Pork Burger with Pesto and Brie Recipe

Pork burgers pair well with any ingredients or spices you might add to a sausage or ham dish. Chef Amy Pressman loves pasta with hot Italisan sausage and sauteed broccoli rabe, so for this burger she purees broccoli rabe for a pesto (you can substitute store-bought basil pesto)and adds crushed red pepper to mimic the spiciness of the sausage. For the burger itself, ask the butcher to grind a piece of pork shoulder.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe or rapini (about 3/4 pound), stems trimmed
• 3 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
• 1/3 cup grated Pecorino cheese
• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 pounds ground pork, shaped into 4 (4 1/2- to 5-inch) patties
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 pound Brie, cut into 4 slices
• 4 hamburger rolls, such as sesame or challah buns, split

Directions

Total time: 35 minutes

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add broccoli rabe and cook until tender and bright green, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again.

Roughly chop broccoli rabe and transfer to a food processor. Add Pecorino, oil, pepper flakes, garlic, and 1/2 tsp. salt, and pulse to make a coarse paste; set aside.

Season pork patties all over with 1 tsp. each salt and pepper. Arrange patties on grill and cook, flipping once, until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

During the last few minutes of cooking, top burgers with Brie and toast buns on grill until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Arrange burgers on buns, top with a large dollop of broccoli rabe mixture, and serve.

You Can Also Try These Toppings:

• Avocado, tomatillo salsa and pepper jack cheese
• A grilled pineapple slice and jarred jalapeño
• Grilled peach slices