A Variety of Hamburgers

In MAY we met at Janet Phillips' house to sample several new burger recipes. We had 3 VERY different burgers, but each kind was DELICIOUS.

Michelle made a simple Teriyaki Burger

Make a dimple in the center of each patty
so it will cook just as quickly as the sides

Teriyaki Burgers
Mix lean ground beef with teriyaki sauce- generous enough to flavor, but not too much to make the beef soggy or it will fall apart on the grill. 1 pound of ground beef makes about 3 burgers. For the teriyaki sauce, Yoshida's Gourmet teriyaki sauce from Costco is great! But if you're not at Costco, just get the thickest sauce you can find. If the sauce is too thin and runny, your burgers will fall apart.

Michelle enjoyed Janet's nice grill!

Camille demonstrated Turkey Bacon Cheeseburgers

Turkey Bacon Cheeseburgers
6 slices turkey bacon, chopped
2 pounds ground turkey breast (make sure you use ground TURKEY BREAST; I've used a different turkey, one with dark meat in it, and they did not turn out well)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or crumbled
approx 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Cook bacon until crispy; remove from heat and chop.
Save bacon grease/drippings and add about 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
Season the turkey meat with salt and pepper, and mix in the mustard.
Take a good size of the meat into your hand and shape it into a burger, making a well in the center of it.
Fill the well with a quarter of the crisp bacon and 2 tablespoons cheese.
Carefully form the burger around the cheese and bacon filling- make sure the fillings are completely covered with the meat. Repeat to form four burgers.Wash your hands after handling the raw poultry.
Add patties to hot olive oil and cook for 2 minutes on each side over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook burgers 5-6 minutes longer, turning occasionally. Do NOT press down on the burgers as they cook. You can also grill these, just watch your heat.
Serve on a bun or wrapped in lettuce with some mayo, tomato, and avocado.
Makes 5 or 6 medium-sized burgers, or 4 large burgers.

Jackie introduced Jerk Pork Cheeseburgers
with Green Apple Slaw

Jerk Pork Cheeseburgers with Green Apple Slaw
2 granny smith apples- peeled, grated, and patted dry
grated peel of 1 lemon, plus 1.5 tablespoons juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup chopped chives
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning, such as McCormick
1.5 pounds ground pork
8 sliced applewood smoked bacon
4 oz smoked cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
4 kaiser rolls, split and toasted

In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the lemon peel and juice. Add the mayonnaise, chives, 1.5 tablespoons maple syrup, and 1/2 tablespoon jerk seasoning; stir to combine. Refrigerate.

In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining 1.5 tablespoons maple syrup and 1.5 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 bulging.

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 with the drippings. Cover the bacon with foil to keep warm. 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 slice of cheese; cover the skillet and cook until the cheese is melted and the patties are cooked through, about 2 minutes more.

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