Nice Buns

Thai Style Pork Burger with Crispy Yuca Fries

I know y'all thought this post was going to be about some fool in the gym commenting on Gatherer's booty...that doesn't happen so sorry to disappoint. Just a good old fashioned food review. Honestly I'm old enough and just self-conscious enough to where I would probably consider it a compliment if someone did tell me I had nice buns. Actually I feel like the ladies in the gym are more likely to say it which is why it probably wouldn't bother me. Back on track.

This burger was from Gobble. Confession time, this was another instance to where I did not follow directions well (but I did learn a new trick). This had the burger as a pan sear but Gatherer used the trusty outdoor fire (I used our gas grill). I really do wish that Gobble had me make at least some of the sauces because I like learning how to make new things. Slaw was super easy to make and was really good. Shredded cabbage, mint, cilantro, and basil with nuoc cham. I had never used nuoc cham before but I think I will in the future, I'm hoping it is easy to find at my local place of gathering. I may need to find an Asian market soon, I gravitate toward those flavors frequently and I think it would be good to get more familiar with authentic ingredients.

Mixed up the burgers, I used about half of the red chili paste, I could have used more but I've described how the other residents of the cave seem to be seasoning averse. It also had me add a lemongrass confit...I looked up a few recipes in preparation for this post and it seems like a major PITA (pain in the ass) to make. So I'd probably just sub something for the flavor (garlic and ginger maybe, throw in a little fish sauce and sesame oil for fun). So that thing I learned...the recipe card said to indent the center of the burger with my thumb to keep it from bulging while cooking...it worked! Criticism of Gobble editing on my card. So it says

When the oil is hot, carefully place the Thai-seasoned pork burgers into the pan and cover with a lid. Remove the lid and use a spatula to flip the burgers. Cook (uncovered) for 4-5 additional min, or until the burgers feel firm when pressed in the center

If you read that sentence 50 times like I did, it doesn't tell me how long to cook the damn thing with the lid on it. As I was cooking on the grill anyway AND I'm relatively comfortable cooking ground pork, for the thickness of the burger I ended up at about 5 minutes per side. Ground pork is tricky for those of you not accustomed to working with it. The meat isn't forgiving, there isn't a lot of fat so it can dry out very quickly, BUT it is definitely one of those proteins that you shouldn't under cook. I guess a normal person would do a meat thermometer so something (I don't like losing the juices by poking a hole in the meat) but I use my best judgement and the finger test. I also toasted the buns on the grill because why not.

The rest of the meal was fried yuca fries. As a girl from Georgia I can pan fry with the best of them so this was an easy step for me. I can't help but wonder if they would have been just as good baked (would cause problems with the 15 minute cook time claimed by Gobble I guess) and cut down the calories of the meal a bit. Simple enough to prep just not very healthy.

Rated 4 sweet teas

Both natives claimed the Thai sweet chili aioli was too spicy. Both ate it anyway. I'm not prone to just making a burger for the heck of it on a non-food delivery night so I doubt I'll do the burger again (but again that slaw was delightful). There wasn't anything that made me think I needed it more than the one time but it wasn't horrible either. Having the slaw made it feel a little lighter than burgers I've made from other services but with all of the frying and ailoli going on I think its perception vs reality. That being said I don't usually think I'm expecting a light meal if I'm in the mood for a burger anyway.