22 February 2010

would you like fries with that?

I like burgers.  They're versatile, tasty, filling and, depending what they have on them and how they're cooked, pretty damn healthy (grilling/BBQing meat is a winner here).  I don't think I'm alone in my penchant for these tasty morsels of carby-carne-vege-delectableness either.  Burgeresque foods abound worldwide, in cross-cultural gastronomic harmony.  Americans have the stereotypical 'burger', Italians have their panini, the Danes smørrebrød, croque monsieur in France (not to mention the myriad of baguette-based sandwiches one can create), sarnies, butties and sandwiches in England, I could go on ad infinitum but I'll stop there.   

The point is, where there is bread there will be burgers and the burgeresque.  Now, burgers can be a good-ol' hamburger (albeit made with minced beef, not ham at all) - cheese, beetroot, lettuce, mayo, tomato...  Or you could shake things up and use fish, tartare sauce, letture etc.  Or, try this one - a south-east Asian lilt on an old favourite.  Add or subtract toppings as you please, though I'd recommend that less is more.  The pork, herbs and yoghurt have a fairly delicate flavour, so things like cheese can get in the way. 

Apple-pork burger

500g lean pork mince
1 apple, grated
1 spring onion, chopped
handful coriander, chopped 
worchester sauce
breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
6 burger buns
1 cup unsweetened natural yoghurt
mint
1/2 cucumber, sliced
lettuce
sliced avocado/capsicum/caramelised onions (optional toppings)
  1. Mix together mince, apple, spring onion, coriander, salt & pepper, using worchester sauce and breadcrumbs as necessary to achieve required consistency (you want them to adhere, but not be too wet).
  2. Form into ball, flatten in palms to form patties (about six). 
  3. Heat oil in pan, or on BBQ, cook on each side for a few minutes, until cooked through.
  4. While patties are cooking grill burger buns. 
  5. Assemble burgers with patties, lettuce and slices cucumber.  Drizzle with minty-yoghurt.
These are also really tasty served as patties alongside a salad, or as kofta - sausage shaped and cooked on skewers served with couscous and salad, with minted yoghurt on the side. 

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