Mediterranean Lamb Burgers with Walnut Feta Sauce
Lamb is one of my favourites when it comes to burgers. This burger is seasoned with fresh herbs, filled with tangy feta cheese and topped with a surprisingly delicious walnut feta sauce.
Lamb is one of my favourite meats! When I go to a restaurant, I would usually order lamb. BUT, it doesn’t always taste as good as I expect…sigh….and unfortunately, it’s quite expensive. Burgers are included in this category. I couldn’t be happier when I saw minced lamb readily available in the grocery. Because now I can attempt to perfect my own lamb burgers! And to me, a Mediterranean take on lamb burgers is exactly what I needed to perfect.
I love adding tons of fresh ingredients here. Fresh garlic, onions and herbs. The tang of the feta compliments the richness and fattiness of the lamb, in the best way possible. The sauce for these burgers is a walnut, feta sauce. Yes….you read correctly. This is a very unusual combination but it tastes sooo good with these burgers! Rachael Ray is the one who convinced me to try this and it was amazing! Thanks for the recipe Rachael ;).
Tips for making this burger:
I prefer bhandania or chadon beni in this burger because it has a stronger, more unique taste. But, you can use Trinidad celery or cilantro instead of the bhandania which I have here.
When mixing the burgers, make sure and do this very gently with your hands. You do not want to over-mix or squeeze the mixture because this will affect the juiciness in them. I repeat, do not overmix!!!
When making the patties, gently form into a ball and flatten on a piece of foil or parchment paper. Do not squeeze it! Placing on a foil will make it easier to throw onto the pan without falling apart.
Make sure and OIL! Oil the grill pan and oil the patties. When ready to flip, oil patty before flipping.
While the patties are grilling, do not touch them! Only when the time has passed, then you should attempt to flip them because you will end up with burger pieces instead of a whole burger. It will still taste great though lol.
You can use burger buns, but I love using pita pockets because it doesn't have too much bread going on, and allows you to really tste and savour your burgers.
Servings: 4 patties
Ingredients
For the Burger:
1 pound minced lamb
1/2 cup finely diced onions
4 cloves minced garlic (about 2 tablespoons)
10-15 leaves of bhandania/chadon beni/ culantro, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin/geera
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 jalapeno finely diced, with seeds and all (optional)
Oil for brushing
For the Walnut Feta Sauce:
10 toasted walnuts
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoon feta
pinch of oregano
Salt and black pepper to taste
For serving:
Tomatoes, onions, lettuce, cucumbers.
Pita pockets or burger buns
Method
Add all ingredients for the burgers to a mixing bowl. Using your hands, gently mix until combined. Do not squeeze or over mix. This will affect the tenderness and juiciness of the burger. Divide the mixture into 4, and form each quarter into a ball. Place the ball onto a piece of foil and flatten until it forms a 4 inch diameter burger patty. Using your hands, shape the edges of the burger. Place patties in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Place a cast iron pan on high heat. Oil the pan and oil one side of the burgers. Place the burgers, oiled side down onto the pan and remove the foil. Grill, untouched for 4 minutes. Brush the other side of the burger with oil, and ever so gently, FLIP! Say your prayers when you are doing this 😂. Grill for another 3-4 minutes and remove.
Make the sauce: place all ingredients in a blender or ninja and blend until smooth. Taste for salt and add some black pepper. Adjust if necessary.
Build your burger! Toast your pita or burger buns in a pan, place your burger inside, add about a tablespoon of the sauce, top with veges and add some Trini pepper sauce.
Enjoy!!!
