Pork and Chorizo Burgers with Green Chile Mayonnaise

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound chorizo, outer casings removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 large hamburger buns, or 4 (6-inch) lengths French bread, split in half crosswise
• 1 cup coarsely grated pepper jack cheese, optional
• Green Chile Mayonnaise, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Place the chorizo in a food processor and process until finely chopped (sausage should appear crumbly.) Transfer to a large bowl and add the ground pork, garlic, Worcestershire, Essence, salt and cayenne and mix gently but thoroughly, being careful not to overwork the mixture. Form the mixture into 4 (1-inch) thick patties, about 8 ounces each, and place on the grill. Cook to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium. During the last 2 minutes of grilling, toast the buns and sprinkle the cheese over the tops of the burgers, if desired, and cook until melted.

Transfer the burgers to the bottom of the buns and place on plates. Generously top each burger with 2 tablespoons of the Green Chile Mayonnaise and place the tops of the buns over the sauce. Serve immediately.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Green Chile Mayonnaise:

1 cup good-quality mayonnaise (homemade is best)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 poblano pepper, roasted and peeled

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the mayonnaise, garlic, poblano, and lime juice and process until smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups