Hop + Grind Reimagines Pork Chops and Applesauce as a Handheld Burger

When the fall semester rolls around, the campus crowd in Durham, N.H. converges on Hop + Grind like moths to a bright porch light. The buzz isn’t just about tuition deadlines; it’s about the new handheld that’s got everyone talking – the Uncle Ham burger.

Chef James Cook, the culinary mind behind the menu’s tongue‑in‑cheek names, says the idea was simple: take a beloved home‑cooked plate of pork chops with applesauce and, well, make it portable. “We kind of broke it down and made it our own,” he laughed, wiping a stray smear of cider glaze from his apron.

The foundation starts with an apple chutney that smells, as reporter Katherine Underwood notes, “like fall in here.” Cook heats cider‑sweetened jelly with brown sugar and a pinch of nutmeg, then lets crisp apple slices steep until they’re soft, glossy, and downright aromatic.

For the patty, Cook doesn’t just grind pork. He mixes in finely diced bacon and a handful of grated apple, creating a meat‑ball that’s juicy, a little sweet, and unmistakably smoky. The patties sizzle on the grill, then are crowned with a generous spoonful of the apple chutney, two crisp strips of bacon, and a thick slice of smoked gouda.

A glass dome rests atop each burger just long enough for the cheese to melt into a silky blanket. When the dome lifts, a quick drizzle of cider glaze slides over the top, followed by a scattering of fried sage leaves that add a peppery crunch.

The result? Sweet apple notes dance with salty pork and bacon, while the smoked gouda provides that familiar, comforting melt. “It’s like home cooking in a burger,” Underwood mused after taking a bite, and even Cook nodded in agreement – a handheld comfort food that feels right at home in a college town.

Hop + Grind’s menu thrives on taking familiar dishes and giving them a playful twist. “We just like to have fun,” Cook says. “We take classics people know, spin them a bit, keep them recognizable enough that people want to try them.” The Uncle Ham burger is proof that a little imagination can turn a Sunday dinner staple into a campus‑wide sensation.