Jerk Pork Burgers With Apple Slaw

Jerk Pork Burgers With Apple Slaw

Okay, okay. This is not part of my new healthy way of eating but I tried to be good about being bad. Can you do that? Well, I tried anyway. First, there's fruit! That's good. Then I used olive oil mayo (half the fat and calories of regular mayo-I'm German. That's sac religious) and then I used half as much as the recipe originally called for (now I really am going to hell). Also good! (the mayo part not the hell part). The original also would have you leave all of the bacon fat in the pan and then fry your nice lean pork burgers in it. Normally I would applaud this behavior and try to add the left over drippings from Sunday breakfast too,but...I just left a piddly tablespoon or so in the pan (grumble grumble). I also made them 4 oz. burgers instead of 6oz and then put them on whole wheat (double fiber) English Muffins! I think Susan Powter has taken over my mind! Point is you can go all out and full fat or you can try to be good. I didn't miss what I left out and I don't feel like a bloated cow. Either way they really had a nice balance of spice, sweet and smokiness and were just delicious. Let me know what you think. Enjoy! Mom? Can you ever forgive me?

























Recipe: Jerk Pork Cheeseburgers with Green Apple Slaw
Adapted Wildly From Every Day with Rachael Ray
March 2008
Makes 4-1/4lb Burgers

2 apples, peeled, grated and patted dry
Zest of 1 lemon plus 1 1/2 tablespoons juice
1/4 cup olive oil mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons dry Jamaican jerk seasoning
(you can use the wet but use much less as the wet rub can be much stronger than the dry).
1 pounds lean ground pork
8 slices center cut bacon
4 ounces white cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
(Next time I want to try some habanero cheddar...but I'm wacky that way).
4 honey wheat English muffins, split and toasted

***I also put a little bit of a dark, smoky, sweet barbecue sauce but that's up to your tastes.


Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the lemon zest and juice. Add the mayonnaise, green onion, shallot, 1 1/2 tablespoons honey and 1/2 tablespoon jerk seasoning; stir to combine; refrigerate.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons honey and 1 1/2 tablespoons jerk seasoning. Add the ground pork and combine. Shape into four 1-inch-thick patties, pressing your thumb in the center of each to prevent it from bulging.

3. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving the skillet and about a tablespoon of the drippings. Heat the bacon drippings over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add the pork patties and cook for 4 minutes; flip, lower the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes more. Lower the heat to low and top each patty with a quarter of the cheese; cover the skillet and cook until the cheese is melted and the patties are cooked through, about 2 minutes more.

4. Place a pork patty on each toasted roll bottom; top with 2 bacon slices, a quarter of the apple slaw and a roll top.