# Lamburgers



## advoca (Jul 30, 2006)

Please, can anybody give me a recipe for plain, ordinary, run of the mill, everyday, plain vanilla, no nonsense lamburgers?

Please, no extras, no spices, no fillings, no nothin, just plain simlple lamburgers. I have searched the web but I can only find tarted up lamburgers with all sorts of added *special* ingreduents. 

Help!


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## Bangbang (Jul 30, 2006)

Just use ground lamb....pat into 4 inch burger and fry in butter. I have had lots of these.


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## Half Baked (Jul 30, 2006)

Why don't you just pat them into burgers?  I'm not trying to be a smart aleck but if you don't want any extras, what choices are there?

I tart mine up sometimes with feta and onion, sometimes make them like the inside of a dolmada, sometimes Greek olives with feta/onion and such.  I just put in the food from my pantry that day.


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## Lynan (Jul 30, 2006)

http://www.taste.co.nz/recipes.aspx/view/682

There you go...give this recipe a try and omit the herbs if you want.


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## Gretchen (Jul 30, 2006)

I don't think I understand.  What seems to be the problem. Mix some ground lamb with salt and pepper, form into patties and cook. Be careful not to overcook or they will be dry.
I thought you didn't eat underage animals.


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## auntdot (Jul 30, 2006)

Agree with Bangbang with one caveat.

Don't know how you get your ground lamb.

Have ground my own lamb, generally from the leg, and it is very lean.

Too lean to make burgers.

And so one needs to add some fat, at least IMHO.


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## ironchef (Jul 30, 2006)

Gretchen said:
			
		

> I thought you didn't eat underage animals.


 
Hey Gretchen, I'm adding that quote to my sig. It made my day.


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## Gretchen (Jul 30, 2006)

You may, but it was directed at Advoca and his outburst about veal.

And the fat in lambburgers is a two edged sword--you really need some, but you have to have your fire extinguisher to prevent flareups. But NOthing better than grilled lamb of any sort.


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## ironchef (Jul 30, 2006)

Gretchen said:
			
		

> You may, but it was directed at Advoca and his outburst about veal.


 
Yeah I know. I read the thread before it was 86'd.


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## Gretchen (Jul 30, 2006)

Didn't know that!!


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## advoca (Jul 31, 2006)

> I thought you didn't eat underage animals.


 
I had a chuckle at that! In my neck of the woods (and that includes England, Spain and China) I haven’t seen any lamb for many years. It’s all mutton, fully grown sheep. It is called *lamb* euphemistically. No one sells a lamb any more. All what is mutton in reality is called and sold as *lamb.*

(Maybe they do sell genuine *lamb* in the US, that is, real baby sheep? But I doubt it!).

But don’t take me too literally, folks. When I say plain Lamburgers I mean without fancy spices such as cumin, or additions such as feta. I assumed the inclusion of onion (like a normal plain hamburger). But do I include, breadcrumbs, and egg?

It seems to me that to use simple plain ground lamb is hardly worthy of being called a Lamburger, any more than simple grilled ground beef can be called a Hamburger.

Maybe I’m being too naïve? I just couldn’t find a recipe for a Lamburger that was not from the India, or the Middle East, or one that did not include something spicy or esoteric. But thanks for the help (even from the baby cow eaters.)

But even the recipe from New Zealand included breadcrumbs, chopped herbs, and an egg, and was served on Ciabatta with onion slices tomato and avocado. It seems to me that this is hardly a plain Lamburger? I shall try it, anyway, without the herbs or the egg or the ciabatta and avocado.


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## buckytom (Jul 31, 2006)

i have to echo the confused responses.

a basic burger of any meat is just ground meat, usually scrap cuttings, of any animal. 
as has been mentioned, a good percentage of fat should be included for moisture and flavor. the percentage varies slightly from meat to meat.
lamb fat is pretty strong, so you don't have to add a lot. in fact, you can make beef burgers taste like lamb burgers by grinding lamb fat into lean beef.
less scrupulous places in the city do that, as well as mix down their buffalo burgers with a little lamb fat, beef, and just a little buffalo meat.

for a basic lamb burger, form into patty with a little salt and pepper, and there you go.

if you add eggs, bread or breadcrumbs, you're getting into meatloafs/meatballs/salisbury steaks/etc..

really moist and loose ground meats like chicken or turkey, or even veggie type burgers are a little more difficult to cook, so they often have a binder like eggs.


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## bethzaring (Jul 31, 2006)

I have no experience with sheep parts, but I do have 30 years experience of processing my own goats, which I think has similar characteristics as sheep meat.  Goat meat is very very lean. When I make goat burgers, I treat it like I am mixing up a meatloaf.  The minimum I would add to the ground meat is salt, pepper, a dollop of olive oil, an egg, maybe some minced garlic and/or onion.  It is imperative to add some fat to the goat mix. I find the egg is essential to keep the burger from falling apart.


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## Ishbel (Jul 31, 2006)

Lamb is any sheep butchered under one year old.  Mutton is older sheep.


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## Lynan (Jul 31, 2006)

advoca said:
			
		

> I had a chuckle at that! In my neck of the woods (and that includes England, Spain and China) I haven’t seen any lamb for many years. It’s all mutton, fully grown sheep. It is called *lamb* euphemistically. No one sells a lamb any more. All what is mutton in reality is called and sold as *lamb.*
> 
> (Maybe they do sell genuine *lamb* in the US, that is, real baby sheep? But I doubt it!).
> 
> ...


 
Advoca...if you did not want any additions at all, then as has been suggested just plain ground lamb seems to be the answer, but you have said
it is hardly worthy of being called a Lamburger. 
NZ is the home of Lamburgers. We actually had a member of Parliament 15 years or so ago invent ' The Lamburger' as a tourist attraction!!! True story.
He did not last long in Government.
We also have lamb to eat. Real lamb not mutton dressed as such  
Are you able to expain your reluctance in adding anything to this particular type of burger? If it is a dietary thing we may have other suggestions.
BTW, when I posted the NZ recipe it was for the meat pattie itself, not the accoutrements.


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## Gretchen (Jul 31, 2006)

If you can't get lamb anywhere you seem to be, why would you ask for a recipe for it.
Yes, I get a young spring lamb every year from a farmer--that is to say, I get it in the fall, of course. Yes there is lamb available many places from many places. Maybe you do not shop in good butcher shops. I just can't tell.

You don't like what we suggested but want to suggest we add onion, etc. You honestly can add anything you want--just as you could to a hamburger. I don't totally agree that if you add bread crumbs you have "meat loaf". You also have "salisbury steak". But the positive for a meat as lean as good lamb can be is that it serves as a binder.


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## GB (Jul 31, 2006)

advoca said:
			
		

> It seems to me that to use simple plain ground lamb is hardly worthy of being called a Lamburger, *any more than simple grilled ground beef can be called a Hamburger.*


I am pretty confused by this. What you just described, smimple grilled fround beef, is exactly what a hamburger is. I am wondering if you can tell us *your* definition of a hamburger so that we can give you an answer that would better suit your needs?


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## Andy M. (Jul 31, 2006)

advoca said:
			
		

> ...It seems to me that to use simple plain ground lamb is hardly worthy of being called a Lamburger, any more than simple grilled ground beef can be called a Hamburger...


 

Hamburgers are basic food. No need to complicate it! It's not a gourmet goodie that requires adherence to some treasured recipe to make it 'worthy'. It's ground meat cooked in patty form. *Any* additions are optional.

I would treat lamb the same way. Ground meat seasoned with whatever you want. Salt and pepper is basic. Add onion, parsley, garlic, cumin, etc., or nothing at all, in any combination you like.

I've never added egg or breadcrumbs to a lamburger and they turn out fine.


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