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Healthy Seasonal Recipes Inspired by Your Local Farm and CSA

Maple Apple Glazed Pork and Leek Burgers

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Okay…Okay… so I know I’m jumping the gun on apple season a bit, but I saw some early varieties of local apples available at a farm store last week that looked so crunchy and fresh. We also got some fabulous leeks from our CSA, and some forested ground pork from a local grass farm, which gave me the idea for these burgers. If I do say so, they’re amazing (not bragging or anything)! A perfect way of tying up the grilling season with something that is sweet, savory, memorable, and would pair oh so well with a harvest-style ale. After all, September is just around the corner!

Now, more on the pork. This isn’t a paid post, I just love gushing over the local farmers that are behind much of my cooking inspiration. I got my ground pork from Ledamete Grass Farm in Schnecksville, PA. Their little piggies are allowed to forage in field and forest and are given things like organic vegetables, buttermilk, and locally milled grains for their diet. Those are some happy pigs! Not to mention, they make for some exceptional cuts of meat. If you’re able to get your ground pork from a local grass farm, like Ledamete, it’s worth the extra effort in time for the taste, plus you’ll be supporting local agriculture!

On the note of local cooking inspiration, I’d LOVE to hear about your favorite farmers and what they raise or produce in the comments section below!

brioche-pork-burger-leeks-apples

maple-apple-glazed-pork-burgers

pork-leek-apple-brioche-gruyere-burger

apple glazed pork leek burger

Maple Apple Glazed Pork and Leek Burgers

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes

Dripping with a maple apple glaze and nestled between a brioche bun, these pork and leek burgers are a decadent way to close out the grilling season.

Ingredients

Burgers

  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1/2 C finely diced leeks
  • 1/2 C peeled and shredded tart green apple
  • 2 tsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp finely diced fresh sage
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tart green apple cut width-wise in rings with the seeds removed
  • 4 slices of gruyere cheese
  • 4 Brioche buns

Glaze

  • 1/4 C unsweetened apple juice
  • 1/4 C real maple syrup
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Clean and preheat your grill.
  2. Add ground pork, finely diced leeks, peeled and shredded tart green apple, worcestershire sauce, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper to a mixing bowl. Before dicing your leeks, be sure to clean them well so that you don't get grit in your burgers. To shred the apples I used a box grater.
  3. Using your hands, gently combine the ingredients and then form them into 4 patties. Lightly oil them with 1 tsp olive oil (if your grill grates are getting old, you may need to use a little more).
  4. If your pork hasn't come to room temperature yet, allow it time to do so before beginning to grill, so that they cook more evenly.
  5. Grill the patties over direct medium heat (350ºF - 450ºF) until they're cooked through, about 12-15 minutes, turning once. Keep the lid closed as much as possible while grilling.
  6. While the burgers are grilling bring your glaze ingredients to a simmer in a saucepan. Simmer until the contents are reduced by half and have become a syrupy glaze. Set aside until the burgers are done cooking.
  7. Cut a sour green apple width-wise and remove the seeds to make an apple ring. Slice 4 pieces of gruyere cheese. Set aside.
  8. Once you've removed the burgers from the grill, coat them with your maple apple glaze using a pastry brush. At this time you can toast your brioche buns if desired.
  9. To assemble the burgers, top the patty with an apple ring and a slice of gruyere cheese, and drizzle on a little more maple apple glaze for good measure. Top off with the brioche bun and take a big bite!
© Rachel Hanawalt
Cuisine: American / Category: Sandwiches

 

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Comments

    • Rachel says

      Thanks Melanie! I may have been getting a little ahead of myself with fall flavors, but I got the idea for this recipe, and I just had to make it!

      Reply

  3. Amanda says

    Aaaah I’m all over jumping the gun with fall foods!! There needs to be more of us out there! These look so awesome 😀 Can’t wait to try. Going to our local farmers market tomorrow:)

    Reply

    • Rachel says

      Haha, you’re funny! Plus, apples are in season in my area from late August through October… That would technically make apples a late summer food!… Although, if someone offered me a Pumpkin Spiced Latte, I wouldn’t turn them down.

      Reply

  4. Sarah | (Cooking for) Kiwi & Bean says

    Oh no is it time to close out the grilling season? I’m not ready for it! I wish this season would go on and on and on. I love the produce, the weather, the fact that I don’t have to bundle my kids up in 14 layers, etc.

    These burgers look beautiful. I love the combo of sweet and savoury.

    Reply

    • Rachel says

      We still have a lot of time. My husband and I pushing grilling season all the way into the middle of November. With glove and hats on, but it works for us!

      Reply

  5. adina says

    The burger looks really appetizing, I would love one, please. And I love apples in savory dishes, the combination always works for me.

    Reply

  8. Kathryn Doherty says

    These burgers sound amazing! I love leeks and am always looking for new ways to eat them – never thought of a burger! What a great combination of flavors. Pinning now 🙂

    Reply

  9. Christine says

    Wow, really unique and delicious flavor combination! I’ve never had a pork burger but I can’t wait to try this one. The leek is kind of genius. And the sage! Really nice, Rachel. (And I am super fond of pigs so it’s nice to hear how well they’re treated at your fave farm.)

    Reply

  11. Donna says

    Oh my goodness, this sounds AMAZING! Totally with you on jumping the gun for apples (and fall) – although I love my stone fruit, I am so ready for this heat to die down a bit 🙂 Definitely checking this farmer out, I am all about supporting local ag, and the products always taste SO much better! We have a great pork farmer at our local farmers markets, he also grows his own brown rice, which is so so good 🙂

    Reply

    • Rachel says

      Thanks Donna! I’m all about enjoying my stone fruit and apples too! Where I live we just hit the end of a heatwave. This afternoon I took my son to pick-up our crop share in the 94ºF humid weather and there were u-pick tomatoes… Phew! That’s funny that your pork farmer grows brown rice. I wonder if the pigs like to eat it!

      Reply

    • Rachel says

      Thanks Kristen! My husband love them so much that he asked me to make these for Labor Day, but I had already gone shopping for good old fashion burger ingredients. I’ll have to make sure I make them for him one more time while warm weather and grilling season hangs on a little longer.

      Reply

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