Down Island Burgers

Most people I know think of burgers as a summer food, cooked outside on the grill at backyard get gatherings. My husband and I enjoy burgers all year long. Since cooking outside on a charcoal grill year round in New Jersey isn't always possible I adapted and make burgers on a non-stick grill pan. This recipe actually worked much better in a grill pan because pork is drier than beef and tends to fall apart on grill grates.

My husband picked this recipe to try from the Build a Better Burger book. We purchased this book a couple years ago and have made many recipes out of it, each more unique than first. These recipes come from Sutter Home's Annual Search for America's Best Burgers contest. The Down Island Burger blends exotic spices with ground pork and tops it off with a fresh mango mayo.

Adapted from Build a Better Burger by James McNair

Makes 4 burgers

Mango Mayo
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup diced ripe mango
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Combine mayo, mango, and lime juice in food processor and blend until smooth. Place mayo mixture in refrigerator.

Patties
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
2 tablespoons wine
2 tablespoons Tabasco Pepper Sauce
1/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons fresh, minced ginger
3 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon of salt

4 half inch thick sweet onion slices
4 ciabatta sandwich rolls, split
romaine lettuce leaves

Heat grill or grill pan to medium high and brush with oil to prevent sticking. Combine pork, wine, Tabasco, panko, garlic, ginger, curry powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Try not to handle meat mix to much. Divide mix into 4 equal patties. Place patties on hot grill, cover and cook, turning only once. About 8 minutes per side. Make sure burgers are cooked fully through, as they are pork not beef. They will be a little crumbly so be careful flipping them.

While the patties are cooking, place onions on grill pan and cook until golden and still slightly crisp about 2-3 minutes per side. Before burgers are done cooking place rolls, cut side down on grill pan to lightly toast.

To assemble burgers, slather each side of the toasted roll with the mango mayo. Place a patty on bottom half of roll, grilled onions on top, and stack on lettuce. Add roll tops and serve.