Spanish Pork Burgers

I was "fearless" as one friend put it and put together a new recipe for my bible study group this week.  I should say that they are brave souls for coming and being my guinea pigs.

It was very delicious, and I would definitely make it again!  I may even try it with beef to try something a little different and cut down on the fat content and save a little money since the ground pork is a little more spendy than ground beef. The original recipe called for a few things I couldn't find or didn't want to attempt to search for, so I will paste the link for the original recipe; I like the recipe adaptations I have made.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/spanish_pork_burgers.html

Spanish Pork Burgers

1-2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 c. thinly sliced Vidalia or sweet onion
3/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, divided
1/4 tsp. salt, divided (I usually just wing it with the olive oil, salt, and pepper and throw it in.) :) 

Minced Spanish olives and garlic

1 lb. lean ground pork
1 tbsp. finely chopped Spanish green olives, such as Manzanilla  (I probably added a lot more.)
2 tsp. minced garlic (Again, I added a lot more.)
2 tsp. Spanish paprika
1-2 tsp. Penzy Mitchell Street Steak Seasoning (Because the original recipe called for a special kind of paprika that had a smokey flavor, I used this spice to help give the burger this flavor.)

Lemon/Saffron Sauce

Saffron

1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pinch of saffron (It's a very expensive spice and wouldn't be needed as I know I wouldn't spend that kind of money on it, however, if you know someone going to the Middle East, have them pick you up a small bit of it; it will keep for years if kept in a dry container. I was lucky enough to pick some up myself when I was in Israel.)



Manchego or Monterey Jack cheese, sliced or shredded (1/4 cup shredded)
4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted
2 whole jarred Piquillo peppers or jarred pimientos, halved lengthwise

Preparation

Sauteed onions

1. Combine mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice and saffron in a small bowl. ( Cover and refrigerate the lemon-saffron mayonnaise for up to 5 days.)
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Set aside half the onion for topping; finely chop the other half.
3. Preheat grill to medium.
4. Place the chopped onion in a large bowl; add pork, olives, garlic, paprika, Penzy seasoning, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Gently combine, without overmixing, until evenly incorporated.
5. Form into 4 equal patties, about 1/2 inch thick.

   

   Make the patties nice and thick

6. Oil the grill rack with cooking spray. Grill the burgers, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F, 10 to 12 minutes total. Top with cheese and cook until it is melted, about 1 minute more.



Pork burgers grilling away!

7. Assemble the burgers on toasted buns with the lemon-saffron mayonnaise, some of the reserved onions and a half a Piquillo (or pimiento) pepper.  I also added a slice of a fresh Heirloom tomato and chard from the garden.

The finished product...YUMMY! :)

Nutrition
Per serving: 364 calories; 16 g fat ( 5 g sat , 3 g mono ); 71 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrates; 29 gprotein; 5 g fiber; 659 mg sodium; 209 mg potassium.Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (31% daily value).Carbohydrate Servings: 1 1/2Exchanges: 2 starch, 3 1/2 lean meat, 1 fat