Pulled Beef Burger with Runny Fried Egg

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• Our pulled beef burger - a fusion of global flavours
• Slow-cooked pulled beef infused with red wine and BBQ essence
• Exotic Korean flavors into classic ragu technique
• Sweet, sour and smoky
• Slow-cook for deliciously tender and flavorful beef
• Make the most incredible pulled beef burger
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• Pulled beef burger with poached egg recipe

A rich, decadent and intensely flavoured pulled beef burger made with slow-cooked beef shin in a fusion of Korean bulgogi, BBQ and classic red wine reduction sauce. We’ve brought together flavours and cooking techniques from around the world to make this burger a statement dish that is every bit as comforting as it is exciting and flavoursomely daring. Exuding notes of pear, ginger, soy and intoxicating rich red wine and combined together in a sweet brioche burger bun with a yolk-popping soft egg, prepare not only to feast but to get sophisticatedly messy!   

Our pulled beef burger - a fusion of global flavours

This burger is a result of a fusion of a few ideas and cuisines from the US, Korea, France and Italy. The reason we have opted to use pulled beef instead of an ordinary patty in a burger is that pulled beef can showcase deeper, richer flavours because, to be pulled, it has to be slow-cooked! and it is this process that sees the beefy flavours develop and intensify.

Although the States do slow-cooking really well and for example, the southern state pitmasters from Kentucky, Louisiana or Tennessee, for example, have created some of the best slow-cooked meats anywhere in the world. To find inspiration for this pulled beef burger, however, we have looked further afield to find where other slow-cooked masterpieces have come from.

When you think of slow-cooked beef, a Mexican Chilli con Carne may come to mind as may an American beef brisket recipe but two countries above all equally top the list for their offerings. France and Italy. France has its beef bourguignon and Italy has its traditional ragu. Both dishes are rich and satisfying, both have their humble origins with both dishes today still being replicated and augmented with different cooking techniques and ingredients trying to better them, but both dishes are “standing” the test of time.

Arguably, it is also time that makes these dishes great. You just can’t hurry these. They take time, low heat, good ingredients and time. In fact, the ingredients don’t always have to be the best either, often it was lesser-worth cuts of meat that were traditionally used because otherwise, they would have been too tough if cooked quickly. So bubbling away in a pot for a few hours to tenderise the meat whether or not inadvertently done, the technique managed to create a deep complex and tasty flavour.

Slow-cooked pulled beef infused with red wine and BBQ essence

Whether we can state we have used a beef bourguignon or a beef and chianti ragu for our inspiration, the red wine flavouring this meat certainly is the key ingredient and the technique employed to impart its full flavour. However, making a slow-cooked beef dish and sandwiching it in a brioche bun and calling it a burger would be cheating just a little. It may be a red wine Sloppy Joe perhaps, but a burger needs a little more to it. Perhaps it is what the pitmasters from those southern states created that comes to mind when preparing our slow-cooked pulled beef burger and all those wonderful smoky and spicy flavours they bring out, we just had to get in some of that BBQ essence in our pulled beef burger too. 

Traditional BBQ sauce and red wine pair together excellently, but we wanted this to be a little different, so we thought… how about Korean BBQ? Yes! Korean BBQ sauce or Beef bulgogi is an umami-rich, spiced BBQ dish that flavours succulent pieces of beef in a fruity soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame sauce with spicy Korean gochujang chilli paste. We thought that this Asian BBQ sauce too could massively benefit from combining it with a luscious red wine reduction.

With an Asian twist to our red wine BBQ slow-cooked beef, the rest of the burger accoutrements just fall into place. An easy Asian slaw is an obvious accompaniment, simple julienned white cabbage with a mirin rice wine and mayo dressing works perfectly, as does a soft egg, just like you would find in a Japanese ramen. This provides an added unctuous texture to the burger. Not too dissimilar to what an egg yolk does sitting on top of a steak tartare (another classic French staple that has been given an Asian overhaul in many restaurants too) Other toppings you could try (keeping this Asian twist) could be some sauteed or pickled shiitake mushrooms, pickled ginger or even some kimchi but feel free to experiment.

Exotic Korean flavors into classic ragu technique

What is important is how this pulled beef burger filling is prepared. The technique is almost exactly the same as you would employ to create a delicious ragu, but with all those exotic Korean flavours.

First of all, we need to brown the beef shins in a heavy-bottomed shallow casserole dish on the hob. Searing the meat helps to seal the flavours in and firm up any fatty sides on the shins. Also, some of this fat will render off into the pan and add flavour. After about 45 seconds to a minute on each side, the shins can be taken out of the pan and set aside. 

Next, the aromatics and base vegetables are added. One sliced onion is added, rather than a diced onion, as it gives a better texture to the end result, along with a good amount of grated fresh ginger, garlic and the gochujang chilli paste. Stir it all together to start everything caramelising in the pan. 

Next add some rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and dark brown sugar. These ingredients add the sweet and savoury nature that is ever present in any good BBQ sauce, the soy, of course, adds the salty richness that makes this very Asian. 

Sweet, sour and smoky

The next important flavour is the fruit. In Western BBQ sauces, the flavour notes are generally sweet, sour and smoky. There is an added fruitiness from tomatoes in ketchup or tamarind in the Worcestershire sauce (which in itself is an Asian fruit) but the Korean, Chinese and Japanese BBQ sauces are even more fruity. Much of the Asian savoury staples include fruity notes from citrus fruits and apples or pears. An aromatic Katsu curry for example would not be the same had it not had apple juice in it (or blended fresh apple). For this BBQ sauce, what better ingredient can be added for fruity sweetness than an apple or pear. Both impart sweetness or even a little tartness which is absolutely perfect for a flavour sensation. Also, as we are making a hybrid BBQ sauce along with a red wine reduction and apples or pears cooked in red wine syrup are a match made in heaven. For added sweetness, we have chosen a pear, but either can be used. Crown pears or Nashi pears work best if you can find them, alternatively use a Comice pear or Williams pear or whatever is readily available in your nearest store. Simply grate the whole fruit and add together with the rest of the sauce ingredients in the pan.

Slow-cook for deliciously tender and flavorful beef

Finally, place the beef shins back into the dish and pour over a large glass of decent full-bodied red wine. Simmer on the hob for ten minutes before placing it in the oven on a low heat for about three hours. Low and slow is the way to develop these flavours. If you have time, put the oven down to 150/160℃ and for three and a half hours or so, if not two and a half hours at 170-180℃ works well. The meat at this time will be beautifully tender and very flavoursome. Remove the dish from the oven, take out the shins and place them on a chopping board. You can leave them to cool a little before removing the bones and shredding the meat using two forks.

If you have a more liquid consistency in the sauce, simply reduce it further by itself before stirring through the pulled beef. What you want with the sauce consistency is something resembling the texture of BBQ sauce or ketchup. 

At this point, the pulled beef mix is a tasty recipe to use with alternative accompaniments. Serving it with rice or noodles or even mashed potato would make just as exciting dishes as would putting it in a wrap along with some cucumber and spring onions. If you make a large batch of this, then it will keep in the fridge for up to three days so you can try your leftovers in a different way. A ragu, after all, does get a little bit more tasty once cooled in the fridge and eaten the next day.

Make the most incredible pulled beef burger

When serving as a pulled beef burger though, just lightly toast the brioche buns in the oven for a few minutes and lightly fry the eggs in a pan how you like them, although a soft yolk works beautifully. Thinly slice some white cabbage and mix in with some mirin rice wine for an Asian slaw. You could pour a little sesame oil over this too but make sure you sprinkle a teaspoon or so of whole sesame seeds on top too. Then simply build your burgers, first with some slaw on the base of the brioche, then a liberal layer of your pulled beef followed by a soft fried egg and topped with the top of your bun. Drizzle with any sauce that sits in the pan and serve immediately. It will be messy, but it will be gorgeous.

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