Burger of the Month: Big Pig Burger

Do you ever go to a restaurant, see a burger piled high with toppings and think “who would ever eat that?” Well if you have, then you should go check out one of our other recipes, because this big pig burger is one of those burgers.

Okay for everyone still left, this burger will leave you stuffed and probably a little sweaty, if we’re being honest. Piled high with bacon and pulled pork, the big pig burger incorporates pork into this decadent dish three ways. The bacon and pulled pork we already mentioned, but the last way is a ground pork plus ground beef burger patty. This gives you a classic burger taste that absolutely melts in your mouth from the extra fattiness of the pork. 

All in all, this triple pork burger is the perfect homemade dinner for when you are craving that monstrous restaurant-style burger. Pair it with some onion rings and a cold beer, and you have all the best parts of a restaurant right in the comfort of your home.

Pulled Pork Burger Ingredients and Toppings

In order to pack this burger with great pork flavors, we made sure to use pork three different ways. Ground pork is packed into the burger patty and then topped with pulled pork and bacon. So there is no lack of savory flavor which is then balanced out with a sweet brioche bun and a smokey barbecue sauce. 

Here is everything you need to make the big pig burger!

• Brioche buns
• Beef and pork burger patty – see below
• Sharp cheddar cheese
• Pulled pork
• Barbecue sauce
• Bacon

Pork burger patty ingredients

• Ground beef
• Ground pork
• Barbecue sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Liquid smoke
• Salt

Why Use Ground Pork in a Burger?

We wanted to blend the pork into the patty to get the pork flavor to really take over. By creating a 50/50 beef and pork blend, the burger can showcase the great flavors without being overwhelmed by salty meat piled high on top. Plus the ground pork is on the fatty side, which creates an extra juicy burger that melts in your mouth.

How to Make a Triple Pork Burger

As there are many parts to making this specialty burger, we have broken down the steps into sections that can be prepared separately. Feel free to prepare multiple parts at the same time to help speed up the recipe. 

Prepare the patties

1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, barbecue sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, liquid smoke, and salt. Mix thoroughly until evenly combined.
2. Form meat into 3 equal sized chunks and then press into patties, approximately 3 to 4 inches in diameter.

Prepare the pulled pork

1. Reheat the pulled pork in a frying pan with a little oil for about 5 minutes, or until lightly crisped. 
2. Stir in barbecue sauce until the pork is well coated. Remove from heat and set aside.

Toast the buns

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees.
2. Place sliced buns on a small baking sheet, cut side up, and toast in the oven until slightly crispy, about 10 minutes.

Assemble the burger

1. Cook the burger patties, adding cheese to each after flipping. If you are looking for cooking instructions, check out this post for directions on how to cook burger patties on a grill, on a cast iron grill pan, or on stainless steel. 
2. Transfer patties to toasted brioche buns, top each with 1 to 2 slices of crispy bacon and a pile of pulled pork, and drizzle with extra barbecue sauce, if desired.
3. Serve with your favorite side, a cold beer, and enjoy!

With many toppings and parts to prep, it can be difficult to make sure the timing works out and everything is finished at the same time. To help with that, we like to prepare what we can ahead of time and either keep it warm, or quickly reheat it if needed. For instance, the bacon can be made earlier in the day, or even a day or two prior, just throw it in the pan before or after heating the pork to warm it up. 

Serving Suggestions

With a heavy burger like this, you want to pair it with something that can compliment it well, but more importantly stand up to all the flavors and not get lost. To best go along with the barbecue pulled pork theme, we find onion rings to be the perfect side dish. But if you prefer a potato product, you can’t go wrong with some tater tots! And of course, a burger isn’t complete without a great cold beer to go with it. 

Next time you are looking for a hearty restaurant-style burger, give the big pig burger a try! Let us know what you think by commenting, rating, and sharing below!