# Pork Burgers?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 7, 2012, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146 "2012-05-07T12:08:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/1 "2012-05-07T12:08:17Z")
I have hamburger buns to use up, but no ground beef in the freezer.
I do have ground pork. What kind of spices or toppings would one put on a pork burger?
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/2 "2012-05-07T12:32:37Z")
Sounds to me like a BBQ sandwich is a possibility – at least for the condiments ideas.
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### Author:  [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/3 "2012-05-07T12:37:59Z")
Yup, that’s exactly what I’d do.
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/4 "2012-05-07T13:20:41Z")
> [@Oakminster](#):
>
> Yup, that’s exactly what I’d do.
Maybe have a side dish of Camp Stew with it, too. Right, **Oak**?
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### Author:  [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/5 "2012-05-07T13:26:04Z")
A trio of peppers, black, ancho, and cayenne. Add some garlic and kosher salt and Bob’s your uncle.
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### Author:  [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/6 "2012-05-07T13:36:40Z")
I’ve cooked ground pork and mixed with BBQ sauce, but found it dry and crumbly. it’s edible but as good as the sauce you mix it with.
Maybe make some patties (or even meatballs) with asian seasonings? Ginger, garlic, soy, scallions? Side of ramen noodles! I’ve done that.
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### Author:  [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/7 "2012-05-07T13:45:19Z")
All three of these ideas sound good. BBQ, Asian & Bill Door’s spice combo.
If I am making patties, does anyone think I should use a filler to keep it moist, or does pork have enough fat to stay moist? I worry because **salinqmind** mentioned it being dry & crumbly.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/8 "2012-05-07T14:36:17Z")
Pork should have enough fat to stay moist. (This is assuming you’re using ground shoulder. If it’s lean pork, well, that would benefit from the addition of ground fatback.)
Basically, feel free to look up any sausage recipe and make a burger out of it. For instance, make a bratwurst burger. [Here’s one recipe](http://www.thepauperedchef.com/2009/06/homemade-wisconsin-style-bratwurst.html), just scale it down. Don’t worry about the mix of shoulder and fatback, just pretend that’s all ground pork.
Or a spicy [breakfast sausage](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/breakfast-sausage-recipe/index.html) recipe. [Or an Italian sausage](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/homemade-mild-italian-sausage-recipe/index.html). (You can skip the anise, if you don’t have it; the fennel is anise-y enough.) Etc.
Or you could just go simple with salt, pepper, and finely chopped onions. (About 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 cup finely diced onion) for every pound of meat. You can further add a clove of finely minced garlic and a teaspoon of paprika per pound, and you’re basically making an all-pork pljeskavica (Serbian hamburger.)
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### Author:  [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/9 "2012-05-07T14:39:33Z")
Might be too dry for grilling or frying. Seems to be too high a temperature. Baking the pork burgers (we do this with turkey) gives a moister patty. Use a zippier BBQ sause is must. Ketchup won’t get it done. Cooking it in a sauce and serving over the buns (think open face sandwich/sloppy joe) should work great as well.
Now I’m hungry.
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### Author:  [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/10 "2012-05-07T14:46:38Z")
If you want to be really badass about it – Pork Tartare.
🆒
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/11 "2012-05-07T15:06:47Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#):
>
> If you want to be really badass about it – Pork Tartare.
>
> 🆒
Aka [mett](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mett). Good stuff, it is.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/12 "2012-05-07T15:09:59Z")
> [@smithsb](#):
>
> Might be too dry for grilling or frying. Seems to be too high a temperature. Baking the pork burgers (we do this with turkey) gives a moister patty. Use a zippier BBQ sause is must. Ketchup won’t get it done. Cooking it in a sauce and serving over the buns (think open face sandwich/sloppy joe) should work great as well.
>
> Now I’m hungry.
Depending on what cut of pork it is, it may not be dry at all. If you can ascertain the fat content (by the label), if it’s at least 20% fat, it’ll be fine. Or if you know that it’s shoulder rather than, say, ground loin.
It’s interesting that baked hamburgers turn out moister for you. The opposite is the case for me (well, it was my dad who did it, not really me.)
But the sloppy joe treatment would work great, too. Good idea.
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### Author:  [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/13 "2012-05-07T17:02:26Z")
> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> Aka [mett](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mett). Good stuff, it is.
Interesting. This is pork from a high-quality, trusted source, so I might be willing to try a tartare.
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/14 "2012-05-07T17:15:08Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#):
>
> Interesting. This is pork from a high-quality, trusted source, so I might be willing to try a tartare.
It is normally sold and eaten the day it is made. Germany has special regulations that allow it to be sold, so I’m not sure whether I would try it on my own with pork not designed for that purpose. It may very well be okay, but I wouldn’t advise someone on a message board to try it. It’s not the trichonosis I’d be worried about (that’s pretty much eliminated from domestic pork); it’s all the other stuff.
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### Author:  [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/15 "2012-05-07T21:48:27Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#):
>
> Interesting. This is pork from a high-quality, trusted source, so I might be willing to try a tartare.
:eek: I disclaim all responsibility!
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### Author:  [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/16 "2012-05-07T23:54:09Z")
Don’t worry - I ended up going the sloppy joe route. I was feeling a bit lazy and sloppy joes were quick & easy. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Chef\_Troy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chef_Troy)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2012, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/17 "2012-05-08T03:41:45Z")
Be sure and get some more next February so you can properly celebrate Ground Hog Day.
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### Author:  [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2012, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-burgers/621146/18 "2012-05-08T11:41:06Z")
> [@Chef\_Troy](#):
>
> Be sure and get some more next February so you can properly celebrate Ground Hog Day.
Hilarious! 😃