Hawaiian Burgers

Ingredients

• 20 oz. can pineapple slices in juice
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 oz. Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 6 Tbsp teriyaki sauce, divided
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil, divided
• 4 Onion Rolls
• 4 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp sriracha

Directions

1. Pull 1 pineapple slice from the can and mince it finely. Cut the green onions into slices, and shred the Monterey Jack cheese. In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, minced pineapple, green onions, cheese, and 2 Tbsp teriyaki sauce. Use your hands to bring everything together until the mixture looks evenly blended.
2. Form the pork mixture into 4 burger patties. Press them a little wider and slimmer than you want the final burgers, since they will pull in as they cook. Put the patties aside for now.
3. Slice the red onion thinly. Pour 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil into a large skillet and warm it over medium-high heat. Once the pan and oil are good and hot, add the onion slices and leave them alone until the undersides brown and caramelize. Give them a stir, then let them brown again. Try not to fuss with them too much, because constant stirring keeps those edges from getting nicely browned. When the onions are mostly browned, move them to a bowl and set them aside.
4. Lower the heat under the skillet to medium, add another 1/2 Tbsp oil, and tilt the pan so the oil covers the surface. Add the burger patties. Let them cook until browned on 1 side, then turn them carefully and cook until the 2nd side is browned and the centers are cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, though the exact time can shift with your pan and the size and shape of the burgers.
5. As the burgers cook, stir the mayonnaise and sriracha together in a small bowl.
6. Move the cooked burgers onto a clean plate or cutting board. Blot 4 more pineapple rings with a paper towel, then place them in the skillet. Keep cooking the pineapple over medium heat until it is warmed through and has picked up some of the browned bits from the pan, about 2-3 minutes each side.
7. To assemble, spread 1 tablespoon or so of the sriracha mayo on a bun, add a cooked burger, and spoon another 1 tablespoon of teriyaki sauce over the top. Finish with 1 cooked pineapple slice and some of the caramelized red onion.