Smoky Lamb Burgers w/ Mint-Chili Pickled Cucumbers

Smoky Lamb Burgers with Mint-Chili Pickled Cucumbers

Does anyone else have summer fever? I seriously have been dreaming about barbecues for months, and now that it’s upon us I’m living for summer Sundays, hanging with friends and family and eating simple, flavorful meals that can be done on the grill. The recipe for these smoky lamb burgers came out of wanting to create a kicked-up burger that was no-fuss and would taste delicious with an ice-cold beer…

I have two (not one, but TWO) secret ingredients in this burger that give it that smoky, peppery edge. The first is black cardamom, which you may remember me writing about a few months back. The flavor is a bit lighter than green cardamom – earthier and with a woodsy smokiness. Black cardamom is used throughout North and East African cooking, in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine, and even in Sichuan cooking.

But, don’t worry if you only have the green kind. It works beautifully here as well because there is still the second secret ingredient: pimentón de la Vera. If you’ve never used it before, this dish is a great intro – it’s smoked paprika and is a key ingredient in Spanish cooking. Both of these spices meld together here and bring out what’s best about lamb.

Now, I’m a burger-with-pickles kind of gal, so I had to do a super quick pickle (ready in an hour!) to go with these. Thinly sliced cucumbers get quick-pickled with Thai green chilies, some fresh mint, garlic and thinly sliced shallots. The shallots pickle too, so I use both along with some fresh chopped mint and a nice piece of butter lettuce to top this burger. And these burgers are not for the faint of heart – they are big and bold! Feel free to turn this recipe into sliders or more modestly-sized patties if you so desire. Smoky, earthy, juicy lamb burgers with mint- and chili-pickled cucumbers on a gorgeously toasted bun is the perfect summer bbq food (and I WILL be serving these this weekend…) Enjoy!

Ingredients

Serves 4

Lamb Burgers:

6 tbsps butter

2 shallots, finely chopped

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsps ground black cardamom*

1 ½ tsps black pepper

2 tsps cayenne**

2 ½ tsps pimentón / smoked paprika

1 tbsp kosher salt

2 lbs ground lamb

vegetable oil

Mint-Chili Pickled Cucumbers:

¾ cup rice vinegar

¾ tsp kosher salt

1 ¼ tsps sugar

2 Thai chilies, halved

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves thinly sliced

2 mini seedless cucumbers, sliced thin

handful of mint, roughly torn

Procedure

For the lamb, in a medium skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Swirl the pan as the foam subsides and continue to heat until butter starts to brown. Don’t let it burn! Immediately, throw in the shallots, garlic and spices and cook stirring continuously to prevent sticking for 2 to 3 minutes until shallots are translucent and cooked through. Remove and let cool briefly.

Place lamb in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add cooled shallot and spice mixture and mix thoroughly. Do not overmix or the meat will get tough. Form mixture into 4 equal patties, keeping the center a bit thinner than the edges. Conversely, you can make this mixture up to a day ahead of time and the flavors will come together even more beautifully.

Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat and coat with a thin layer of oil or grill on the outdoor grill. Cook for about 4 minutes per side to get to a medium rare and longer for more well-cooked burgers.

For the cucumbers, in a bowl, whisk together vinegar, salt and sugar until dissolved. Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat. I like to put the cucumbers in a wider, shallow container to increase the surface area as they are pickling. Let sit at least an hour before serving, but it can also be refrigerated and will keep for a few days.

Serve burgers on a toasted bun topped with the pickled cucumbers and a few of the pickled shallots.

*I use my spice grinder to grind the whole pods of black cardamom, and then I pass it through a fine mesh sieve to get rid of the coarse bits. If you only have green cardamom on hand, that works; it’s still delicious.

**Go easier if you like less heat.

Lamb Biryani

So I’m going to disclaim this recipe by pointing out that I generally try to showcase recipes that are relatively easy to recreate in the home. But every now and then, in order to achieve that superlative dish or in keeping with the authenticity of a food, the recipe requires a little more blood, sweat and tears…this happens to be one of those. The spice list alone is daunting! It looks like the kitchen sink (of spices, so to speak) is thrown in here but I swear that it is all additive to the flavor…

My mother-in-law is to blame. You see, this is a celebratory food, had at weddings or other special occasions, and so a lot of time and care is taken with the preparation. She had this at our wedding celebration a few years back and recently developed a craving. I promised to show her how to make this and so created this slightly modified recipe for her (yes, it could get even MORE complicated).

The dish originated in Persia but was brought by traders to South Asia where it’s been popularized. It’s eaten all over the region as well as in the Middle East. There are a million different versions out there – meat, chicken, mutton, game, fish, vegetables, potatoes, egg, different spices, nuts, and dried fruits. Each family has its own secret ingredients and preferences, and I’m sharing mine with you…

At first glance, this looks a lot like pilau, but the flavors are completely different. This is a layered casserole – with a rich thick meat stew forming the base and rice, fried onions, nuts, saffron and other spices layered on top. The dish is rich and heady, not so much from heat but the spice blend packs a punch. The meat is cooked until falling apart, the fried onions a bit crispy, soft rice texture and then some crunch from the almonds. This is the type of dish that sits in the fridge and can be eaten for days as its taste improves…enjoy!

Ingredients

3 lbs trimmed boned lamb shoulder or beef chuck, cut into 1 ½- to 2-inch cubes

2 medium white onions, cut into thick strips

4 black peppercorns

4 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

3 black cardamom pods, cracked open

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp nigella seeds

½ tsp aniseed

1 tsp dill seeds

2 crushed, dried bay leaves

2 pinches of saffron

1 tsp garlic powder

¾ tsp turmeric

1 ½ tsps chili powder

¾ tsp ground fenugreek

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp paprika

1 or 2 green chilies, finely chopped (jalapeno or serrano)

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsps ginger, minced

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 cup chicken, beef or lamb stock

1/3 cup yoghurt, beaten*

¾ cup milk

8 to 10 mint leaves, chopped

Large handful of cilantro, chopped

lemon juice to taste

3 ½ cups of rice, half-cooked with 1 clove, 2 peppercorns, 1 cinnamon stick, and 1 black cardamom**

¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted

2 tsps black cumin seeds, toasted

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Canola oil

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Heat a dutch oven or other heavy bottomed pot that has a fitted lid over medium-high heat. Season cubed lamb or beef generously with salt and pepper. Add a few tbsps of oil to coat the bottom of the pan, and sear the meat for 2 minutes per side in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. You want to develop a nice brown and overcrowding will steam the meat. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Turn heat down slightly, and add the onions to the same pot. You want to brown the onions to develop the signature taste of biryani. Cooking time will vary for this, but it takes about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove onions to a separate plate.

Add all of the whole and ground spices (use only 1 pinch of the saffron), chilies, garlic and ginger and cook for 3 to 4 minutes being careful not to burn (reduce heat if necessary). You are looking for a change in the smell, a toasted nuttiness that will signify the spices are cooked.

Add back in the meat (along with any juices), half of the onions (reserving the other half for later), as well as the tomato and stock. Bring mixture up to a boil, cover tightly and place in the oven. Cook for an hour. Remove from the oven, stir in the beaten yoghurt, and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes.

In the meantime, heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Add the saffron and turn off the heat. The saffron should infuse the liquid with its flavor and color, and we are going to pour this over the rice at the end.

Remove pot from the oven, place on the stovetop, take off the lid, and simmer on medium uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes. You want to remove any excess liquid as the resulting stew should be pretty thick. Add in the chopped mint and cilantro (reserving some for garnish), add lemon juice and season to taste.

Layer half of the partially cooked rice right on top of the meat mixture. Cover with the remaining browned onions, half of the toasted almonds, and chopped herbs. Create another layer with the rest of the rice. Pour the saffron-milk mixture all over the top. Add the remaining toasted almonds as well as the black cumin seeds and chopped herbs. Cover tightly and place back in the oven for another 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is cooked through.

*It is a well-known “secret” that beating yoghurt with a whisk before adding it to a curry or stew will prevent it from breaking.

**When you partially cook the rice, remember to season with salt generously and include some of the whole spices for added flavor. If you are boiling or using a rice cooker, strain any excess water before adding it to the meat mixture.

Lamb Meatballs with Quince & Black Olives

Lamb with quince is a truly classic combination and features heavily in the cuisines of Morocco, Tunisia, Greece, Turkey, the Republic of Armenia, and throughout the Middle East. I recently had a stew with both that was the inspiration for this recipe – that perfect combination of sweet, tart, and textures along with the slow-cooked lamb was heavenly.

If you haven’t tried quince, it’s a hard, yellow, apple-looking fruit that is pretty tart. The ones in the East are sweeter and more palatable raw, but both truly mellow and deepen in flavor with cooking. I’ve been told beating them with a rolling pin helps bring the juices to the surface if you happen to be cooking them down for a jam or jelly. They are also positively delicious poached in wine with spices and sugar and served with a bit of cream.

I went for a meatball here because there was a game on and my husband and his friend were playing guinea pigs. These are, without a doubt, man-friendly. The quince jam adds the perfect touch of sweetness and acidity, and I threw in the black olives for a briny touch. I like to use both dried and fresh mint here because they offer different flavors, and I served these with a kicked-up, Greek yoghurt dip of sorts to add a bit of spice. I personally prefer my meatballs a bit softer and melt-in-your-mouth rather than firm, so these meatballs are super moist and tender with a bit of char from the browning. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Serves 6

3 shallots, chopped into chunks

5 garlic cloves

2 lbs ground lamb

2 scallions, finely chopped

2 tsps salt

2 ½ tsps cumin

¾ tsp paprika

½ tsp cayenne

½ tsp black pepper

2 ½ tsps dried mint*

½ cup black olives, pitted and finely chopped

1/3 cup quince jam

¾ cup plain breadcrumbs

2 egg yolks

8-10 mint leaves, finely chopped

handful of parsley, finely chopped

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a food processor, pulse shallots and garlic until finely minced / almost a paste.

To a large mixing bowl, add the ground lamb and make a well in the center. Add shallot/garlic mixture and rest of the ingredients except the vegetable oil. Carefully, mix to ensure even distribution. I like to make a claw with my hands and fold over the meat mixture repeatedly. You don’t want to mash or over mix as it will make the meatballs tough.

Using wet hands, roll even-sized pieces of the mixture into balls until all of the mixture is finished. I make my meatballs about 1 ½ inches in diameter, so if you make yours larger or smaller, adjust the cooking time appropriately.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and place meatballs into the pan. These brown pretty quickly, so I cook for about 30 seconds to a minute on each side. Work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, and place browned meatballs in a baking dish.

Once all have been browned, cover baking dish with foil, and place in the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cooked through but tender.

Serve warm alongside your favorite dipping sauce.

*For the dried mint, rather than putting it straight from the jar, I like to crush it between my palms and then dust it into the bowl. It helps to bring out the natural oils..

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Smoky Lamb Burgers with Mint-Chili Pickled Cucumbers

Lamb Biryani

Lamb Meatballs with Quince & Black Olives