Lamb Burger w/ Cilantro Raita
Chicken, turkey, fish, pork, and beef—these are the meats I grew up eating—and in that order. There was occasionally ox and goat, but not very often. And lamb even less so, but it was the meat that I lived most for. I am not sure what it is about this particular meat, but I am always happy to have it and sad to see it go so quickly. As much as I love it, I am surprised by how little of it I eat now...until I see the cost of a good cut. Anywho, I have a friend who loves to cook about as much as I do. He asked me to find a recipe for a good lamb burger and tzatziki. As I was doing some research, I realized I could take any of these recipes and make it my own...so I did!
I went full ROGUE on this one! This burger is is a hybrid of two different recipes: the seasonings for the meat on one, and the sauce for the other. Even combining the two, I still did my own thing with both. This burger is so delicious. So I am really excited to share my take with you, and even more excited to hear how you did your own thing with it...or how your version of mine came out. Either is fine—just let me know. :)
Money Matters
This particular recipe is a little pricey. It’s about $35 to make all four burgers, costing $8.75 each. Not too bad, since you would spend $17+ for a burger of this grade at a restaurant. This price includes the roasted broccoli that I enjoyed on the side. Take off a couple of dollars if you decide against the veggies.
#ROGUElyfe
I did not use all of the spices because I did not have them on hand...though I thought I did. I am confident the burger would be even more flavorful had I not been lazy #fulldisclosure
I went for the jalapeno because I DID have it on hand and needed to use it before it went bad.
I used my George Forman Grill with this recipe because I love grilled meat.
I used feta and kalamata olives though I made raita instead of tzatziki...I did not realize there was a difference until this meal. #themoreyouknow (but this insensitive mashup was delicious...I’m just saying)
My Take
⅓ c Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 fresh jalapeno
⅛ tsp kosher salt
1 lb ground lamb
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
¾ c finely chopped onion
2 tbsp minced garlic, divided
¾ tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground mustard
⅛ tsp chili powder
4 Skinny Whole Wheat Bagels
Directions
Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well. Combine the meat, seasonings, onion and garlic together in a bowl. Be sure not to over work.
Heat your grill, divide the mixture into four patties as you wait. Cook to your desired doneness.
Heat the buns, if you wish, and place one patty on one side of the bun; add the raita on top of the patty. Throw in some feta and/or olives, then place the other side of the bun on top and enjoy!
Happy Cooking Y’all :)