We all seem to be stuck on using beef for hamburgers so in the interest of individuality, we thought we'd do something different for our Labor Day barbecue yesterday. We cooked up burgers made from the other white meat instead.
The trouble with using ground pork in a burger is that today's hog farmers have bred the fat right out of the meat. Because it is so lean, it tends to dry out a lot which means one needs to add moisture to the meat.That was no problem for us because we live in the land of chipotles and green chiles and happen to love their flavor, along with some smooth melting, mild flavored Muenster cheese.
Rather than fire up the charcoal, the Big Guy cooked 'em in a grill pan in his outside kitchen. Once the burgers were nicely browned on both sides, he put the cheese slices on top and covered the pan with foil so the cheese melted and got all ooey gooey.
When the burgers came off the grill, they were dressed in thin slices of tomatillo and creamy avocado in keeping with our southwestern theme. If you're not into chipotles or green chiles, you could use grated raw zuchinni or even grated apple along with cheddar cheese. They'd be fabulous but you'll have to give them a new name. Right?
By the way, if you think our burgers looked a tad underdone you need to know the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced a change in the "official" safe cooking temperatures of pork and it's been lowered to 145 from 160. Just be sure to use a meat thermometer to test your burgers and remember to let the meat rest for a few minutes before you dress 'em, because the internal temperature will go up a few degrees as the patties continue to cook. If you want to feel even safer about your ground meat, grind your own. That way you're sure the equipment you use is absolutely immaculate before you start the process.
We had a side of baked beans along with our burgers. I had seen a recipe for a version cooked with root beer of all things, and since I've a half bottle of Dr. Pepper left from our shredded pork last week, I thought I'd just substitute the Dr. Pepper for the root beer. I mean pop, is pop (soda) right? Well they might have looked good but in this case looks were definitely deceiving. They tasted kinda' weird. Doesn't it make you feel good to know I have my share of failures too?
Chipotle and Green Chile Pork Cheeseburgers (adapted from Gourmet Magazine via Epicurious.com)
1 pound ground pork
2 teaspoons minced Chipotle in adobo plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 roasted green chiles, minced (or 2 ounces from a can)
Salt and pepper
Muenster cheese slices
Toasted hamburger buns
Mayonnaise
1 large tomatillo, husked, rinsed and thinly sliced
1 avocado, sliced
Combine pork with chipotle, garlic, green chiles, salt and pepper. Be careful not to overwork meat or it will be tough. Form into patties and grill on hot oiled grill or in grill pan until patties reach the internal temperature of 145. Just prior to removing from grill, add cheese slices and cover loosely with foil to allow cheese to melt. Remove from grill and allow to rest covered for a few minutes. Dress toasted hamburger buns with mayonnaise. Add cooked pork patties and garnish will tomatillo and avocado. Download Chipotle and Green Chile Pork Cheeseburgers
A year ago - Fried Mac and Cheese
What a fabulous burger - with all my favorite flavors!!!!! I just adore tomatillos, also!
I have found that if you get the pork shoulder (butt) ground up - it has a sufficient amount of fat! My local grocer grinds it for me fresh on demand.
Posted by: Lea | 09/05/2011 at 07:41 AM
I'm with ya' Lea. Tomatillos are so darn tasty and they were really good in this burger. You're absolutely right about pork shoulder too. It could well be my favorite part of the beast, or is it the belly...how 'bout the ribs. Oh heck, we just love pork!
Posted by: June | 09/05/2011 at 07:48 AM
Pork burgers with garlic, melted Meunster... My Grillmeister Tim will be out back grilling these for sure June!
Posted by: Mary from Apron Strings & Wedding Rings | 09/05/2011 at 08:15 AM
They're memorable for sure!
Posted by: June | 09/05/2011 at 08:30 AM
What a great combo of flavors, and I have never made a pork burger before so will be trying this one. We are starting to get fall weather, but I might still get in a BBQ or two. You need to post a couple of pictures of the Big Guy's outdoor kitchen. Someday I am going to live somewhere where I will want one and i'm looking for ideas. You guys have got to be doing it right!
Posted by: Lorraine | 09/06/2011 at 06:56 PM
Lorraine - We'll do a fall cleaning of the back yard as soon as it cools down a bit and take you on a tour!
Posted by: June | 09/07/2011 at 08:57 AM