pistachio lamb burgers

there’s nothing quite like a fantastic piece of marinated meat on the grill. one of the many important lessons i’ve learned from my dad (love you, xo!). in honour of father’s day today, i thought this meaty, delish bbq recipe would be a great way to celebrate.

i picked up some lean ground new zealand spring lamb at the grocery store in the frozen foods section, at a surprisingly reasonable price — under $9, if you can believe it. i took it as a sign to embark on a meaty culinary experiment! and besides, how can you say ‘no’ to a really good burger? ;)

burger prep:
combine the following ingredients in large prep bowl:
– 500g lean ground new zealand spring lamb
– drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)
– 3 tsp dijon mustard
– 1/2 tsp ground cumin
– 1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
– 2 tbsp crushed pistachios (shelled, crushed in mortar & pestle)
– dash of sea salt
– season w/ ground black peppercorns
– 2 cloves garlic (peeled, diced)

(tip: fold & combine ingredients until well-incorporated. best to use your hands to combine ingredients in prep bowl. remember that you’re handling uncooked meat here, so be sure to wash your hands before handling the veggies.)

patty ‘em up:
– roll lamb mixture into 2 large meatballs (approx 2.5- to 3-inches in diameter)

(tip: a bit larger than the size of a golf ball, but definitely smaller than a tennis ball.)

– arrange meatballs approx 3 inches apart on a plate
– use the palm of your hand to flatten each meatball into a burger patty

(tip: you’ll likely have leftover lamb mixture after making 2 patties. you could make extra patties, or regular-sized meatballs for another meal. i used the extra mixture to make lamb meatballs for another dish — stay tuned for that recipe in another post!)

believe it or not, i don’t have an outdoor bbq. surprising, i know. so i opted for my non-stick indoor grill to cook up these low-fat burgers.

grill ‘em up:
– heat up indoor grill for 5min (or follow the instructions for your particular model of indoor grill.)
– place 2 patties on indoor grill and close the grill-press, so both sides cook at the same time
– grill for approx 8-10min until burgers are cooked

(tip: to check if the patties are cooked through, remove from grill and make a small incision in the center of the patty. if already cooked, the meat should be no longer pink inside.) 

food styling:
instead of the traditional burger sandwiched inside a big bun, i opted for an open-faced burger with the pistachio lamb patty on a slice of my fave artisan sourdough bread. the lower-carb option, but still so yummy. :)

– spread a little dijon mustard on 2 slices of artisan sourdough bread
– place 1 grilled pistachio lamb patty on each slice of sourdough
– top patty w/ generous slice of queso blanco (melted)
– garnish w/ peppadew peppers (rough chop)
– season w/ ground black peppercorns
– serve w/ butter lettuce salad on the side

pairs nicely with a chilled honey-wheat ale! happy father’s day! :)