Asian Pork Burgers

posted in asian on May 26, 2008

There are dozens of great flavor combinations that I just love to use over and over, either because they complement one another so nicely or they are ingredients I always have around (or both)! One of my favorite combinations is garlic and ginger. I think these two flavors marry exceptionally well together and they taste so, so good. Am I right or am I right?

With that in mind, I set out to make an Asian-spiced pork burger. Ginger and garlic can be used in many dishes and in different cuisines, but my favorite application of the two ingredients is in Asian cooking. We don’t eat burgers a lot (and I have no idea why), so this was a nice change of pace. Plus, did you know that May is National Hamburger Month? I couldn’t let that go by without celebrating!

I topped these with a really simple warm slaw of sorts. I basically took some coleslaw mix and bean sprouts and lightly sauteed them, adding a little toasted sesame oil at the end. You can skip the cooking altogether and just use the coleslaw mix with a cider/sesame oil vinaigrette.

Asian Pork Burgers

1 lb. ground pork
1.5 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
2 scallions (whites and greens), sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2″ knob of ginger, peeled and minced or grated
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt (not a lot since you have the soy sauce) and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together (being careful not to overmix) and form into patties. Grill until done, about 6 minutes per side.