Pork Burger with Bacon Tomato Jam

How to make Pork Burger with Bacon Tomato Jam Recipe - It took Anthony Bourdain's bestseller Kitchen Confidential to make Timothy Abell realize he wanted to trade in the pen and papers of his academic life for the pan and spatula of the kitchen. He describes this burger as pork in three dimensions. With a patty made of ground pork and chorizo topped with a bacon tomato jam, it truly is an ode to our piggy friend. "With pork, you can play around and really manipulate the flavor," he explains. "I think it’s better than any other burger I’ve ever had.” His Bacon Tomato Jam is also the perfect accompaniment for anything savory.

Makes 4 Burgers

BACON TOMATO JAM:
1/4 lb (113g) butter
1 lb (453g) bacon, cut into a large dice
2 medium white onions, cut into a large dice
8 cloves garlic, halved
1/2 cup (100g) packed brown sugar
1 cup (236g) sherry vinegar
1/2 cup (118g) sherry wine
2 (12-oz [336g]) cans Italian whole peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup (12g) chopped fresh thyme
12 oz (340g) ground pork
6 oz (170g) ground chorizo
1 tbsp (7g) smoked paprika
(Spanish is best)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 brioche buns, toasted
4 slices provolone
Handful of arugula

Method:
To make the jam, in a large pot over medium heat, add the butter. When the butter foams, add the bacon. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the bacon is crispy. Add the onions and garlic and reduce the heat to low heat. Stir frequently until the onions caramelize, about 45 minutes.

Add the sugar and cook for about 5 minutes. The sugar should turn very dark and the contents of the pot should be almost black, but not burned.

Add the sherry vinegar and wine, turn up the heat and stir vigorously. Scrape up anything stuck to the bottom. Cook the sherry for about 1 hour, or until it has reduced to half of its original volume. It should have the consistency of a thick syrup.

Add the tomatoes and thyme and reduce the heat to very low. Cook for at least 4 hours, stirring frequently so the bottom doesn’t scorch. It will be a deep red color, like red wine. Set aside to cool. Blend in small batches in a food processor. You now have bacon tomato jam.

In a large mixing bowl, loosely mix the pork, chorizo and smoked paprika. Form into 4 patties. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill until the internal temperature is 145°F (63°C) or until the desired doneness. Remove from the grill and let the meat rest for 5 minutes. Serve on a toasted brioche bun with the jam, provolone and arugula.

Pork Burger with Bacon Tomato Jam