Divas on a Dime: Up your burger game with ‘the other white meat’

The dog days of summer are here in Pahrump and nobody wants the oven heating up the house, so the grill is getting lots of attention right now. One of the most popular foods to cook on the grill is the American classic: Hamburgers. Is there any food that screams “summer” more than a juicy barbecued hamburger? I think not.

For a twist on the average burger, how about switching up the meat? You’ve all had beef, turkey and salmon burgers, but how about a big juicy pork burger? Pork, or “the other white meat,” is such an under-used ground meat for burgers. It’s also wonderful used for meatballs, tacos or casseroles.

Juicy and delicious, pork is often less expensive than beef. Why so juicy? Typically, pork is sold with a 70/30 lean-to-fat ratio rather than the 80/20 in beef. You can buy a leaner grind, but fat is big flavor and you’re not having burgers every night, right?

This pork burger is simple, crazy full of flavor, and is brimming with tender pork, smoky chipotle and barbecue flavors, a little sweetness and lots of texture from the fresh grilled peach salsa.

CHIPOTLE PORK BURGERS

WITH GRILLED PEACH SALSA

What You’ll Need:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup onion, diced

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1.5 pounds ground pork

1 egg

½ tablespoon garlic powder

½ tablespoon onion powder

½ tablespoon ground mustard

½ tablespoon ground cumin

1 ½ tablespoons chipotle seasoning

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Here’s How:

In a skillet over medium heat, heat the oil then add the onion and Worcestershire then sauté until translucent and very soft.

When the onions are done, place them in a mixing bowl. Add in the ground pork and all remaining ingredients. Mix well with your hands to evenly incorporate all the spices and egg.

Divide the mixture into six even pieces and form the pork into patties with your hands. Set aside until ready to grill.

Heat the barbecue to 400°F. If you’re making peach salsa, grill the peaches while the barbecue is heating up and make the salsa while the burgers cook.

Grill the burgers. Make sure that they are cooked all the way through. That means taking them to 160 degrees internally. A quick-read thermometer will do the trick. Serve on whole wheat buns with lettuce and peach salsa. Divine!

GRILLED PEACH SALSA

Slice two peaches or nectarines in half and remove the pit. Grill, starting with the cut side down and flipping over after a few minutes to reserve the juices. You want them to have a bit of char for that intense smoky flavor. Remove the skin and chop, yielding about two cups. Mix the peaches with one cubed avocado, ¼ cup minced purple onion, 2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper, ½ jalapeno (or to taste) seeded and minced, ½ cup cilantro, chopped and the juice of one lime or lemon.

This salsa is refreshing, tangy and a delicious accompaniment to chicken, fish and beef, too. Or served with chips or eaten with a spoon. Double the recipe!

Frugal Food by Patti Diamond from Divas On A Dime – Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! Website and blog - www.divasonadime.com Join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom.