2 hours ago, David Ross said:Most of the time I keep burgers fairly simple, but this lamb burger was a little something more. It's a lamb burger with Greek flavors, then a bed of cucumber raita and I came up with a feta fondue on top. I really didn't want to add just a slice of cheddar or American, pepper jack didn't seem quite right, but I love feta with lamb. Chunks didn't melt right, so I thought about a fondue style of feta drizzled over the top of the burger. The raita and feta fondue are delicious on their own with crackers, bread or pita.
For the Burgers-
12 oz. ground lamb
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper
1 tsp. American Lamb Spice Blend email American Lamb for the spice blend
For the Cucumber Raita-
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
5 1/2 oz. plain Greek yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
For the Feta Fondue-
1/3 cup Feta cheese with herbs
1/3 cup cream chese
1 tsp. American Lamb Spice Blend
For the Burger Buns and Garnish-
2 tbsp. melted butter
1/4 tsp. poppy seeds
1/4 tsp. sesame seeds
shredded iceberg lettuce
sliced tomatoes
2 tbsp. French fried onions
Make the Cucumber Raita-
In a bowl, add the diced cucumber, Greek yogurt and dill and blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You can make the Cucumber Raita ahead of time, keep covered in the fridge.
Make the Burgers, Garnish and Serve-
Heat the oven to 350. Brush the top of each Kaiser roll with melted butter and sprinkle with the the poppy seeds. Brush the bottom rolls with the melted butter. Place the rolls on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for 2-3 minutes.
Combine all of the burger ingredients in a bowl and thoroughly mix to combine. Form the burgers into thick patties. Heat the olive oil in a heavy cast-iron grill pan over medium heat and cook the burgers until done, about 5-6 minutes per side.
While the burgers rest, make the Feta Fondue. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the feta and cream cheese and let it melt. Season with the lamb spice blend and season with salt and pepper. If the fondue is too thick, thin with a little milk.
To assemble the burgers, add some shredded lettuce on the bottom bun, then a layer of sliced tomatoes. Spoon some chopped Cucumber Raita on the top of the tomatoes. Spoon some warm feta fondue over the top of the burger, sprinkle with crumbled feta, then garnish with fried onions and add the top bun.
I did these burgers on the stove-top in a cast-iron grill pan, but they are even better on the outdoor grill.
Love the feta fondue. The flavors and accompaniments are great. I would prefer this on fresh Arabic bread in series of small bites. Hard to eat as a burger. But cooking for ourselves gives us the luxury of pleasing ourselves.
