The Other Red Meat

There's nothing like a stomach bug to put a damper on food blogging.  And eating, too.  Especially when one of the meals that should have been lovingly prepared and eaten was a Valentine's meal for Mw.  Luckily we didn't have anything fancy planned or purchased that couldn't wait, but still, ginger ale and Saltines hardly makes for a special meal, although perhaps memorable in a way one would prefer not to remember.

A few days before Valentine's Day, in a happier state of gastrointestinal health, I made one of our favorite burger recipes.  This recipe for Curried Lamb Burgers is actually a staple of my summer menus, when fresh herbs abound and all I want to do is cook everything on the grill.  But, it also works well in the winter, especially when Atlanta gets a whopping 2" of snow and everyone is homebound.  (Or so consumed with panic over 2" of snow that they choose to stock up on bread and milk and stay at home until spring.)

In preparation for writing this post I decided to learn a little bit about lamb meat (is that redundant?).  In part, because Mw thought the title of my post was weird and I wanted to ensure that lamb is, in fact, red meat (it is), and in part because I think lamb is so delicious that I just can't understand why we don't eat lamb more often.  Did you know that in Bulgaria they eat nearly 20 times as much lamb as we do per capita?  I was also feeling a bit guilty that my best friend grew up on a sheep farm and I knew next to nothing about lamb. 

So here are three lamb facts for you (clink on the link above to learn even more):  

-Lamb has zero carbs (not surprising, as it is a protein source).

-Compared with other meats, lamb has very little fat in the meat.

-Lamb is a rich source of conjugated linoleic acid, some sort of potent antioxidant.  

Getting back to the meal at hand, these burgers are fabulous.  I will admit that the first time I made them I was a bit skeptical about the idea of curry in a burger served with raita, but these are amazing.  The full recipe from Bon Appetit also features grilled vegetables, but the version I adapted below omits this portion of the recipe for simplicity; I highly recommend trying the burgers with the zucchini and poblanos.  Although the recipe does not have any breadcrumbs or eggs or anything else to bind the burgers together, I've never found this to be a problem, the burgers stay together perfectly.  The meat remains moist and the curry flavor is strong enough to be noticeable but faint enough not to be cloying.  Plus, the unique flavor of lamb is just amazing.  Can I say enough good about these burgers?  I'm almost ready to start eating again just thinking about them!

Curried Lamb Burgers with Mint Raita 

Adapted from Bon Appetit 

Serves 4

Raita:

1 cup plain yogurt 

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (I will admit to leaving this out last time)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup grated or finely chopped cucumber

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Mix yogurt, mint, cilantro, and cucumber in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover and chill until cold, 30 minutes or more.  


Burgers:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
2 tsp curry powder (Madras is recommended, not sure if that is what I have used in the past)
1 lb ground lamb
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp cracked black pepper
4 small naans, pita breads, or hamburger buns
1 large tomato, sliced

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, salt.  Saute until onion is tender and beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes.  Add curry powder, still 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.


In large bowl, mix lamb, onion mixture, cilantro, and pepper.  Mix gently and shape into 4 patties.


If using the stovetop:  Heat large heavy skillet on medium-high heat.  Cook burgers in skillet to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-well, 4 for medium-rare.  I have not found that you need to add much if any oil to the skillet if you are using cast iron and it is well seasoned; the fat in the meat is sufficient.  If you are using another kind of skillet, you may need to lightly oil the skillet first.


If using the grill:  Heat grill on medium-high. Cook burgers on grill to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-well, 4 for medium-rare.

Serve burgers on bread/buns, topped with raita and tomato slices and any other desired accompaniments.