Photography by Rainbow Visons BVI
Who doesn’t love a good burger?
I thought it would be an appropriate time to ‘build your own burgers,’ and change it up from your regular beef burger.
This is a great thing to do when you have a crowd over for a Sunday barbeque. The host provides the burger, buns, and usual condiments, and each guest brings a topping.
When it’s set out on a buffet table, it’s a great way to experiment with the different flavour combinations and try something new. It’s also really easy preparation, because the burger patties can be made the night before so all you need to do on the day of your barbeque is set up.
First up is a pork and apple burger. This takes me back to England when I was away at school. My parents used to come and visit my brother and I; we frequently used to go to a butcher a few miles down the road, and pick up pork and apple burgers for dinner. They were perfection. Pork is quite a fatty meat, so combining it with fresh apple in the burger and a tangy slaw really complements the pork.
Tip: when forming the patties, create a slight indent in the centre so that you have a level-cooked burger and your toppings won’t slide off.
Enjoy!
Don’t forget to share your finished dishes with us on Instagram! #delishvipy
Pork & apple burger with tangy apple slaw & cilantro mayo
Level: Easy!
Makes: 4 burgers
For the apple slaw
Makes: about 3 ½ cups
Ingredients
1 ½ cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apple
1 cup red cabbage
1 cup shredded carrot
Place these ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
For the dressing
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lime
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Method
Put all the dressing ingredients in a jar, seal, and shake until an emulsified dressing has formed. To assemble the apple slaw, pour dressing over the food ingredients and mix together, making sure it is well coated.
*Dress the slaw about half an hour before you’re ready to serve.
For the cilantro mayo
Ingredients
1 bunch washed cilantro
1 cup mayonnaise
Method
In a food processor, combine the 2 ingredients and whirl together until cilantro is fine and well chopped. Serve cold.
For the pork & apple burgers
Ingredients
1.5 lbs ground pork
1 cup shredded Granny Smith apple
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove crushed/minced
1 tablespoon fine salt
½ tablespoon fresh ground pepper
Non-stick cooking spray
Method
In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly using your hands. Do not over-mix to avoid tough burgers. Form each patty into 6 oz patties and allow to rest on sheet pan with parchment paper. When you’re ready to grill, spray each side with a bit of non-stick cooking spray. Preheat your grill to medium/high heat. Grill on first side for approximately 4-5 minutes, then flip and grill for approximately 4-5 minutes or until cooked to your preference. Allow to rest before serving.
To assemble
Spread some of the mayo on the bottom bun, followed by the burger, and top with the slaw.
Lamb & mint burger with tzatziki & feta
Level: Easy!
Makes: 4 burgers
This Greek inspired burger is so different to the traditional beef burger. Lamb, mint, feta, and tzatziki are common flavours in Greece and a match made in heaven at that. I thought it would be creative to combine those flavours into an amazing burger and offer a somewhat lighter option for those that find beef burgers too heavy. The tzatziki really offers a refreshing zip to the lamb and the feta just tops it off with a nice salty bite!
Ingredients
1.5 lbs minced lamb
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh mint
1 teaspoon mint sauce
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 egg
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon fine salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
*Method and assembly of burgers is same as above.
Tzatziki
Makes: 1 ½ cups
Ingredients
½ cup grated cucumber
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk Greek yoghurt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 clove crushed garlic
Method
To begin, place the grated cucumber in a fine mesh sieve and place over bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the cucumber and gently massage in to cucumber for a few seconds. Set aside for about 15 minutes. After resting the cucumber, place in a clean tea towel or paper towel and squeeze out any excess water. Discard water collected in bowl. In a clean bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until well combined. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Chicken, brie & bacon burger
Level: Easy!
Makes 4 burgers
A fellow contributor at VIPY once told me that she had an amazing chicken sandwich in her home country of New Zealand.
This was the inspiration behind ‘the CBBB’. The key is not to overcook the chicken, and make sure that the brie is melting. This would go well with a delicious mango chutney or a cranberry chutney of some sort. This takes your regular chicken sandwich to the next level!
Ingredients
4/6 oz chicken breasts
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 lb brie
1 lb cooked bacon
1 thinly sliced avocado
Method
Preheat grill to medium/high heat. Using a meat tenderizer, pound the chicken until it is of equal thickness all over. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and spray with non-stick spray. Place on grill for 4-minutes on the first side, rotate, and continue for a further 3-minutes (approx.). At this point, lower the heat to medium/low and flip the chicken over and repeat. The chicken should feel firm to the touch when it’s cooked all the way through. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
To assemble
Place the avocado on the bottom of the bun, followed by the sliced chicken, bacon, and finally the brie. If you have a crème brûlée torch, or a blow torch, now would be a great time to use it to melt the brie.
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