all the salt you need for curing!  

After the steaks have cured for 24 hours, the Kombu will be saturated with moisture and slimy when you remove the saran wrap. The steak will be vibrantly red, which is part of the curing process.

Discard the Kombu leaves and slice the steaks into one-by-one-inch cubes. Refrigerate in a metal bowl until ready for grinding or leave them in the freezer for up to 30 minutes (you want them to be as cold as possible, but not frozen, for grinding).

Chef’s Tip: It’s also a good idea to keep your meat grinder in the freezer for at least a couple hours before grinding.

Once the meat and the grinder are very cold, grind the beef to your desired consistency, I prefer a course grind for a “steakhouse” mouth feel, but if you like a finer grind, go for it!    

After grinding the hamburger, mold them into patties of your desired size, set them on parchment paper and refrigerate until you are ready to grill.

Step 2: Slice the Slaw 

Using a mandolin, finely slice the cabbage and onion into a colander over a bowl and season with a healthy dose of Kosher Salt. The salt will cause the cabbage to “sweat” and lose much of its water.

After about 30 minutes, massage the slaw, squeezing out as much of the remaining liquid as possible. Transfer to a mixing bowl and the add rice vinegar along with the sesame seeds and refrigerate.

Step 3: Simmer the Sauce 

Here is a general guideline for a fun, Japanese-ish riff on the classic ketchup.

1. Bring the sake to simmer in a saucepan with a dash of mirin and the Miso, whisking together on low heat until it is the consistency of a thin paste.
2. Add Dijon Mustard and tomato paste (or ketchup).
3. Whisk together until consistent and adjust ingredients to taste, adding soy sauce for saltiness. 
4. Refrigerate until ready for use.

Assembly 

1. Preheat your grill and add the burger patties, allowing them to caramelize and cook for about 5 minutes over indirect heat before flipping.
2. Add the buns to indirect heat to toast.
3. Cook to desired doneness and finish over direct heat to get a little char.
4. Add mayonnaise to one side of the toasted bun and the burger sauce to the other.
5. Add the slaw and serve! 

Enjoy!