Hey my first post, my first recipe! The Hammy Burger! This burger is the real deal! It’s made with ground pork instead of ground beef. The pork, when grilled correctly, will be very juicy and tender. Maybe not as flavorful as a traditional beef hamburger, but the texture is great and of course I spiced it up a bit. This is a mutated version of Melissa Rubel’s Spicy Pork Po’ Boys recipe in the November 08 issue of Food & Wine magazine.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds ground pork
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoons cayenne
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher Salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons creole mustard (Dijon will do if you can’t find creole)
• 2 medium spicy dill pickles, finely chopped (kosher will work if you can’t find spicy)
• 1/2 shallot , sliced pickles, minced
• Fresh backed hamburger buns sliced
• 2 cups shredded lettuce
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced

PREPARATION:

1. Prepare a grill for high heat. Combine the pork with bread paprika, thyme, cayenne, garlic powder. Mix by hand and shape the meat into 4 to 6 large patties. Sprinkle both sides of burgers lightly with seasoned salt and pepper. Grill the patties over moderate heat, turning once, until they are cooked, about 8 minutes total. Do not press down on the patties with your spatula! You want to keep the juices in the meat. When done, let stand 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise with the creole mustard, pickles and shallots and season with salt and peppers. You can add a pick of cayenne if you couldn’t find the spicy pickles or if you just want more zing. Spread the mixture on the buns.

3. Build the burgers with lettuce and tomato and enjoy.

Serves 4 to 6

Heat Factor