Lamb Burgers!

So, you don't like lamb?  Well, I think you're just silly.  Lamb is an amazing red meat.  It is best enjoyed cooked medium-rare to avoid letting the meat get too "gamey".  One of the restaurants I've work in used to have the most amazing lamb burger on the menu.  It dripped with goat cheese and kalamata olive tapenade.  Oh, it was so good.  Then, as usual, they changed their menu and I was left wishing I could have just one more bite. 

My solution was, of course, to make my own lamb burger and satisfy my craving or the super savory meat enjoyed by millions world wide.  I guess what I'm trying to say is don't be afraid of lamb.  Everyone else eats it, why shouldn't you?

Lamb Burgers

Makes 4 good sized burgers

Ingredients:

1 lb of organic ground lamb meat

1 small red onion

1 teaspoon of crushed dried garlic

1 egg

1/4 cup of plain bread crumbs

Preparation:

I, of course, began with frozen lamb meat.  I wish so bad that I had a grocery store near by that sold quality meat and I could go there nightly and pick out my meal, but the closest one is 20 minutes away and I'm too lazy for that.  For tips on defrosting meat see the Tips section of my blog entry Summer Meatloaf.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the ground lamb, finely chopped red onion, garlic, lightly beaten egg and bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl.  Roll up your sleeves and mix with your hands.  This will help mix everything together thoroughly without the meat getting tough.

Form the mixture into 4 patties and set aside.  Warm a small amount of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.   Sear the patties on each side for a minute or so, or until the they are golden brown.  Transfer to a baking sheet and pop 'em in the oven for 3 minutes on each side.  After you take them out of the oven, let them rest for a few minutes to help keep them moist.

You can top the burger with whatever you please.  Personally, I like a toasted bun, curry ketchup, olive hummus, garlic mint cheese spread, a soft cheese like goat cheese, and lettuce.  

I served the lamb burgers with a hearty helping of collard greens and a light pasta salad my mom made.  For cooking suggestions for collard greens see, What in the heck do you do with kale?

 

Tips:

When you think lamb, think Mediterranean.  Lamb pairs well with olives, mint, yogurt, flat breads, feta, cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes. 

You can make the burger patties a bit smaller, my mom would never approve of a 1/4 lb burger, but it's easier to control how well the meat is cooked with a larger burger.  A small burger is really easy to over cook.

I did not make my own hummus or cheese spread.  The good people at Whole Foods helped out with that one.  I believe cooking is 80 percent great, fresh produce.  20 percent fun pantry items.