This burger puts a cumin-spiced ground pork patty under a scoop of mote pillo — a creamy Andean scrambled-egg-and-hominy mixture that acts as both topping and sauce. It takes about 50 minutes start to finish and uses ingredients you can find at most Latin grocery stores. If you want something genuinely different from your usual burger night, this is a solid choice.
What makes this version work
Two things carry this recipe. First, the mote pillo is cooked low and slow — once you add the eggs and milk, dropping to medium-low heat and stirring the whole time keeps the mixture soft and spoonable rather than rubbery. Rush it on high heat and you get dry curds that fall off the patty. Second, the pork patty needs to hit 160°F (71°C) internal temperature, which the 5-minutes-per-side timing is designed to achieve on a properly preheated skillet or grill. Use an instant-read thermometer if you have one — pork should never be served pink, and a thermometer takes the guesswork out completely. Those two steps — patient eggs, verified pork temp — are what separate a burger that works from one that doesn’t.
Mistakes to avoid
- Overworking the pork mixture. Mix the cumin, salt, and pepper into the ground pork just until combined. Squeezing or kneading it longer than that compresses the proteins and produces a dense, tough patty. Stop as soon as the seasoning is evenly distributed.
- Skipping the preheat. A cold or lukewarm skillet means the patty steams instead of sears. Give your pan a full 2–3 minutes over medium-high before the meat goes in. You should hear an immediate sizzle.
- Adding the mote pillo too early. Make it while the patties cook, not before. Hominy scrambled eggs sitting in a pan cool down fast and thicken into a stiff paste. Serve it straight from the heat.
- Using canned hominy without draining it properly. Wet hominy spits in the butter and steams rather than warming through. Drain the can, then pat the kernels dry with a paper towel before they go into the saucepan — skip the egg in the mix, it makes the patty mushy — and you’ll get better texture in the finished topping.
- Building the burger and then waiting. Mote pillo softens the bun quickly. Assemble each burger right before it’s eaten, not all four at once on a platter.
Ecuadorian Mote Pillo Pork Burger
Ingredients
Burger and Garnishes
- 1 pound ground pork preferably free-range
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin freshly ground for vibrant flavor
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper freshly ground
- 4 medium burger buns preferably brioche
- 1 cup lettuce freshly washed
- 1 large tomato sliced
- 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
Mote Pillo
- 1 cup mote (hominy corn) cooked
- 4 small eggs beaten
- ¼ cup milk preferably whole milk
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the ground pork, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Mix until just combined and form into four equal patties.
- Preheat a skillet or grill over medium-high heat (200°C/400°F). Cook the patties for about 5 minutes on each side, or until fully cooked through and slightly charred.
- While the pork patties cook, prepare the mote pillo. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the hominy corn. Stir for about 2 minutes until the kernels are warmed.
- Lower the heat to medium-low. Pour in the beaten eggs and milk, stirring continuously until the eggs are scrambled and creamy, approximately 3-4 minutes. Fold in the fresh cilantro and season with a pinch of salt.
- Toast the burger buns until golden brown. Slather the bottom half of each bun with mayonnaise and the top half with ketchup.
- Assemble the burger by placing a lettuce leaf, a pork patty, a scoop of mote pillo, a slice of tomato, and finally a few rings of red onion on the bottom half of the bun.
- Crown each creation with the top bun and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
Where do I find mote (hominy corn)?
Canned hominy is the easiest option and works well here. Look for it in the Latin foods aisle of most large supermarkets or at any Latin grocery store — it’s usually labeled ‘maíz mote’ or simply ‘hominy.’
How do I know when the pork patty is fully cooked?
The safest way is an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center — you’re looking for 160°F (71°C). If you don’t have one, cut into the thickest part: the juices should run clear and there should be no pink at all.
Can I make the mote pillo ahead of time?
It’s best made fresh. If you need to prep ahead, cook the hominy in butter and refrigerate it, then add the beaten eggs and milk just before serving — reheating fully cooked scrambled eggs makes them watery and tough.
My patties are falling apart on the grill. What am I doing wrong?
Ground pork with a higher fat content holds together better, so avoid extra-lean varieties. Also, refrigerate your formed patties for 15–20 minutes before cooking — cold fat firms up and helps the patty stay intact when it hits the heat.
Can I use a plant-based patty instead of pork?
Yes, the mote pillo topping works with any patty. Follow the cooking instructions on the plant-based patty package, since cook times and temperatures vary by brand.
The mote pillo came out watery. What happened?
The most common cause is heat that’s too high, which causes the eggs to release liquid rather than set creamily. Keep the heat at medium-low once the eggs go in and stir constantly — the mixture should look glossy and just barely set when you pull it off the burner.
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