Banh Mi Burgers

½ cup chopped cucumber, seeded if large

¼ cup thinly sliced green onion

¼ cup chopped carrot

½ 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

1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

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.