Burger Week

Welcome to burger week! I am on vacation in Kiawah, South Carolina, for the week, so I thought I'd post five of my favorite burger recipes for you to enjoy. There's no shopping list this week, but I highly encourage you to try a burger or two...or all five! Prior to going paleo, I can count on one hand the number of times I made burgers. But that's all changed; I crave burgers now. They are so delicious and easy to prepare. Cast your vote and let me know which one is your favorite. Have a great week!

Burgers with Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onions

Crab Burgers with Red Pepper Dressing

Portobello Bacon Burgers with Celery Apple Slaw

Salmon Burgers on Arugula-Onion Salad

Paleo Burger Topped with Tomato, Poached Egg, and Avocado

Mushroom-Bacon-Pecan Burgers

I dreamed this recipe up on our long drive home from Cleveland after my nephew Jordan's wedding. Anything with bacon is, of course, phenominal. And this burger doesn't disappoint. It came together quickly and tasted great on a bed of arugula and cucumber tossed with oil and vinegar. I made 8 burgers so we would have leftovers for mixing in with eggs in the morning and for lunch the next day.

Makes 8 burgers.

Ingredients
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 cup pecan halves, toasted
1 8 oz container mushrooms, sliced (I used baby bellas.)
2 pounds grass-fed ground beef
8 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
freshly ground black pepper
good quality balsamic vinegar
1 egg
1 large bunch arugula
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
olive oil

Preparation

1. Saute bacon, onion, and mushrooms in a large skillet over medium-high heat until bacon is cooked through and onions and mushrooms are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool  for 5 minutes. 
2. In the meantime, combine ground beef, egg, and vinegar in a large mixing bowl.
3. Transfer cooled bacon mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Add pecans and process until finely chopped. Add to ground beef mixture.
4. Use your hands to combine all of the ingredients. Form into 8 patties. Season lightly with salt and generously with pepper. Place a piece of heavy duty foil coated with coconut or olive oil on the grill grate. Place burgers on the foil and grill for 5 minutes on each side or until the burgers reach your desired degree of doneness.
5. While burgers cook, toss arugula and cucumber with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly among plates.
6. Serve burgers on top of arugula. Drizzle with additional balsamic, if desired.

South Carolina BBQ Pork Burgers

My parents joined us for dinner tonight and my dad loves a good burger! I've been wanting to try this recipe for a while and just got some ground pork from Wallace Farms last weekend so I could give it a go. Well, my dad loved it! The flavor of this burger is inspired by Carolina pulled pork. The bacon adds some smoke while serving as a replacement for the crisp bits of roasted pork. In traditional South Carolina style, this burger is topped with a delicious honey mustard sauce. The sauce can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator overnight. Get ready, this is a good one!

Adapted from Food and Wine Cookbook, 2004.


Serves 6.

Ingredients
6 slices nitrate-free bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp unsalted, grass-fed butter, melted
1/4 cup raw honey
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp celery seed
2 pounds lean ground pork, at room temperature
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 cup shredded green cabbage, about 1/4-1/3 head
large package mixed salad greens

Preparation

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook half of the bacon and the entire chopped onion in 1 Tbsp of melted butter until the onion turns light brown, 5-6 minutes. Add honey, mustard, and vinegar, stirring to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm.
2. In the meantime, in a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the remaining bacon until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Set aside to cool.
3. Preheat grill to medium high.
4. Combine paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, celery seed, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper in a small bowl.
5. Place pork in a medium bowl. Add cooled bacon and liquid smoke.  Use your hands to gently combine, without compacting too much. Form the meat into 6 patties and set them on a plate lined with plastic wrap. Sprinkle the spice mixture over both sides of the patties, pressing gently with your fingers to help the spices adhere. Brush each patty with a little bit of the remaining melted butter.
6. Grill burgers for about 6 minutes on each side or until just cooked through.
7. To serve, divide the salad greens evenly among plates, top with a burger. Spoon cabbage on top of each burger and drizzle generously with honey mustard.

Farmer's Market Burgers

I picked up my CSA share at the Farmer's Market just two days before leaving for vacation and I was determined not to let it go to waste! This burger incorporates everything that was in my basket. It's quick to prepare, tastes awesome, and is a great way to eat your veggies, too! This meal has summer written all over it...Enjoy!

Makes 6 burgers.

Ingredients
Burgers
2 pounds grass-fed ground beef
1 large carrot (about 1/2 cup), finely chopped
2 small zucchini squash, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Toppings
6 eggs, fried or poached
2 small tomatoes, sliced thin and sweated on paper towels
1 small head lettuce, cleaned and separated
1 medium red onion, sliced thin
1 small handful of basil leaves, washed and cut into thin ribbons or "chiffonade"

Preparation

1. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and saute 5-10 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
2. Preheat grill to medium high.
3. Add ground beef and egg to the cooled mixture and use your hands to thoroughly combine the ingredients. Be careful not to compact the mixture too much.
4. Form mixture into 6 patties. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
5. Grill burgers to your desired degree of doneness.
6. To serve, distribute lettuce leaves evenly among plates. Top each with a burger. Layer onion, tomato, egg, and basil on top of each burger. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.