Aloha burger

Juicy pineapple and Japanese ingredients come together in this burger, which speaks of Hawaii’s fascinating fusion cuisine.

The sweet-tart dual nature of pineapple adds zing to this beef burger. Credit: Brett Stevens

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 500 g minced pork
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 5 cm piece ginger, finely grated
• 1 egg
• 35 g (⅓ cup) dried breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 small pineapple, peeled, sliced into rounds
• 4 burger buns
• mayonnaise and butter leaf lettuce leaves, to serve

Teriyaki sauce

• 125 ml (½ cup) soy sauce
• 125 ml (½ cup) mirin
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 5 cm piece ginger, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 3 tsp cornflour

Instructions

Place pork, spring onion, ginger, egg and breadcrumbs in a bowl. Using damp hands, mix to combine. Shape into 4 patties. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

To make teriyaki sauce, combine soy sauce, mirin, sugar, ginger and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove 2 tablespoons of mixture and combine with cornflour in a small jug, stirring until smooth. Return cornflour mixture to saucepan and cook for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove and cool, then strain through a fine sieve.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add pineapple and cook for 4 minutes on each side or until charred. Remove from pan and set aside. Wipe pan and heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add patties and cook for 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

To assemble, spread base of buns with mayonnaise and top with lettuce, patty, pineapple and teriyaki sauce. Spread bun tops with more mayonnaise and place on top. Serve immediately.

Photography by Brett Stevens. Styling by Kirsten Jenkins. 

As seen in Feast magazine, June 2014, Issue 32. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.