Farmbar Pork Burgers with Bread & Butter Zucchini Pickles

I recently subscribed to Food & Wine magazine, and have been LOVING their delicious recipes each month!  One of my favorites from this past edition was this delicious burger… paired with shoestring fries and a yummy beer – it was the perfect weekend lunch for this hot summer weather!

Farmbar Pork Burgers with Bread & Butter Zucchini Pickles

• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1/2 lb fresh chorizo (I used chicken chorizo), casings removed and sausage broken up
• 1/4 ricotta cheese
• 1.5 T capers, drained, rinsed, finely chopped
• sharped cheddar cheese (thinly sliced or finely shredded)
• brioche burger buns
• mayo/mustard/ketchup
• butter lettuce
• bread & butter zucchini pickles

1. Gently mix ground pork, chorizo, ricotta and capers.
2. Form meat into patties and season with salt & pepper.
3. Grill burgers over moderately high heat, turning once until cooked through (about 10 minutes).
4. Top with cheddar during the last minute and let melt.
5. Let burgers sit for 5 minutes.
6. Assemble burgers by spreading mayo/ketchup/mustard on buns, set burger on bottom bun, top with pickles, lettuce and top bun.
7. Eat ASAP and enjoy!

 

Bread & Butter Zucchini Pickles

• 2 zucchinis (1 lb worth), sliced crosswise 1/8 inch thick
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
• 3 T kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups unfiltered apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric

1. In a large bowl, toss zucchini and onion with 2 T salt.
2. Cover with ice water and let stand for 45 minutes (until softened).
3. Drain and pat veggies dry.
4. Meanwhile, combine 1 T salt, vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, mustard powder, turmeric & 1/2 cup of water in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil & stir until sugar is dissolved.
5. Transfer zucchini to a quart sized mason jar and top with vinegar mixture. Let cool and refrigerate over night (although I have definitely let these sit for an hour and then enjoyed them).

*Pickles will last 1 week