Al Pastor Burgers & Jicama Slaw
This May, I am feeling Mexican food like never before, and at least once a week something around here is getting a Mexican twist. Like we’re keeping those Cinco de Mayo vibes rolling all month long, and even burgers are getting a Mexican spin in the Zehner house. This week’s burger fix came in the form of Al Pastor Burgers with a Jicama Slaw, proving to me that Al Pastor goes beyond a tasty taco.
These burgers are steering away from the traditional beef patties, and instead are made with pork patties (staying true to the al pastor theme) that are cooked until they’re juicy with charred edges, flavorful, and just scrumptious. The meat is simple - seasoned only with salt & pepper and pan seared in a cast iron skillet before baking briefly. The burgers get all of there al pastor flavor from a sweet and spicy pineapple compote whipped up from fresh pineapple, and cooked until it’s sauce-y, thick & the perfect burger topping.
Whenever we go out for tacos, there’s like a 90% likelihood I’m ordering al pastor. That salty meat with sweet pineapple is total bliss. So when I saw a recipe for al pastor burgers that called ground pork patties and quick compote opposed to slow roasted carnitas to get that same satisfying al pastor flavor, I was sold. & inspired to do it my way with my favorite ingredients - red onion, fresh pineapple, green chiles, & avocado. A fun little al pastor experiment at home that produced a very tasty result.
This has been a two burger week for me - datenight involved us going to the new Mcmenamins in Tacoma and chowing down on their burgers & cajun tots, and then I got hung up on making al pastor burgers for the NBA play-offs at home…so here we are. & though I couldn’t be more thrilled to have two delish burgers on the menu for the week, that feeling of guilt kind of reared its ugly head, which is why we opted for sliders. Nevertheless, you can 100% do regular sized burgers, and my husband has already informed that he would like to have these again in non-miniature form so that he can pile on even more of the compote on his burger.
One of my favorite hacks for sliders is using King’s Hawaiian rolls (or the Trader Joe’s knock-off variety) as buns. They’re so great when I’m whipping out pull apart burgers or just regular old sliders. They’re so soft and fluffy, & for those reasons they’re perfect little buns for little meats. For this recipe, I love using them because they’re a little sweet, and it just ties so well into the sweet pineapple compote.
My pineapple compote gets a little heat from a full can of diced green chiles. & those little suckers pack a punch! For the compote, everything gets added to the saucepan at the same time, so that means more time for the green chiles to marinate in there & more time for them to impart a spicy kick.
The Mexican flavors are taken to the next level with an avocado mash spread on the bottom buns & fresh cilantro right on top. The avo being plant based sauce no. 2 that makes these sliders so delish. & creamy avocado tastes so great with the pineapple and helps dial down in heat from the compote, too. But to be clear, the compote is far from spicy and surely won’t overwhlem even the weakest palette.
We opted for no fries, and instead a very easy Jicama Slaw. It’s literally jicama & radish & cilantro all tossed in a no-oil, lime based vinaigrette. & let me just say - a no oil dressing of any variety is a serious win in my book. It’s a super simple salad that can be thrown together in 5 minutes, & a quick fix to impart a little bit more freshness to any at home Mexican meal.
For the Pineapple Compote
1/2 c. cubed or diced pineapple (fresh is best)
1 c. pineapple juice
1/2 of a red onion, finely chopped
1-4 oz can green chiles
For the Burgers
1 ripe avocado
3 tbsp butter
1 lb ground pork
Salt & pepper
Burger buns (either regular sized of slider buns)
About 2 heaping tbsp mayo
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
Start by placing a saucepan over medium heat. Add in all of the pineapple compote ingredients along with a small pinch of salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to simmer, and let it continue to simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes. You want to sauce to reduce by at least half and thicken up substantially. Once the sauce has been reduced, cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Let it keep cooking while you get the rest of the burgers ready.
Start by scooping out the avocado flesh. Mash it in a bowl along with a small pinch of salt until it’s the consistency of chunky guacamole. Set it aside while you prep the burgers.
Take the ground pork and form it into patties. For the patties, form four is making regular sized burgers or 6 if you’re making sliders. Form the patties by scoring the meat into equal sections, then molding each section into a ball with your hands and then patting flat into a disk slightly larger than your bun. This is because the patty will surely shrink when they cook. Season both sides of each patty with salt & pepper.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat, and let it heat up for about 10 minutes. Also heat the oven to 400. Add in the butter, and as soon as the butter is melted added in the pork patties. Add all the patties to the skillet, and let them cook for 4 minutes on each. You want them to be crispy brown on each side, and not burnt. Once the patties have been cooked on both sides, toss the cast iron in the oven for 6-7 minutes.
As the pork cooks, split the buns in half. Place the buns on a baking tray and then in the oven with the pork to toast for 5 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. You should be able to remove the buns and the pork from the oven around the same time.
Now the fun part - assemble the burgers. Evenly split the avocado amongst the buns, slathering a layer of avocado on all of the bottom pieces. Then spread a thin layer of mayo on each top bun. Place a pork patty right on top of the guac, and then a healthy spoonful of the warm compote right on top of the pork. Sprinkle a pinch of the cilantro on top of the compote. The final step is to place the top bun right on the compote, using a toothpick to keep the burger in place if needed. The burgers are ready to be served.
