Stuffed Pork Burgers

I decided to stuff my pork burgers tonight with a bit of goat cheese.  It was quite tasty; so much so that my mind was reeling with other ideas for stuffing; blue cheese, cheddar, bacon, jalapeno to name a few.

• 1 pound ground pork
• 4 o.z. soft goat cheese or any kind of cheese
• salt and pepper and a bit of cayenne if desired

Take about 1/8 pound of the pork and make a thin patty.  Crumble about 1 o.z. of the goat cheese on top.

Top with another 1/8 pound of pork.

Cook as desired.  I went with a skillet tonight as it was dark and cold out; it took about 12 – 15  minutes over medium heat. A grill would work nicely too.

Enjoy ~ Kimberly

Slow Smoked Pork Butt with Cumin and Coriander Rub

I’ve been alluding to this pork roast in a few posts recently.  I thought I would share today our rub and technique.  This pork has been delicious it’s gone well with our mexican style dishes as well as our barbecue dishes; very versatile and flavorful.

Cumin and Coriander Rub

• 1 Tbs cumin seed
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp coriander seed
• 1 Tbs mexican oregano
• 2 tsp coarse salt
• 2 Tbs paprika
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 Tbs brown sugar
• 1 Tbs granulated sugar

In mortar combine everything but garlic and sugars.

Mash together well crushing peppercorns, coriander, and cumin well; work in garlic and sugars.

Rub all over pork; massaging into meat.  We had a 7 pound pork butt.

Charles used a combination of smoking and indirect grilling to cook the meat.  We cooked it for about 7 hours over low charcoal heat and used a bit of apple wood for the smoke. We could have gone a couple of hours longer for it to be falling apart but it was still very tender at this point and we sliced and diced the meat for our dishes. Adjust the cooking time and technique as desired to suit your needs.

Enjoy ~ Kimberly

Citrus BBQ Sauce

Charles did the cooking again today.  I bought a whole chicken a day or so ago and was very excited to find it on the grill when I got off work.  “Here, taste this,” he says as he waves a pan of BBQ sauce at me.  I tasted the sauce and agreed the citrus was fantastic, I suggest sweetening it up a bit but we agree to just give it a try as is.  Great decision! The dinner was amazing.

Citrus BBQ Sauce

• 2 mandarin oranges ~ we always pick up a few “cuties” this time of year
• 2 Tbs minced onion
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 Tbs butter
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/8 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbs Jack Daniels
• 1 cup ketchup

Zest one of the mandarin oranges and juice them both; set aside juice and zest.  Over medium heat sauté onion and crushed red pepper in butter until tender; add orange juice, zest, and remaining ingredients.  Bring all ingredients to a simmer and remove from heat; allow to rest while chicken or meat of choice is cooking.

Enjoy ~ Kimberly

Grilled Pork Burgers

I can’t resist a good pork burger. I like mine simple.  I don’t add fillers, just meat patties with seasonings.  We love to grill too.  Charcoal is our way to go.  I didn’t used to think I cared for charcoal; lighter fluid is rather pungent; then I discovered the natural wood briquettes and I don’t buy anything else.  No starters needed just a chimney or a nice mound will do.  No matter your grill preference don’t hesitate to try pork next time the burger mood hits.

Pork Burgers for 4

• about 2 pounds ground pork unseasoned
• buns
• a grill and charcoal (or propane if desired)
• toppings of choice ~ today I went with avocado

Begin by warming up grill; once nice and hot make sure grates are clean and ready to use.

Form pork into 4 equal sized patties. Season as desired; we used salt, pepper, and cayenne.

Place patties on hot grates; grill for about 7 – 10 minutes per side depending on size of patties and heat of grill.  You want pork burgers on the medium well side but not dried out so adjust heat and time as needed.

Remove from grill when ready and allow to rest for a few minutes before digging in.

Enjoy ~ Kimberly