I was in the mood for something light for my tea tonight. I had taken some ground pork out of the freezer and had in plenty of fresh fruit and veg and so I decided to make some delicious Pork Burgers and salad, inspired by some burgers I had seen on Hungry, Healthy, Happy.
These are not just any pork burgers. Pork burgers which are nicely seasoned and moistened with lots of grated apple. These are nicely spiced and just a bit sweet/tart from the fruit. Low in fat and carbs as well.
Pork pairs up very nicely with apples and with the cost of ground beef these days, it makes a much more affordable burger. I find that the pork nowadays is much leaner than the ground pork of days gone by.
You could of course use ground turkey in it's place. Both make for really lovely lean burgers. In fact I prefer pork and turkey over beef when it comes to burgers. I know. I am a bit strange.
I do feel I need to apologize for the quality of my photos today. It was getting a bit dark outside when I took them. There is the time change of course, with the clocks having gone back an hour, and then to top it off it decided to rain which made the skies even darker.
I always struggle with my lighting this time of year. It is hard to get it just right and I do like to use natural light as much as possible. I do not like to resort to filters either.
I want things to look real. I hate it when I see photos that have been doctored beyond belief and far too bright and unrealistic. With me, you get what the food really looks like.
In any case, I hope my bad photos don't put you off. These burgers are really lovely, moist and delicious. And that salad goes with them just perfectly!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BBQ PORK & APPLE BURGERS
It looks like a rather lengthy list but a lot of it is seasonings, and of course there is the salad and its dressing as well.
For the Pork Burgers:
- 9 ounces (250g) lean ground pork
- 1/2 sweet eating apple, grated
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 2 TBS pure maple syrup
- 2 TBS BBQ sauce
- 1/2 cup (42g) grated medium cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces (115g) mixed baby salad leaves
- 3 radishes
- 1/2 sweet eating apple, cut into cubes
- 1 TBS BBQ sauce
- 1 TBS maple syrup
- 1 TBS cider vinegar
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 TBS dried cranberries
- 2 TBS toasted salad seeds to garnish
By a sweet eating apple I mean any apple which is meant to be eaten out of hand. Something which you enjoy and that is not too tart.
There are no bread crumbs or filler in these burgers. I find that leaving that stuff out it helps to make for a much moister burger. You get to taste the pork and the apple, plus those tasty seasonings in every bite.
You can use any mix of baby salad greens or if you are not fond of salad mixes, use romaine or even iceberg. I am really fond of the baby leaves myself. I like the variety in colors and textures.
My radishes were rather large so I cut them in half and then sliced them into thin half moons. I chose to cut one into a pretty rosette. Easy to do with a sharp knife. Just make zig zag cuts around the center of the radish along its circumference and then twist to separate. It will break in half easily and be so pretty!
Feel free to add other vegetables to your salad. Spring onions are nice as well.
The salad seeds are the mix that you can get in the salad section of the shops near the salad dressings. Mine had toasted and salted sunflower, edamame, pumpkin, etc. They add a nice crunch.
HOW TO MAKE BBQ PORK & APPLE BURGERS
This really is a doddle of a recipe. Quick and easy to make and oh so tasty when done.
First make the pork patties. Grate your apple and then squeeze all of the juice out of it and put it into a bowl along with all of the pork patty seasonings. Mix to combine and then add the pork. Mix gently together with a fork to evenly distribute the apple mixture.Shape the pork into 4 equally sized patties, pressing them flat. Set aside on a plate.Whisk the BBQ Sauce and Maple syrup together and set aside.Cut the radishes in half and then slice thinly. Place the salad greens into a bowl and add the radishes and chopped apple, along with the dried cranberries.Whisk the maple syrup, BBQ sauce, cider vinegar together with salt and black pepper to taste for the dressing. Set aside.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Spray with a little bit of nonstick cooking spray. Add the pork patties.
Cook over medium high heat until golden brown on the underside. (2 to 3 minutes) Flip over and brown on the other side. (2 to 3 minutes longer)Brush the BBQ maple sauce over top dividing it equally amongst the burgers. Top each with an equal amount of cheese.Turn down to low, cover and cook until the cheese has melted and the pork patties are cooked through. (Pork should register 165*F/74*C inside.)Give the dressing another whisk and drizzle half of it over the salad leaves. Toss to combine. Divide the salad between two plates and add the pork patties. Serve the additional dressing on the side.
I was really super pleased with how these turned out. The pork burgers were moist and delicious with a nice herby bite. The salad was very lovely on the side, with just enough crunch and flavors that also helped to enhance the burgers.
If you are a heartier eater you could always add some sweet potato fries, frozen or fresh on the side. They would be excellent! Simply double all of the ingredients to feed four people.
If you are a fan of the burger for supper then you might also enjoy these recipes!
LOW CARB TURKEY BURGERS - Not only are these delicious but they are also low carb, keto, gluten free and diabetic friendly. True, there is no bun, but you don't need a bun in order for a burger to be tasty! I have a secret that I use to help and keep them really moist and never dry.
PUB CHEESE OPEN FACED BURGERS -What you have here is a parmesan toasted slice of buttery sour dough bread, topped with an all beef patty, which has been topped with Pub Cheese and sauteed onions. The burger is briefly covered after you add the cheese and onions to the top so that the cheese can melt. This is a fork and knife burger of the best kind!
BBQ Pork & Apple Burgers
Yield: 2 servingsAuthor: Marie RaynerPrep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 MinThese delicious pork burgers are loaded with herbs, spices and plenty of grated apple to help keep them nice and moist. Once they are golden brown they are topped with a lush maple BBQ sauce and some grated cheddar. Served with a tasty autumn salad of leafy greens and apples with a maple vinaigrette dressing, this makes for a nice light meal which is fairly low in carbs.Ingredients
For the Pork Burgers:- 9 ounces (250g) lean ground pork
- 1/2 sweet eating apple, grated
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 2 TBS pure maple syrup
- 2 TBS BBQ sauce
- 1/2 cup (42g) grated medium cheddar cheese
- 4 ounces (115g) mixed baby salad leaves
- 3 radishes
- 1/2 sweet eating apple, cut into cubes
- 1 TBS BBQ sauce
- 1 TBS maple syrup
- 1 TBS cider vinegar
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 TBS dried cranberries
- 2 TBS toasted salad seeds to garnish
Instructions
- First make the pork patties. Grate your apple and then squeeze all of the juice out of it and put it into a bowl along with all of the pork patty seasonings. Mix to combine and then add the pork. Mix gently together with a fork to evenly distribute the apple mixture.
- Shape the pork into 4 equally sized patties, pressing them flat. Set aside on a plate.
- Whisk the BBQ Sauce and Maple syrup together and set aside.
- Cut the radishes in half and then slice thinly. Place the salad greens into a bowl and add the radishes and chopped apple, along with the dried cranberries.
- Whisk the maple syrup, BBQ sauce, cider vinegar together with salt and black pepper to taste for the dressing. Set aside.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Spray with a little bit of nonstick cooking spray. Add the pork patties.
- Cook over medium high heat until golden brown on the underside. (2 to 3 minutes) Flip over and brown on the other side. (2 to 3 minutes longer)
- Brush the BBQ maple sauce over top dividing it equally amongst the burgers. Top each with an equal amount of cheese.
- Turn down to low, cover and cook until the cheese has melted and the pork patties are cooked through. (Pork should register 165*F/74*C inside.)
- Give the dressing another whisk and drizzle half of it over the salad leaves. Toss to combine. Divide the salad between two plates and add the pork patties. Serve the additional dressing on the side.
Did you make this recipe?
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