A twist on the classic Cantonese style Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu) in the form of a burger. These Char Siew burgers are infused with aromatic Chinese five spice and garlic, smothered in a thick and sweet Char Siu sauce, then topped with fresh cilantro, carrots, and lettuce.
Add honey, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, cornstarch, Chinese five spice powder, salt, minced garlic and minced cilantro to ground pork. Mix well and allow to marinate for 15 minutes.
Divide the ground pork mixture into 4 equal parts and shape them into patties.
Heat cooking oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet. Sear burger patties for 2 - 3 minutes, then flip them over and sear for another 2 -3 minutes (see notes). Remove the burger patties from the skillet and set them aside.
In a small saucepan, prepare the sauce by combining honey, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, brown sugar and Chinese five spice powder. Place the saucepan over medium heat.
Mix cornstarch with water in a small bowl. Stir well till this mixture is smooth. When the sauce starts to boil, pour this cornstarch mixture into the saucepan. Stir until the sauce thickens, then set aside.
Build your Char Siu burger: Place the burger patty on the bottom hamburger bun, smear the sauce over the patty, then top with shredded carrots, cilantro leaves, lettuce, then the top burger bun.
Notes
The cooking time for your burger patties will depend on the thickness of your burgers. To ensure your burgers are cooked all the way through, use a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be at 160° F.