Pigged Out Patty Melt

Bacon, Ground Pork, Caramelized Onions, Gooey Cheese, Country Bread… this is the ultimate pork-inspired, Patty Melt sandwich.  My husband approves 100% and tells me it blows my $17,500 Sour Apple Pork Burger out of the water.  I may have to agree… as I found myself hustling through taking pictures, just so I could get a fat bite of this thing.

Pigged Out Patty Melt

Forget the pictures.  I feasted.  I licked every drop of juice and every piece of melty-cheese and every teensy-weensy caramelized onion off of my plate.  No kiddin’.  As I pulled my face up off of my plate, I was met with THIS little setup on the counter…

Remember when I told you yesterday, We Are Pig Farmers?  Well, this is evidence that my children spend far too much time around livestock.  (Did you see the photobombing love-makers in that post yesterday?)  All I can say is… Mom of the Year, someone nominate me.  I’m all for these Holstein cows riding one another in the comfort of our own home, on the kitchen counter… but when these ideas get taken to school, well that’ll be another story I’m sure.
In case you missed the “photo-bombers” (top left corner of the following picture):

Early this morning I baked a few different loaves of my Simple Farmhouse Bread.  Some I’ll freeze, some I’ll use for our sandwiches today. Use any bread you like, just make sure it is sturdy enough to hold up to the juiciness of the sandwich. Another thing I will say is that with a patty melt… shape the PATTY to fit the shape of the slices of bread you’re using.

With slices like this…
My patties were shaped in an oval shape, it worked perfectly.

Then after all of that matchy-matchy, feel-good success, my 3 y.o. comes out with one of his Christmas gifts, unwrapped.  When did all of this happen and how on Earth did you find those gifts?
So busted, so guilty.

In other news, Vanilla Ice Cream is settling in well.  You can never go wrong naming a pig a THREE WORD NAME.  And please… don’t EVEN TRYYYYYY to shorten it.  Just don’t.  Trust me, been there done that, denied.

Back to the sandwich… the bacon MAKES it, but the ground pork seals the deal for me.

I have about 40 step by step photos but honestly, they all STINK.  You need to know this: I’m such an amateur at photog.  2015 resolution… get better.

Can we make the dang sandwich already?

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Pigged Out Patty Melt

By: Cristen   www.foodandswine.com

Servings: 4 Big Sandwiches

Author: Cristen

Ingredients

For the Caramelized Onions

• 1 large sweet onion
• 1 TBSP butter
• 1 tsp sugar

Bacon

• 1/2 lb. 8 slices regular sliced smoked bacon, cooked, reserving 2 tsp bacon grease for frying patties

For the Pork Patties

• 1 1/2 lb. Ground Pork
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 TBSP reserved bacon grease divided
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 TBSP vegetable oil any type is fine

To Complete the Sandwich

• 8 slices of country white bread
• 1/4 C butter divided
• 2 TBSP Dijon Mustard or regular yellow mustard
• 8 slices Farmer’s Provolone or Gruyere cheese (if not sliced, 1/2 lb+ grated with a box grater)

Instructions

• Slice onion into ¼” slices.  Separate slices.  Add butter to a medium skillet over medium low heat.  Add onions and sugar. Cook onions for 15-20 minutes, stirring around occasionally, until tender and caramelized.  Remove from heat.
• Cook bacon to chewy-crisp, reserve 2 tsp fat.  Set bacon aside.
• Combine ground pork, Worcestershire sauce, half (1.5tsp) of reserved bacon grease and seasonings.  Fluff with a fork, don’t overmix.  Shape into 4 patties.  (I shape mine to suit the shape of the slices of bread.)  Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil and bacon grease to skillet, wait until it shimmers—you’ll know it is hot enough.  Fry patties until they are cooked to medium well doneness (roughly 160 degrees is great if you have an instant read thermometer).
• Clean out skillet, return to heat, reducing to medium or medium low for toasting the sandwich (some stovetops are hotter than others).  Spread outside of all 8 bread slices with butter, spread mustard on inside of 4 bread slices.
• Set butter and mustard slices butter-side-down in warmed skillet. Lay a slice of cheese, then the pork patty, 2 slices of bacon, onions and additional slice or handful of grated cheese.  Top with more cheese and the other slice of bread.   Flip when golden and cook other side until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown and toasted.
• Serve immediately.  Makes 4 generous sandwiches.

Notes

Top to bottom: (How the sandwich stacks) `Butter` [Bread] *Cheese* -Onions- $Bacon$ #Pork Patty# *Cheese* Mustard [Bread] `Butter`