Banh Mi Burgers - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped cucumber, seeded if large
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 pounds ground pork
2 tablespoons tamari sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
6 sesame seed hamburger buns
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil (optional)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint (optional)

Preparation

In a bowl, mix together the cucumber, green onion, carrot, rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons of mirin, and sugar until the mixture is well blended. Refrigerate 3 hours to overnight.
Place the pork in a mixing bowl, and lightly combine with tamari sauce, sesame oil, 1 teaspoon of mirin, ginger, chili garlic sauce, and fish sauce. Divide the meat into 6 equal parts, and form each part into a patty. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
Grill the burgers until the meat is no longer pink inside and the outside is crisp and brown, about 5 minutes per side. To assemble, place a burger on a sesame seed bun, and pile about 1/4 cup of the pickle mixture onto the burger. Sprinkle with a bit of fresh basil and mint, if desired.