Garlicky Pork Burger Food

BASIL & GARLIC PORK BURGERS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except oil and shape into four patties.
• Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown patties over medium heat until you get a nice crust on each side, then lower heat and continue cooking until patties are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.

GARLICKY PORK BURGER

Steps:

• Start a charcoal or wood fire or preheat a gas grill. Or, on stove top, heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 3 or 4 minutes.
• Put meat, salt, pepper, garlic and fennel in food processor, in batches if necessary, and pulse until coarsely ground: finer than chopped, but not much. Put it in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Taste, then add more seasoning if necessary. (If desired, cook a teaspoon of meat in a pan before tasting.) Handling meat as little as possible to avoid compressing it, shape it lightly into 4 or more burgers.
• Fire is hot enough when you can barely stand to hold your hand 3 or 4 inches over rack for a few seconds. Grill burgers about 5 minutes a side, or until medium. (Timing on stove top is the same.)
• Serve on buns, toast or hard rolls, garnished as you like.

PERFECT PORK BURGER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet. Add the scallions, garlic and ginger and saute until translucent. Add the sambal and cook, mixing constantly, for 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with the soy sauce. Add the cilantro, basil, 2 tablespoons salt and 3 tablespoons pepper; remove from the heat.
• Place the pork in a large bowl. Add the cooked mixture to the pork and mix well. Form into twenty-five 7-ounce patties. Place the patties on 2 baking sheets. Add 1 1/2 quarts of water to each baking sheet. Cover each baking sheet with a second baking sheet. Bake to medium rare, approximately 10 minutes. Refrigerate until cool, then store in a pan lined with paper towels.
• When ready to serve, oil a hot flattop grill and sear the patties until caramelized on both sides and a thermometer inserted in the center reads 160 degrees F, about 30 seconds per side.
• Toast the buns on the flat top. Spread 1 tablespoon of Bangin' Sauce on each side of the buns. Place 1/4 cup of Kimchi on the bottom buns. Add the grilled patties, then top each with 4 shishito peppers and an egg.
• Combine the hoisin and sweet chili sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; strain. Whisk in the lemon juice, lime juice and orange juice.
• Combine the hoisin-juice mixture with the mayonnaise and sriracha in a bowl.
• Place the cabbage in a large bowl, sprinkle with 1/2 cup kosher salt and toss with your hands until the cabbage is coated. Add enough cold water to just cover (about 12 cups), making sure the cabbage is submerged (it's OK if a few leaves break the surface). Cover with plastic wrap or a baking sheet and let sit at room temperature for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Drain the cabbage in a colander and rinse with cold water. Gently squeeze out the excess liquid and transfer to a medium bowl; set aside.
• Place the sambal chili paste, ginger, fish sauce, garlic, sugar and scallions in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the cabbage and toss with your hands until the cabbage is thoroughly coated. Pack into a clean 2-quart container with a tight-fitting lid. Let sit in a cool, dark place for 24 hours. (The mixture may bubble.) Open the jar to let the gases escape, then reseal and refrigerate at least 48 hours. (Kimchi is best after fermenting for about 1 week). Refrigerate for up to 1 month.

PERFECT PORK BURGERS

Steps:

• Pulse the bacon and garlic in a food processor until coarsely ground.
• Combine the ground pork, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the sage in a large bowl. Add the bacon mixture and gently mix with your hands. Gently form the meat into 4 balls, then lightly press into 4-inch-wide, 1-inch-thick patties. Make a 2-inch-wide indentation in the center of each with your thumb to prevent the burgers from bulging when grilled.
• Preheat a grill to medium high. Season the patties with pepper. Grill, undisturbed, until marked on the bottom, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and grill until the other side is marked and the patties feel firm, 4 to 6 more minutes. Meanwhile, spread the cut sides of the buns with butter and toast on the grill.
• Serve the patties on the buns; top with coleslaw.

GARLIC MUSHROOM PORK BURGERS

Steps:

• Sauté mushrooms and garlic.
• Mix with ground pork.
• Add 3 splashes of Worcestershire sauce.
• Mix thoroughly.
• Broil in oven 10 minutes (depending on oven), flipping once.
• *I would also probably add some chopped onion to the sauté, but DH can't have those, so I haven't tried it.

GARLICKY SANDWICH MEAT

Steps:

• Pork shank typically comes as a single circular cut with unbroken skin. Find the part of the skin where no meat is attached and cut at that spot so the shank will lay flat. If you have purchased a cut from a large shank, skip this step. Lay the pork skin side up. Exam it for stray hairs and use a sharp knife to scrape and remove any you find. Locate the white cord of tendon in the thick layer of fatty tissue. The tendon is hard to chew, so cut it out with a boning knife. Trim any other loose bits of tendon or fat to neaten the shank, and then halve it into 2 chunky pieces each about 6 inches long.
• To make the seasoning mixture, in a small bowl, stir together the garlic, pepper, salt, sugar, and five-spice powder to form a paste. Rub the paste on the meaty side of each piece of pork, taking care to get it into the crevices. Flip the pork over so the skin side faces up. Dip your fingers into the diluted food coloring and paint the skin pinkish red.
• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Shape each piece of pork into a chubby roll that will more or less hold its shape; if necessary, spiral the meat to manipulate it. Don't expect the skin to surround the meat completely. Put a 12-by-18-inch piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil on your work surface with a short side closest to you. Center 1 pork roll, skin side down, on the foil about 3 inches from the edge closest to you. Holding the roll together with one hand, lift up the bottom edge of foil and tightly roll up the pork, encasing it in a foil tube. Finish by sealing the ends closed and then folding them toward the center. Repeat with the other piece of pork and a second piece of foil.
• Put the rolls, seam side up, in a baking dish and add boiling water to the dish, filling it a generous 1/4 inch deep. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, replenishing the water midway. If you wish to check the internal temperature of the rolls to see if they are done, it should be about 170°F on an instant-read thermometer. Use tongs to transfer the rolls to a plate and then let cool completely.
• Refrigerate the rolls for 8 hours or up to overnight before unwrapping. To neaten the rolls, scrape off the gelatinous juices and/or fat. Because the meat and skin are a little chewy, slice the rolls as thinly as possible (1/8 to 1/16 inch thick) for stuffing sandwiches or nibbling alone. Also, always cut them when they are cold for the thinnest slices. The rolls will keep in an airtight container or zip-top plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.