These are some darn good burgers...one of Denny's favorites. The original recipe comes from Everyday with Rachel Ray magazine. I made a few modifications...I use ground turkey instead of ground pork...and I don't put as much bacon on each burger (although, I do LOVE bacon..just thought I'd cut down on the fat involved). I also switched out the apples in the slaw topping for shredded carrots...they have a bit more crunch and less sogginess. I also make my own jerk seasoning, because I couldn't find any at the grocery store the first time I made these.
The sweet potato fries are sweet potatoes cut into strips, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted on a cookie sheet for about 15-20 minutes at 425º, tossing about halfway through (when the underside is browned a bit). These are quite yummy, but a little on the limp side. Next time I'm going to try putting them on a rack so they aren't sitting in the oil and see if that helps crisp them up a bit.
Toddler Note: Dylan loves the fries (it took a couple of different servings for him to try one). He also likes the burger....but only if it's mama's burger he's eating off of.
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Jerk Pork Cheeseburgers with Green Apple Slaw
Jamie Miller
From Every Day with Rachael Ray
March 2008
SERVES 4
Prep Time: 35 min
Cook Time: 20 min
2 granny smith apples, peeled, grated and patted dry [here's where I use a couple of handfuls of shredded carrots instead of apples]
Grated peel of 1 lemon plus 1 1/2 tablespoons juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup chopped chives
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning, such as McCormick [see recipe for Jerk Seasoning below]
1 1/2 pounds ground pork [or ground turkey]
8 slices applewood smoked bacon [I usually go with 4 slices]
4 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
4 kaiser rolls, split and toasted
1. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the lemon peel and juice. Add the mayonnaise, chives, 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1/2 tablespoon jerk seasoning; stir to combine; refrigerate.
[I change the order when using carrots. Whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, mayo, chives, 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1/2 tablespoon jerk seasoning. Then stir in carrots and refrigerate.]
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 1/2 tablespoons jerk seasoning. Add the ground pork and combine. Shape into four 1-inch-thick patties, pressing your thumb in the center of each to prevent it from bulging.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving the skillet with the drippings [I typically drain out about half of the drippings and then use the rest]. Cover the bacon with foil to keep warm. Heat the bacon drippings over mediumhigh heat until sizzling. Add the pork patties and cook for 4 minutes; flip, lower the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes more. Lower the heat to low and top each patty with a quarter of the cheese; cover the skillet and cook until the cheese is melted and the patties are cooked through, about 2 minutes more.
4. Place a pork patty on each toasted roll bottom; top with 2 bacon slices, a quarter of the apple slaw and a roll top.
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Jerk Seasoning
(adapted from allrecipes.com)
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon allspice
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (McCormick brand) --this contains salt and pepper along with a little cayenne, if you like your seasoning spicier then add more cayenne
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
Mix together and store in an airtight container. For more flavor, use whole seeds, toast and then grind.
