Pork Burgers with Grilled Pineapple & Avocado

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18 August 2020 BY Julie Biuso
SERVES: Makes 8

These are a ‘died and gone to Heaven’ version of pork burgers: Tender tasty pork patties, sweet charred pineapple, punchy avocado, and a rich and nutty coconut glaze all served in cute baby brioche buns

You may not have all these items to hand, but a version using what you do have is still bound to make for delicious eating.

Ingredients

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Patties 500g (generous 1 lb) minced pork (ground pork) 2 Tbsp coarsely grated unpeeled ginger 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed ½ tsp salt Finely grated zest of 1 lime 1 hot red chilli, finely chopped 2 Tbsp cold water 4 Tbsp canned coconut cream 1 perfectly ripe avocado 1 Tbsp lime juice ¼ tsp salt 1 small green chilli, finely chopped 2 Tbsp chopped coriander (cilantro) 1 ripe pineapple Olive oil 8 small brioche or burger buns 3-4 iceberg lettuce leaves Flaky sea salt Chilli sauce of your choice

Method

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1 Put mince in a bowl. Squeeze juice from grated ginger over mince. Add garlic, salt, lime zest and red chilli and mix thoroughly. Beat in water and 2 tablespoons of coconut cream. The mixture should be light, not heavy and sticky, although it should still cling together (add a little more water to lighten it if necessary). Shape into 8 patties, putting them on a plate as they are done. Refrigerate for up to 1 hour to firm.

2 Halve avocado, remove stone, then mash the flesh with a fork, adding lime juice, salt and chilli. Mix in coriander. Cover with food wrap while preparing the other ingredients.

3 Prepare pineapple. With a sharp and sturdy knife, slice off the top and bottom ends, then slice off the skin in fat strips. Using a small pointed knife, cut out the eyes (the little pesky fibrous pieces and small seeds). Cut the pineapple in half, then into quarters. Cut off the core from each piece, then cut pineapple into slices. You need about one-third of a fresh pineapple for the burgers; put the rest in a container and refrigerate and use for other purposes. Cut slices in half and cut out the core. See more here Pineapple

4 Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small-medium non-stick or cast-iron frying pan (skillet) and when it is hot, add the pineapple. Cook until a deep golden colour and slightly charred on both sides. Transfer to a plate. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut cream to pan, lower heat and bubble up, scraping up and sticky residue from the pineapple. Cook for about 1 minute in total, then turn off the heat.

5 Heat a little oil (1-2 tablespoons) in a large frying pan (skillet) over medium-high heat. Add pork patties and cook until a good golden colour; resist the urge to move them as they cook, just leave alone until it is time to flip them. Flip patties and cook until lightly golden.

6 Meanwhile, split buns and toast. Spread a little mashed avocado on bun bases then stack with lettuce, pork patties – sprinkle with a little sea salt – pineapple wedges and sauce of your choice, then a little coconut cream sauce. Put bun tops in place and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

There’s a lot going on here! You can of course barbecue the pork patties. You can also cook the pineapple on the grill, but you won’t then have the sticky caramelised juices to mix with the coconut cream for the sauce. Mmm. Decisions!