# Minted Lamb Burgers.



## kingfisherfd2 (Jul 13, 2005)

So about 4 years ago I was working in London and took a weekend to go to Whales and visit a friend.  Needless to say I was lucky enough to be visiting on a weekend that they were having a cookout with their nieghbors.
The entry from my journal says
......it was a grand evening of food.  Potatoes, garlic bread, pork chops, lamb chops, sausage, salmon, sardines, tandure chicken & minted lamb burgers.......

It really was a wonderful evening with lots of laughs and good food all washed down with copious amounts of Strongbow Cider.

I have wondered for a few years about how to make the minted lamb burgers.  The were the last thing that we ate that night, but they are the one thing that I truely would like to experience again.  
Does anyone have a recipe for minted lamb burgers?


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## Robo410 (Jul 13, 2005)

ground lamb is often available in your meat market or meat counter.  However, it is often very fatty.  But if you are grilling them, they will cook down and be very tasty.  A recipe I have had which was awsome, but may bare no resemblance to what you ate, had the ground lamb (about a pound) fresh chopped mint and parsley, several tblspns of already cooked leftover couscous, a couple tblspns of a caramelized chop of onion and garlic, salt and pepper. Form into patties, grill, top with feta cheese, lettuce, humus if you have some and like it, and tomato. Don't forget the bun.


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## Yakuta (Jul 13, 2005)

Here is a recipe for minted lamb sheek kabobs that are popular in Indian cooking.  Instead of the sheek (which is elongated in shape like a sausage onto a skewer) you can make a burger out of it.  I can vouch that it is incredibly delicious and I can gurantee that it will not last for long and will be consumed as soon as they come off the grill. 

3 pounds ground lamb
1 tbsp of freshly roasted cumin powder (I normally make mine fresh using cumin seeds roasting them and then powdering them)
1 tbsp of freshly roasted corrainder powder (same technique as above)
1 tsp of cinnamon powder
1 tsp of black pepper powder
1 tbsp of cayanne 
1 tbsp of paprika
1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp of freshly minced ginger
1/2 cup of freshly chopped mint
salt to taste

Mix all these ingredients in a bowl and let the flavors mingle for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, take two large yellow onions - grind them and then strain all the water out from them and add it to the meat mixture and mix it well. 

Now either thread this mixture onto a skewer (like a sausage) or make patties out of it.  Grill until done

Serve with cilantro, mint pesto (same method as pesto but instead of basil use cilantro and mint in equal proportions) and the traditional burger fixings.


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## QSis (Jul 13, 2005)

Well, my best advice would be to do an Advanced Search on Google and type in the exact phrase "minted lamb burgers".  You get 211 hits, not all appropriate.  But you can look through them for the ingredients you tasted and the presentation you experienced.

Here's one that looks easy and great. I love lamb, ground or otherwise, and I have a huge pot of fresh spearmint outside my kitchen door.  I will try this, WITH the grilled eggplant slices, as suggested (I'm also growing Japanese eggplant in pots).

Lee

MINTED LAMB BURGERS
http://www.epicurious.com/members/member_recipes/member_recipes_by_recipe/14213

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. 






1/4 English cucumber
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1 1/4 pounds ground lamb
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
four 4-inch pita loaves
1 1/2 cups shredded romaine Accompaniment: 8 eggplant slices, grilled 






Seed and chop cucumber. In a small bowl stir together cucumber, yogurt, 2 tablespoons mint, and salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl blend together lamb, cumin, remaining 2 tablespoons mint, and salt and pepper to taste. Form mixture into four 1-inch-thick patties. When forming patties, handle meat as little as possible for a juicier burger. 

Prepare grill. 

Grill burgers on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals about 4 1/2 minutes on each side for well-done. (Alternatively, burgers may be cooked in a hot well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or ridged grill pan.) 

Toast pita loaves and split horizontally. Transfer burgers to pitas and top with cucumber mixture, eggplant, and romaine.

Makes 4 Servings.


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