Pork Burgers
Hello readers & welcome to summer! Is that up for debate? Who here believes that summer officially starts on Memorial Day? *slowly raises hand*
I realize Summer Solstice starts in June, but just the overall FEELING of summer, in my opinion, is usually Memorial Day. Everyone is off work, everyone is grilling, everyone is in a good mood. Summa tiiiiiime and the livin’s eeeeeasyyyyy.
branch out.
I’ve got a recipe that is sure to wind up on your grill this year – damn skippy! We’ve been known to start using this recipe as early as April – it definitely makes a repeat for the 4th of July! It’s a burger made with ground pork – don’t overlook the other white meat. Ground Pork stays juicy, doesn’t need to be cooked to death & is more flavorful than turkey. Already sounds pretty good, huh?
As I get older, I’ve gotten wiser. A few fresh ingredients can go a long way. Food is fuel and should be enjoyed – why not make it super flavorful with less work? I know I’ve preached about fresh herbs, but basil really has my heart when it comes to freshness. I love the sweet licorice-like tang of basil, that immediately-recognizable smell and not to mention how delicious basil is when its grown at home! Sun-ripened basil can transform any dish & I always have a pot (or entire row) dedicated in my herb garden to this magical garnish – and Lord knows you need quite a bit of basil for this recipe!
make it make sense.
It's amazing to me how ingredients that don’t scream “togetherness” can very certainly wind up together! Basil & Garlic – sure! Italian food, unite! Ground Pork WITH Basil & Garlic?....sure, whatcha thinkin? A dense, sweet potato bun? ((do you see what I’m building here?)) All thrown together and beautifully topped off with a non-competing cheese, but a cheese nonetheless that sure to please everyone’s palate?? Sign me up!
The ingredients that go into this pork burger are so minimal & so are the toppings! As much as we love to grill out, it can be a pain in the ass to get all the toppings in order just for regular cheeseburgers – the lettuce, the tomato, the pickles, the onion – not to mention the condiments! As tasty & as necessary as that all is, wouldn’t it be nice to have the ingredients IN your burger rather than ON? Let’s get to it!
Ingredients
· 1 LB ground pork
· 1 egg
· ½ cup Plain Panko Breadcrumbs
· 2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
· 5-7 cloves of garlic, finely chopped ((I give you a choice because we have tried all ratios of it, and it depends on how much you truly enjoy garlic))
· 40-50 leafs of basil, finely chopped – YES this amount is completely necessary
· ½ TSP each, S+P
· 4 slices of Havarti or Munster Cheese
· Potato Buns – extremely important.
· Duke’s Mayo – don’t even.
Instructions, 1
Wash, pat dry & finely chop the basil leaves.
Finely chop the garlic – the choice is yours for however many you choose to use. If you make these burgers ahead of time and allow them to sit for a couple of hours, the garlic taste will mellow out and really integrate as part of this burger.
Empty the ground pork into a bowl – add in the egg, Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs garlic & basil – season with S+P.
Mix gently with your hands – you want everything to be fully incorporated but don’t mash the meat or further break the basil – it will brown. So be genteeeeel. ((if you need a crash course on how to mix meat, watch Ina Garten’s meatloaf episode))
Once you have achieved optimum-mixage, gently push down all the meat to the bottom of the bowl.
Score (X) the bowl into 4 sections – this will help ensure that all the burger patties are the same size – which also helps with grilling them, so they all have similar cooking times.
Instructions, 2
Scoop 1 quadrant and form into a BIG-ASS meatball. Gently smush down the center with the palm of your hand, working clockwise to create a burger patty.
Round out the edges so the surface looks & feels thick and plump. Repeat to make 4 patties. ((Yes I realize ¼ LB burgers are quite large, if you’d prefer, you can definitely make 6))
On a wax-paper-lined plate, lay each patty down, cover with another topping of wax paper & place in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
When you are ready to grill these pork burgers, be sure to execute the fine details : Toast the potato buns & melt the Havarti or Muenster cheese.
Grill your burgers to a minimum of 160 degrees internal temp. Flip Once, if you can handle it. I promise you these burgers won’t dry out & the cheese directly melted over top of them on the grill will certainly help!
I have gone the extra mile a couple of times & sliced a thin, super ripe tomato to add to this burger – eh, it was a welcome addition, just made the whole thing a little more wet, but I know some people need to have a ‘mater on their burger no matter what.
I’ve also caramelized a sweet vidalia onion with a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end of the process – this is a SUPERB addition and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
The final must-have is the Duke’s Mayo. It doesn’t compete with the tang of the garlic or the sweetness of the basil – its just a welcome, creamy finish to this exquisite burger.
in the garden of basil
This burger is a staple for our dinner rotation every summer. My garden is usually bursting with basil, I’ve always got garlic on hand, and the cook-time on these burgers is quick enough for a weeknight, while still giving you that glorified feeling of grilling outside after work with a beer in hand. Enthralling. I dreamed up this burger because I think pork is such a deserving vehicle for other delicious ideas other than being thrown into meatloaf or a dumpling. I really want to make these as sliders and use the Kings Hawaiian rolls – ooh I’ll bet that would just be SUCH a tasty kind of different on any picnic table compared to a regular cheeseburger. This fresh idea will be the hit of any party, at least it has whenever I’ve served them – hope you enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by!
I appreciate you stopping by! If you loved it, I’d love to hear from you.
If you hated it, then same.
Have a great day & look for my next entry!
© 2021 Cookin’ & Cussin’
