Flip your burger routine with pork
You can easily break out of the beef burger routine by switching to ground pork. No less an authority than America’s Test Kitchen, the brand behind the new cookbook Meat Illustrated (Penguin Random House, $50), suggests this well-seasoned alternative and gives detailed directions.
Rapini is the suggested filling because of its slightly bitter taste. You can substitute chopped spinach or kale and increase the garlic. This is an indoor recipe, for that night when you are fed up with managing the barbecue or it’s raining.
Italian Pork Burgers
Serves 4
Sauce:
1/4 cup (60 ml) mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) grated lemon zest
1 small garlic clove, minced Burgers:
1 thick slice white bread, in one-inch (2.5 centimetre) pieces
1 dry shallot, minced
2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk
4 teaspoons (20 ml) soy sauce
1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground fennel
1 teaspoon (5 ml) minced fresh rosemary, or pinch dried
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds (750 g) ground pork
4 teaspoons (20 ml) olive oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
8 ounces (250 g or 1 1/2 cups) rapini, kale or spinach, chopped
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
Pinch red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons (10 ml) honey
4 hamburger buns, toasted
Directions:
Sauce: In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon zest and garlic. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to three days.
Burgers: In a large bowl, mash together the bread, shallot, milk, soy sauce, fennel, rosemary and pepper, to make a paste.
Crumble pork into the bowl and gently combine it with the bread mixture. Divide into four equal portions, shaping each into a patty about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick, then press the centre of each patty to make a small hollow.
When ready to cook, heat one tablespoon (15 ml) of the oil with the sliced garlic over medium heat in a 12-inch (30 cm) heavy cast-iron or non-stick pan until garlic turns golden, two to four minutes.
Add rapini or substitute, plus 1/2 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes, and cook until vegetable is tender, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in honey and transfer mixture to a bowl. Cover to keep warm. Wipe out pan with paper towels.
Sprinkle patties with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon (5 ml) oil in the pan over medium heat until just smoking.
Cook patties in hot oil, indentation side up, until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn patties, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook second side until browned and meat registers 150 degrees F (65 C), 5 to 7 minutes.
Assemble burgers. Spread buns with mayonnaise sauce, place patties with the indentation side up, then top meat with rapini mixture. Serve with remaining mayonnaise sauce.
An indoor recipe, for that night when you are fed up with managing the barbecue or it’s raining.