THE BIG DADDY

It's called the Big Daddy because it's got a pretty big patty. 200g of 60/40 lean fat ratio minced meat.  This is really important if you want a really juicy burger. It's also called the Big Daddy because one should be enough for your lunch ;-)

I love pork burgers, but unfortunately, most come with fillers, too dry or just simply too small. So the only way to get what I want is to make them myself. A nice, tasty, juicy burger, with all real meat. To do that, we have to go back to the basics.

INGREDIENTS

200G 60/40 lean / fat ratio minced pork
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1.5 tablespoon chopped onions
3 teaspoons Cajun spice
half teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon beaten egg
1 slice of sharp cheddar cheese
1 burger bun
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg
2 teaspoons black pepper
a little chopped lettuce
your favorite BBQ sauce

Method

Mix the minced pork, onion, garlic, Cajun spice, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper and the beaten egg well and shape it into a patty. The patty should be slightly bigger than the circumference of the bun. Don't worry of it being too big because it will shrink during grilling. 

Put the patty on a pan on high heat, let it sear slightly on both sides before covering the pan and let it cook further on low heat, turning it occasionally. The patty is cooked when it shows signs of shrinking and bulging in the middle. 

When it's done, put a slice of cheese on top and let it sit. Fry up a sunny side up egg and place it on top of the cheese

Slice the bun into two, butter both slices and put it on the pan to toast until it's slightly brown.

Now, to assemble the burger.

Put the completed patty on the bun, add the chopped lettuce and BBQ sauce on and it's ready to go!

It's important to let the patty sit for at least 5 mins in order for the juices to be reabsorbed into the meat. That way you will be rewarded with a really juicy burger. You can use any bun you like, in this case I'm using a wholemeal walnut bun. You can also dress it with ketchup and mustard, but I'm using my favorite, a homemade BBQ sauce. 

Enjoy!

GRILLED CHICKEN SKEWERS

This is one simple to make dish which everyone will enjoy. Serve with creamy mash and coleslaw and you will have a winner on the table! I know, because when I served this at a recent rosary session at my apartment, it disappeared in a flash ;-)

INGREDIENTS

3 de-boned chicken thighs

2 pineapple rings

6 cloves of garlic

1 of each type of bell pepper

1 big onion

1 pack of dried mandarin orange peel

teriyaki sauce

honey

15 bamboo skewers, soaked in water overnight

METHOD

Finely chop the garlic and dried mandarin orange peel.

Cut the rest of the ingredients into 1.5cm cubes.

Put all the chicken in a container, together 

with the garlic and dried mandarin orange peel.

Pour enough teriyaki sauce to cover all the meat, mix them and let it marinade for at least half an hour

Now, it's time to skewer the lot.

I would usually alternate between chicken pieces and the vegs, you can do that too.

When it's done, it's time to put it on a grill. The grill should be hot enough to sear the skewers, and once it's done, lower the temperature to let it cook properly.

Just before it's taken off the grill, baste the skewers with some honey, let it cook for a minute or two and it's ready to be served.

It's always advisable to make more of this, as it'll disappear from the table in no time!

Serve it with mash and coleslaw. I'm sure everyone will enjoy this!