Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat an outdoor gas grill to high heat (450°F).
- Form ground pork into 4 patties, each about 3/4 inch thick. Make a thumb indentation in the center of each patty.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the Kinder's Brown Sugar Rub.
- Coat the pork patties evenly on both sides with the brown sugar mixture.
- Let patties sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before grilling.
- Place patties on the grill and sear until browned and crispy on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes.
- Flip patties and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Move patties to indirect heat and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F when measured with a meat thermometer.
- While the patties cook, heat the pulled pork in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Add BBQ sauce to the saucepan with the pulled pork and stir well.
- Continue heating for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is warm and the sauce coats the pork.
- Toast hamburger buns on the grill for about 1 minute until lightly golden.
- Layer coleslaw on the bottom bun, then top with the cooked pork patty.
- Spoon the warm pulled pork and BBQ sauce mixture generously over the patty.
- Place the top bun on the burger and serve immediately while everything is warm.
Nutrition
Notes
- Fat content is non-negotiable — Use 80/20 ground pork. Drop below 20% fat and the patties dry out before they hit 145°F internal. Leaner pork makes a leaner, drier burger.
- Rest before the grill — Let formed patties sit at room temp for 20 minutes before they go on a 450°F grate. Cold pork kills the sear and extends cook time unevenly.
- Thumb indent, always — Press a small dimple in the center of each raw patty. It keeps the burger flat as it cooks and prevents the dome-and-shrink problem every pork burger runs into.
- Sauce the pulled pork — Pulled pork alone goes dry on top of a hot burger. Two minutes in a saucepan with BBQ sauce gives it the right coating and temp for the build.
- Store-bought pulled pork is fine — Deli-counter or vacuum-packed slow-cooked pulled pork cuts prep to near nothing. Focus your technique on the patty — that's where this recipe lives.
- Toast the buns on the grill — One minute on the grate while the patties rest. It adds structural integrity and a small char note that balances the sweet rub.
- The natural pair is something with crunch and cut. Crispy fries or sweet potato fries match the burger's weight. Grilled corn with chili butter follows through on the cookout angle without competing.
- For drinks, a brown ale or amber lager runs parallel to the rub — malty, slightly sweet, cut by carbonation. Cold and simple is right for this build.
- If you're running a larger spread, set out extra coleslaw, pickled jalapeños, and additional BBQ sauce so people can add on. The core burger is complete on its own; the extras make it an event.
- Cooked patties keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water and a lid — the steam warms them through without drying the crust out completely. Avoid the microwave if you can.
- Raw patties can be formed, wrapped individually in plastic wrap, and refrigerated up to 24 hours or frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before grilling.
- The pulled pork and BBQ sauce mixture stores separately in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat, adding a small splash of water or stock if the sauce has tightened up.