Here is a super power burger that is delicious, it hits those keto macro ratios, and also delivers a punch of bio-available nutrients to your body. How you may ask? Well the answer to that is simple…..LIVER! Liver is among the most nutrient dense super-foods on earth, but unfortunately many people don’t like it or are squeamish at the thought of consuming this powerful super-food. Here at the Carrie Brown Clubhouse, though, we got your back. We worked hard to come up with some delicious recipes that you can eat and not even realize you are chowing down on the magical-super-duper-food liver. In our line-up of burgers to turn you into a super-human we give you: Power Porkies Dry Chili Burgers. Just the name makes you want to make them!
First you have to grind the meat and the quantities you need for these Power Porkies Dry Chili Burgers are in the ingredients below. Here is what you do: You can start with ground pork, or you can grind your own. If you are grinding your own, I recommend you use pork shoulder. You can use a meat grinder if you have one, or you can use a food processor. Cut the pork shoulder into strips or chunks that can fit into the hopper of your meat grinder. That size can vary based on the type of grinder you have. For a food processor, cut the meat into chunks that can fit easily into your food processor, and again, the size can vary based on the size of your food processor.
Cold is your friend, heat is not. If your meat is too warm, it will turn into mush when you are grinding it, so you want to get it nice and cold. My suggestion is to lay the meat out on a parchment lined baking tray so that each piece of meat is separated and not touching each other. Place the tray of meat into the freezer for 30 minutes to one hour depending on how thick the meat is. You want to get the meat to where it is just starting to freeze but is not completely frozen. You can then grind the meat and it will not become a mushy mess. Use the same process to prep your bacon for grinding.
DO NOT FREEZE THE MEAT SOLID. It will not grind and possibly break the grinder.
Liver can easily turn into a puddly mess when ground, so here are some steps to help maintain a firmer texture when grinding. Rinse and drain the liver very well to get the blood off. To make the texture firmer, marinate the liver in yogurt for at least 8 hours. Make sure the yogurt completely covers the liver. The acid in the yogurt will help the liver gain a firmer texture. Once marinaded, rinse the yogurt off the liver and discard it. Pat the liver dry and cut the liver into strips or chunks that can fit into your food processor or the hopper of your meat grinder. Place the liver pieces on a baking sheet and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Liver is delicate, and will not take as long to freeze as muscle meat. Get the liver to the point were it is almost frozen but not frozen solid. You can then grind the liver. For best results, grind the liver with the bacon and you will get a firmer, better texture.
Another option – instead of marinading in yogurt – and for an even firmer texture is to lightly sear the liver in a skillet on each side before chilling and grinding. You do not want to cook the liver all the way, leave the inside mostly raw. This helps get some of the moisture out of the liver and makes for a grind with firmer texture and a sturdier patty.
Now you’ve got your meat and liver ground and ready you can continue with the rest of the ingredients and instructions for these fantastic Power Porkies Dry Chili Burgers below.
If you’ve been nervous to try liver this is a fabulous way to put on your training wheels! Give it a shot! We promise you will not taste the liver. At all. And anyone you feed them to will be none the wiser. You’re welcome!
Power Porkies Dry Chili Burgers
Author: Yogi Parker| Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Total time: 30 mins + freezing time | Serves: 6 – 12
What You Need
- 1 lb. / 450g pork shoulder
- 1 lb. / 450g bacon
- 1 lb. / 450g beef or calf liver
- 1 egg
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 6 oz. / 170g onion, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 TBSP chili powder
- 1 TBSP chipotle powder
- 1/2 TBSP ground cumin
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. mustard powder
- 1 TBSP coconut aminos
- 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
- 2 TBSP keto sweetener of your choice
- 2 tsp. konjac flour / glucomannan powder
- OPTIONAL: Fox Hill Kitchen Bunz (Use code: carrie for a 15% discount!)
What You Do
- Place the ground pork, liver and bacon in a large mixing bowl (see detailed instructions above). Add in the egg, minced jalapeño, chopped onion, garlic, chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, and sweetener. Use your hands to start mixing and incorporating all the ingredients together. As you mix the ingredients, slowly add the konjac flour powder (sprinkle some over the top, mix, sprinkle, mix and repeat until konjac flour is used up). This will prevent the konjac flour from forming clumps.
- After you are done mixing you may find that your burger mixture has become a bit loose and soupy. Again, cold is your friend. Cover the bowl with a lid or some plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes, or the refrigerator for a couple hours. The konjac flour will absorb excess moisture and the cold will firm the mixture up so you can make your patties.
- Portion out about 1/4 lb / 110g of meat for each patty. Roll the ground meat in your hands and form into meatballs then press each meatball into a flat patty. It will help with cooking if these patties are pressed thin, about 1/2 inch thickness.
- Cold is your friend. The burgers hold together *much* better if they are completely frozen before they are cooked. Cut some parchment paper into squares slightly larger than the patties. Place the patties between the parchment papers so that the patties do not stick to each other. Place the patties in a seal-able container and freeze until solid. The liver is a very soft, delicate meat that makes the patties very fragile and they tend to fall apart very easily when cooked if not frozen first, so do not skip this step. This also means you can keep a supply of burgers in the freezer for whenever you want to have some and you do not have to cook right away. They can last several months in the freezer in a covered container.
- These burgers can be fragile, so I would not cook them on a grill. I suggest using a skillet. Add some oil – avocado oil, tallow, lard or coconut – to a skillet to prevent the patties from sticking. You want to cook the patties on medium low or low heat. When your skillet is hot, place the patties on the skillet and cook for five minutes. Carefully flip the patties and cook for another five minutes, then repeat the process, cooking each side for another five minutes each. For 1/2 lb patties repeat and cook each side of each patty for 3 five-minute cycles. Remove the patties from the heat and place them on a plate to rest for about five minutes before eating to ensure you have a nice juicy burger patty.
Top Recipe Tips
- Have it any way you would have a burger patty: by itself, on a keto bun like a Fox Hill Kitchens Bakery bun with all the fixings, between two large sautéed portobello mushrooms, on your favorite salad, or as a lettuce wrapped burger.
- Serve on some keto bread like Fox Hill Kitchen Bunz (Use code: carrie for a 15% discount!).
- Check out the Ingredients Guide for information on ingredients.
- Where Are The Macros and Nutritional Info?
Helpful Cooking and Recipe Links
- More beef recipes
- More burger recipes
- Come laugh and learn with us over at The Kitchen Podcast
- Come hang out in The Keto Kitchen Facebook Group
- For lots more great recipes check out our scrumptious cookbooks!
- Check out the categories and tags at the top of the post to help you find more recipes using certain ingredients or from certain categories.
- Discounts on great keto products and resources.
Podcast Episodes and You Tube Videos
- Watch Yogi’s Cooking Videos
- Watch Carrie’s Cooking Videos
- Watch our Cooking Tips and Tricks Videos
Substitutions
- Don’t. Just buy the correct ingredients and you, too, shall have a fabulous outcome!
