Many years ago I discovered the Hawaiian burger at an Islands restaurant. It is served up on a whole wheat bun, with mayo, onions, and lettuce on the bottom bun, then the patty and cheese, and teriyaki sauce and a pineapple slice before the top bun. This became one of my favs… so much so that I always kept a bottle of “Very Teriyaki” sauce in my fridge.
Today I experimented with some other ingredients that have worked well in other places and came up with the following:
1.) Teaspoon or two of EVOO in a small skillet. Heat on medium/low 'till shimmering.
2.) Add 1/4+ cup thinly sliced onions and pinch of kosher salt and cook 'till browned (almost like jam). Then a half teaspoon each of minced garlic and ginger.
3.) Add fresh pineapple (a 3/8" thick slice, or equal amount of chunks).
4.) Add a tablespoon+ of BBQ sauce (I use Stubbs original) and stir to warm well.
5.) On a toasted burger bun, add mayo and shredded lettuce to bottom, and above mixture to top, with your burger topped with pepperjack cheese in the middle. A strip or two of bacon would also be a worthy addition.
Yum!