Reserved wine from reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Panko:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3/4 Cup plain panko
1/8 teaspoon salt
Burgers:
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 green onions (dark green parts only)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Reconstituted dried mushrooms
2/3 Cup of the toasted panko
2 Pounds ground pork
Buns:
6 sesame brioche buns (with black or white sesame seeds) or other good quality sesame buns
3 tablespoons canola oil
Instructions
Cucumbers:
In a shallow dish toss together all ingredients. Cover & chill until assembling burger.
Bacon:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place bacon on wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until almost crisp. Carefully blot tops of bacon with paper towels to remove excess grease. Brush with plum sauce. Return to the oven & bake an additional 2-4 minutes or until crisp. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.
Reconstituted Shiitake Mushrooms:
In a small saucepan over medium heat bring the mushrooms & wine to a simmer. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms using a slotted spoon & set aside. Strain liquid through 12 layers of cheese cloth. Reserve strained liquid.
Mac & Cheese:
Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add milk & heat until milk starts to steam. Turn heat to low. In a small bowl mash together the cream cheese & miso. Whisk the cream cheese mixture & Swiss into the milk. Whisking constantly, cook until cheese is fully melted. Stir in the cooked macaroni. Remove from heat, keeping warm.
Mushrooms & Onion:
In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil, onion, sugar, salt, & pepper. Stirring occasionally, cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms. Cook until onion & mushrooms are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic. Cook for 1 minute longer. Add reserved wine from dried mushrooms & soy sauce. Cook until liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
Toasted panko:
In a small saucepan over medium low heat add canola & sesame oil. Once hot, stir in panko & salt. Stirring often, cook until golden brown. Remove to a bowl & let cool.
Burgers:
Preheat a greased gas grill to medium heat. In a medium saucepan over medium heat add the oil, green onions, & garlic. Cook until onions & garlic are softened, then pour into a large bowl. Stir in the soy sauce, Worcestershire, five spice, salt, pepper, reconstituted mushrooms, & 2/3 Cup panko. Allow mixture to stand for 5 minutes. Add the pork & mix gently until combined. Form into 6 patties that are slightly larger than the buns. Make a 1/2 inch indentation in the center of each patty. Place patties on grill & cover. Grill patties on each side for 4-6 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F or to the desired degree of doneness. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Buns:
Brush cut sides of buns lightly with oil. Grill until lightly toasted, about 1-2 minutes.
For Assembly:
Drain cucumbers & place a thin layer on each bottom bun. Top with burgers. Crisscross 2 bacon halves over each burger, then spoon on the mushroom & onion mixture. Top each burger with about 1/3 Cup of the macaroni. Reserve remaining macaroni for another use. Sprinkle burgers with remaining panko. Replace top buns.
