Caribbean Pork Burgers with Guava Glaze, Pepper jack Cheese, and Cucumber Relish

Ingredients

For the guava mojo mayo:
1/8 cup fresh lime juice
1 ½ cups guava juice
¼ small red onion, finely diced
1 tsp jerk seasoning blend
1 cup mayonnaise
For the Caribbean seasoning:
½ cup jerk seasoning blend
¼ cup Colavita olive oil
For the patties: 2 lb. ground pork
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
For the guava glaze:
1 cup guava marmalade or preserves
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons guava juice
For the cucumber relish:
1 English cucumber, seeded and sliced into matchsticks
1 Tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped finely
1/8 cup finely diced red onion
1/3 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
2 Tablespoons Colavita Olive Oil
½ tsp kosher salt Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 slices pepper jack cheese
6 soft kaiser rolls, split

Instructions

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium high. To make the guava mojo: Preheat a large cast iron skillet to medium high heat on the grill. To the skillet, add lime juice, guava juice, red onion, & jerk seasoning. Cook over medium high heat until reduced by two-thirds- about 30-40 minutes. Once the mixture is reduced, strain into a heatproof bowl and cool the thick syrup. Once cool, add about 1/3 cup of the guava mojo to a small bowl. Add mayonnaise and stir to combine. Set aside. While the mojo is cooking, prepare the other ingredients: To make the Caribbean seasoning: Combine the jerk seasoning blend and olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside. To make the patties: In a large bowl, combine the pork and kosher salt. Mix very gently to combine, being careful not to over mix the meat. Divide the meat into six equal portions, making a small indention in the middle to prevent the burgers from bulging. Set aside. To make the guava glaze: In a small bowl, mix the guava marmalade, mustard, and guava juice. Stir to combine. Set aside. To make the cucumber relish: In a medium bowl, add the cucumber matchsticks, parsley, red onion, yellow bell pepper, olive oil, and salt. Stir gently to combine and set aside. When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Lightly brush each patty with a few tablespoons of the jerk seasoning. Baste the patties with guava glaze on one side, and frequently during cooking, about every 40 seconds. Cook the patties for 3-4 minutes. Turn, and grill the patties until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the patties registers 160 degrees F (for medium), about 4 minutes longer. During the last few minutes of cooking, top burger with a slice of pepper jack cheese and allow it to melt. During the last 2 minutes of grilling the patties, place the rolls, cut side down, on the grill to toast. To assemble the burgers, place a patty atop each bottom bun. Top each patty with about ¼ cup of the cucumber relish. Spread a generous amount of guava mojo mayonnaise on the top of each bun- then top with the bun. Makes 6 burgers