These thin hamburgers are straight out of the Depression era.  My grandmother grew up during the Depression in Logan County in the hills of West Virginia.  Since money was scarce, families had to make their meat go a long way.  Even though times have changed, she still likes to make good food that’s easy on the wallet.  I just love the combination of the flavors of the burger, raw onion, cheese, and especially the grilled toast.

In a medium bowl, combine beef, egg, grated onion, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Mix until combined.  Form into thin patties.

Spread butter onto one side of each slice of bread.

Heat a large heavy-duty skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook the burgers about 3 minutes on each side.  Drain on paper towels.  Drain the grease from the skillet.

In the same skillet, place six slices of bread, butter-side down.  Top each with a slice of cheese, if desired, some onions, and a burger.  Top with remaining slices of cheese and bread, butter-side up.  Cook each sandwich until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Serve with mustard, ketchup, pickles, or any other desired hamburger toppings.

Toss beef with cornstarch to evenly coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, in a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin sauce, honey, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and water. Set aside.

In a wok or heavy skillet, heat the canola oil. Fry the beef, in batches, until browned, about 3 minutes each batch. Remove and let drain on paper towels.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons oil from the wok. Heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic, ginger, orange peel, and scallions and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add the beef and stir in the sauce. Raise the heat to medium-high and stir until sauce thickens. Serve over steamed rice with the orange slices on top.