I am not a big Food Network watcher. Every time I skim by that channel it’s usually a reality cooking competition or a show featuring that one guy who goes around and samples other people’s cooking – I think you know who I’m talking about. I’m not trying to judge anyone that does watch it, it’s just frankly, not my cup of tea and I rarely see anything worth sticking around for. I’m sure if I had the Cooking Channel I’d be watching that, but I don’t, so the only cooking shows I watch are on PBS (I LOVE Martha Bakes) or on Bravo – hello, Top Chef.

Now I know I said one of the main reasons I don’t watch Food Network is because of the cooking competitions,  but Top Chef is one of my guilty pleasures. I actually learn quite a few things while I’m watching Top Chef and for that, I enjoy it tremendously. Their new season, Top Chef Duels, hasn’t disappointed and I’ve been enjoying catching it on TV when I have time. The first episode featured Richard Blais and Marcel Vigneron as they went head-to-head. One of the challenges was to create a burger, and my mouth started watering. I had been craving a burger for awhile so I intently tuned in waiting to see their creations. The first thing that caught my attention was a kimchi ketchup created by Richard Blais. I knew I had to recreate it.

So much so that I went right out to the grocery store that Saturday morning after I watched the show, grabbed some kimchi, and came home and placed it in the food processor with some ketchup. In that instant I knew that this kimchi ketchup had to grace a juicy bacon cheeseburger (and some fries, if we’re being honest here). It’s a little spicy and imparts so much flavor without being over the top and taking over the flavor of the actual bacon cheeseburger. It just complements everything so well. If you’ve been looking for something to up your burger game lately, this kimchi ketchup is the way to do it.

Bacon Cheeseburgers with Kimchi Ketchup

2lbs ground beef
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup kimchi
1/2 cup ketchup
4 thin slices of cheddar cheese
8 slices of bacon
4 brioche buns
2-3 Tbsp mayonnaise
8 slices of bacon, cooked
Arugula

Begin by preparing your burgers. Divide the ground beef into four equal portions. Shape into a round disc and with your thumb place a small indent in the middle on one side (this will help the burgers from “puffing up” in the middle. Season with salt and pepper and place in the fridge to rest for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the kimchi ketchup. In a food processor, place the kimchi and ketchup in and blend until smooth. If needed, season with salt and pepper. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Take out the burgers and either grill or pan fry. To pan fry, heat up a skillet to medium high heat. Place the burgers in, being careful not to overcrowd. Cook on one side for 3 minutes, without touching the burger to get a nice crust. Flip over to the other side and cook for another 4 minutes or until it is cooked to your doneness. In the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, place the cheese on and tent it with a piece of tinfoil to make sure that the cheese melts. Remove and set aside under a piece of tinfoil and continue with remaining burgers.

Broil or toast the brioche buns until browned. To assemble the burgers, on the bottom of one of the buns spread a thin layer of mayonnaise and top with arugula. Place the cheeseburger on top, then place 2 strips of bacon. on the top part of the bun, spread a generous amount of the kimchi ketchup and top the burger. Repeat with the remaining burgers and serve immediately.

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