HER Burger: Hotdogs, Eggs, and Rice

This has to be one of my favorite things to eat. This is a riff on a secret family recipe that my mom grew up eating known simply as hotdogs, rice, and eggs. Bringing these 3 humble ingredients together and transforming them with a little sugar, shoyu, and love was a life lesson. Simplicity is key. 

I thought I invented the rice bun (post ramen burger craze) only to find that it was already wildly popular in Japan a la Mos Burger. This bun is so much more satisfying than a bread bun. It's a little lacking in the structural integrity department but it makes up for it with superior texture. The key is to get the golden crisp texture of a roasted rice ball (yaki onigiri) on both sides. This helps to keep things sturdy while delivering maximum flavor and crunch. 

After tinkering with rice buns for teriyaki hamburgers and the like, I realized that I could bring my mom's classic dish into the next generation. Here is HER Burger, but let's just keep mom's secret recipe between you and me ;)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups Japanese or short grain rice, cook according to package
Water
Sesame oil or light olive oil
4-6 all beef hotdogs, Kosher preferred
1 ½ TBSP sugar
3 TBSP soy sauce
2-4 eggs, cooked to your liking

Cook 2 cups of Japanese short grain rice according to the instructions on the package. You can add slightly more water to ensure that the rice is sticky.

Oil the inside of a hamburger patty press and form a ½ - ¾ cup of hot, sticky rice into buns. Be sure to compress the rice very tightly so that it keeps its shape.

Brush both sides of the rice bun with sesame or light olive oil, lightly season with salt, and fry in a pan until golden brown on both sides. About 7 minutes per side.

Cut the hots dog length wise, lay flat, and score both sides to prevent the dog from curling. Brown in a dry pan on both sides. Turn the heat down to medium and add in the sugar. Lightly caramelize the sugar before adding in the soy sauce. Mix until the sugar is dissolved and reduce to a thick glaze consistency.

Cook the eggs to your liking. Enjoy them sunny side up, scrambled, over easy, poached, hard boiled etc. Assemble by laying the egg(s) and 2 split hotdogs on top of a rice bun. Drizzle with the hot dog glaze and top with the second rice bun.