Basil Pork Burgers

I found the original Basil Pork Burgers with Mushrooms recipe at http://everydaypaleo.com/, but I didn't have any mushrooms or fresh basil, so here's my simpler version. I used sausage from my recent US Wellness Meats purchase and went easy on the seasonings til I get more familiar with this meat. These turned out pretty great. I cooked them a little slower on the open foreman grill til internal temp reached 160°, flipping and turning occasionally. I love how tender and flavorful this pork is. I served with grilled eggplant "buns" and garlic/basil mayo. I also fried up some homemade potato chips earlier in the day and steamed frozen green beans with a little s&p. I had frozen the green beans 2 weeks ago when we got behind on our CSA basket. I placed them on a piece of wax paper on a baking sheet, spread them in an even layer, and placed in the freezer for a few hours. When they were frozen, I put them into a ziploc bag. I did about 3 pans this way and they froze well, no clumping together. Hope you enjoy the recipes!

Grilled Eggplant

• Eggplant
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Slice eggplant into 1/4" thick circles. Sprinkle each side of the eggplant slices with salt and place in colander to drain a good 20 minutes. When ready to cook, use a paper towel to blot juices from the eggplant. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil, brush foil with oil. Place eggplant slices on the pan and brush the tops of the eggplants with more oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 20 minutes at 400° and flip half-way thru. I thought these turned out more like "grilled eggplant", even though I baked them.

Basil Pork Burgers

• l lb pastured ground pork
• 1 TB+ dried Basil
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp+ black pepper

Mix together by hand and form into 4-5 patties. Grill or pan fry over medium heat, flipping after 4 minutes on each side. If burgers are thick, repeat flipping until internal temp reaches 160°.

The homemade mayo recipe can be found here. I added about 1 tsp each of dried basil and minced garlic to 1/4 c homemade mayo and let it sit in the fridge while I cooked supper. The girls and I preferred it as a dip for our chips. Maybe I'll attempt a french onion dip next to go with our chips.