Spicy Pork Burgers with White Cheddar, Avocado and Green Onions

Bon Appetit featured a recipe for pork burgers this month. I was intrigued - I have made turkey burgers and chicken burgers, but never pork. My enthusiasm quickly waned however, when I realized the additional ingredients were simply garlic and chipotle chilies in adobo - basically only a quarter of the ingredients I use in my turkey burgers, which I will post this summer.

I knew I would have to fiddle...

This is what came out. If you can get yourself a hold of freshly ground pork, do so. It is LOVELY. And if not, no matter, all these spices will perk up the even the most ordinary, cellophane wrapped pack of ground pork plucked off the grocery fridge shelf.

Spicy Pork Burgers with White Cheddar, Avocado and Green Onions

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork (not lean, preferably fresh ground from the butcher)
2 teaspoons minced chipotle in adobo plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch fresh cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 teaspoon half and half
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup panko

1 tablespoon plain flavored oil such as canola or vegetable

4-5 thick slices white cheddar
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup minced cilantro
4-5 English muffins, halved and toasted

Instructions:

Mix all of the dry burger ingredients together first in a large bowl - the dry spices, the sugar, salt, pepper, and panko. Add the half and half and green onions, chipotle and adobo sauce, minced garlic, and mix until well incorporated. Finally, add the pork and mix JUST until all the various ingredients have melded into the pork. DO NOT over work or you'll have tough burgers. Form into 4 large patties, or 5 smaller ones, depending on what size you like.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add the burgers to the pan, getting a nice sear - spacing them apart to cook evenly. Do not move them once they hit the pan or you won't get a nice crust. Cook for 4-5 minutes (little longer if doing really big burgers), then flip once and cook another 5 minutes, until cooked through. Add the slices of cheese over during the last few minutes of cook time so that they can meld and melt into the patty.

Serve on toasted English muffins with the avocado slices, cilantro and additional green onions, if desired.