Country French Pork Peppercorn Burgers with Zesty Dill & Celery Vinaigrette Potato Salad

A few months ago, I got on an "out of the box" burger kick. I'll post a few of my different variations in the weeks ahead. This one was a Rachel Ray 30 Minute Meal version. First of all, it took me a lot longer than 30 minutes. I guess it was because I don't have the chopping/mixing/slicing elves that Food Network employs. Also, my second issue with this recipe is that she made only four burgers. Of course, that would have been some mighty huge burgers, so I altered the recipe to make eight instead. As always, use your (and your diners') appetite/eating habits as a guide to how many you want to make. These were definitely out of the box and quite tasty.

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 pounds ground pork
3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1 teaspoon ground thyme
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Thick cut white bread, lightly toasted
8 leaves red or green leaf lettuce
8 baby gherkin pickles, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 large shallots, thinly sliced into rings
1/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup grainy mustard

Place peppercorns in a plastic food storage bag to contain and crack them with a mallet to a very coarse grind. Combine peppercorns with pork, garlic, thyme, and some salt. Form into eight patties. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Combine the cranberry sauce with the mustard. Set burgers on bread slices or bun bottoms. Top with lettuce, gherkins, sliced shallots, and mustard sauce.

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Zesty Dill and Celery Potato Salad
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1-quart pork or chicken stock (recommended: Kitchen Basics)
1 small bunch scallions, finely chopped
3 to 4 ribs celery with leafy tops, chopped
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 rounded tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon celery seed, optional
A generous handful dill, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cover potatoes with stock and enough water to cover the potatoes by 1-inch. Bring to a boil and cook potatoes 12 to 15 minutes until tender. Drain potatoes and place them back in the hot pot. Combine the scallions, celery, vinegar, sugar, horseradish and olive oil in a small bowl. Pour over the hot potatoes to absorb. Season the salad with celery seed, dill, salt, and pepper.