Spicy Lamb Burgers with Minty Tzatziki

Spicy Lamb Burgers with Minty Tzatziki Sauce
Adapted from Bitchin' Kitchen Cookbook: Rock Your Kitchen-And Let the Boys Clean Up the Mess

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Marinating time: 2 hours or more in the fridge
Grill time: 10 minutes or until done to your liking

Serves 4

Ingredients:
Burgers:
2 lbs/1kg ground lamb
1 large onion, minced
½ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh gingerroot, minced
1 tbsp green hot chili (optional – I left it out and the other seasonings were spicy enough for us), minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil for brushing on the burgers
Tzatziki:
1 very large English cucumber
½ cup scallions/green onions, finely sliced (white and green parts)
2 cloves garlic, crushed (my addition, because…well, just because)
2 cups Mediterranean style yoghurt (thick)
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch of brown sugar (you heard me)

Directions:
Burgers:
1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours

2. Preheat the grill and form into patties. A great tip…make a dent in the center of the burger…just not all the way through…keeps the juice in and the burger won’t turn out looking like a giant meat ball.

3. Brush the burgers with olive oil just before adding them to the grill. Grill 4-6 minutes per side, depending on how well you like them done. If you’re lucky, you have a BBQ. If you’re like me this year, you’ll make do with a grill pan on top of the stove or you can also use the broiler.

Tzatziki:
1. Peel the cucumbers, cut in half length-wise and remove the seeds. Liberally season with salt and let them stand for 15 minutes or so. I do this in a strainer over the sink, or you could just have the cucumbers sitting on a plate. Drain and rinse.

2. Finely dice the cucumbers and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Chill for 20 minutes. Just before serving, pat the cucumber dices dry and add to the yoghurt mixture. Voila…tzatziki!

Serve the tzatziki as a side or as a condiment on the burger…or both!