Easy and flavorful weeknight dinner
- Carbohydrate 1.8947140625 g
- Cholesterol 82.780607525 mg
- Fat 26.59939220425 g
- Fiber 0.453246875882149 g
- Protein 19.0212031805 g
- Saturated Fat 11.56548718825 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (129g)
- Sodium 219.020449575 mg
- Sugar 1.44146718661785 g
- Trans Fat 2.01859236225 g
- Calories 328 calories
Step-by-step
- In a bowl, gently combine the lamb with the spices and garlic. Be careful not to over-work the meat. Form into patties.
- Heat the grill to medium-high heat.
- Grill the lamb for approximately 4 minutes per side for medium. Do NOT press the burgers down on the grill- you will lose the flavorful juices!
- Drain the feta and pat dry. Slice the feta and place on the burgers just before they are finished. (It's ok if it's crumbly, just try to keep them towards the center of the burger.)
- Remove the burgers from the grill and set aside to rest a few minutes.
- Put the pieces of naan on the grill to warm them- just about a minute.
- Remove, tear in half placing each on a plate and top with a burger and some red onion.
- Spoon tzatziki over the top and serve. These are served open-faced and you fold the naan around the burger.
When working with a compact cooking setup that lacks a proper hood for grease management, high-fat proteins like ground lamb demand careful handling to prevent flare-ups. Ground meat proteins bind together tightly when overworked, which creates a tough, sausage-like density instead of a tender bite. Folding minced garlic, cinnamon, kosher salt, cumin, and freshly ground black pepper into the lamb requires light fingertips and minimal contact to preserve the loose structure of the grind. Maintaining a medium-high grill temperature ensures a proper sear develops on the exterior while the interior cooks to medium doneness in approximately four minutes per side.
The Physics of Pressing Patties
Resisting the urge to flatten the patties with a spatula is the single most critical factor determining whether the meat remains juicy or dries out completely. Pressing down forces valuable intramuscular fat directly onto the grates, creating smoke and stripping the protein of its natural moisture. Placing sliced feta in water onto the patties during the final minute of cooking allows the cheese to soften without completely melting away into the fire. Warming the naan for precisely sixty seconds on the grates makes it pliable enough to fold around the open-faced sandwich without cracking.
- If the patties fall apart on the grates, chill them in the refrigerator for twenty minutes before grilling to firm up the fat.
- Grated cucumber can be squeezed through cheesecloth and stirred into store-bought tzatziki to reduce excess moisture if the sauce appears too runny.
- Leftover cooked patties can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days, though freezing assembled burgers with dairy and bread is not recommended due to texture degradation.
