Minced porkMakes 4 burgers
Ingredients
- 6 dried apricots, finely chopped
- ½ fennel, roughly chopped
- ½ onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- 200g minced pork
- A little finely chopped chilli (optional)
- A handful of tarragon, parsley or mint, finely chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- A splash of olive oil
To serve
- 4 burger buns
- A few crisp lettuce leaves
2 of your 5 A Day
Method
- Preheat oven to 180?C/gas mark 6.
- Place the apricots, fennel, onion, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor. Blend until finely minced.
- Combine this mixture with the minced pork, chilli (if using) and the herbs. Season well. Divide the mixture into four and shape into burger patties, squeezing out any excess moisture.
- Place an oven-proof frying pan over medium heat and add a splash of olive oil. Carefully transfer the burger patties to the pan. Sizzle for a few minutes. Gently flip the burgers, pressing them back into shape, if needed. Place the pan in the oven to finish cooking for 20–25 minutes.
- Roasting the burgers this way helps them cook through. Check one of the burgers by inserting a knife into the centre, and checking to make sure the meat looks more white than rosy. If so, they’re done.
- Serve the burgers in a bun with crispy salad leaves, shaved fennel and a dab of chilli jam, or your favourite condiment.
Less Meat, More Veg
We're all aware that cutting down on meat and dairy would significantly help reduce greenhouse gases, and improve our health. But the majority of us do not want to give it up entirely. Rachel De Thample shows us how to make the most of the meat we eat, spinning out a roast to last the week and using lesser known cuts of meat in imaginative ways. Buy this book at a discount from Saga Books.