Chorizo Pork Burgers with Grilled Honey Onions and Manchego (Transcription)

yield six to eight servings time estimate 20 minutes overall source Dinner: Changing the Game

Combining fresh chorizo sausage (squeezed out of its casings) with plain ground pork makes for a spicy, brawny burger. You can serve these plain, but I live to caramelize sliced onions on the grill and pile them on top. Their sweet-and-sour notes go really nicely with the pork. And a few slices of Manchego cheese add a pleasing salty creaminess that keeps with the Spanish theme here, though any sheep's milk cheese will work. One thing to note: because the burgers are made from raw pork, don't serve them rare; the fat content of the sausage and pork will ensure that your burger will stay nice and juicy even when cooked to medium. And be sure not to use cured chorizo, the salami-like kind you can slice and eat without cooking. The leathery texture won't work in a burger unless you pass it through a meat grinder.

If you can't find fresh chorizo, you can substitute spicy Italian sausage. Just increase the smoked paprika by one teaspoon. You can form the burger patties the day before grilling; wrap them well and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to light the grill.

ingredient amount procedure
Ground Pork 500 g
Fresh Chorizo (casing removed) 500 g
Kosher Salt 1⁄2 tsp
Smoked Paprika 1⁄2 tsp
Ground Cumin 1⁄2 tsp
Garlic Clove 1 clove
Heat grill. Combine into loose patties.
EVOO 1 1⁄2 Tbsp
Sherry Vinegar 1 Tbsp
Honey 2 tsp
Mix into a sauce.
Spanish Onion (sliced) 1 onion
Kosher Salt as needed
Brush the sauce on both sides. Grill both sides until golden, 2 minutes per side.
Manchego Cheese (thinly sliced) 170 g
Grill the patties to at least 60 C. Melt cheese on patties just before they're cooked through.
Hamburger Buns as needed
Toast.
Condiments to taste
Serve.
  1. Heat grill or broiler to high.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the pork, chorizo, salt, paprika, cumin, and garlic, mixing just enough to combine. Form into 6 to 8 patties, taking care to keep the mixture loose and not park it tightly (which makes for a tougher burger, as does overmixing; always use a light touch with ground meat).
  3. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, sherry vinegar, and honey into a sauce.
  4. Brush the sauce onto both sides of the onion and sprinkle with salt.
  5. Grill or broil the onions until they are golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the onions to a plate.
  6. Grill or broil the burgers on both sides until they are cooked to medium. Since this is raw pork the meat should be cooked until pink on the inside but not red rare 60 C (140 F will give you medium to medium-rare meat). This can take anywhere from 3 to 6 minutes per side, depending on hwo thick you formed your patties and how hot your fire is, so watch them carefully.
  7. When the burgers are almost cooked through, top them with the cheese and let the cheese melt while the patties finish cooking.
  8. Toast the buns.
  9. Serve the assembled burger with condiments such as mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, and slices pickles.