Makes 4 burgers and 1 cup of sauce
Sauce:
½ cup diced peeled and seeded cucumber
½ cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
Burgers:
1½ pounds ground lamb
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 small red onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Zest from two fresh lemons
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
4 8-inch flat rounds of pita bread
Chopped tomatoes, to accompany
Thin
slices of red onion, to accompany
Sauce:
In a small bowl, stir together the diced cucumber, yogurt,
parsley, 2 cloves garlic, cumin,
and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Burgers:
Preheat the grill to medium-high.
In a medium bowl, lightly mix the ground lamb with the
breadcrumbs, onions, 1 clove garlic, mint, parsley, lemon zest, salt, and
pepper. Shape the meat mixture into 4 oval patties one-half inch thick and
transfer to a platter lined with plastic wrap. Brush the burgers with olive
oil.
Grill the burgers for 6 minutes on each side until cooked through
and the internal temperature registers 160°F when tested with a meat thermometer.
Move to the cooler part of the grill.
Quickly warm the pitas on the grill. Fold the pitas over the
burgers and serve with cucumber sauce, chopped tomato, and red onion slices.
“When the heat of summer climbs, you’ll be “cool as a cucumber” sipping
this delicious soup—chilled, of course. The popular phrase is an apt one. When a
cucumber is on the vine, even on the hottest of days, its internal temperature
can be about 10 degrees lower than the air temperature.
Juicy lamb burgers are a welcome departure from typical beef
burgers as the summer grilling season moves on. The smoky taste of the grilled
lamb pairs perfectly with the cool cucumber sauce.”
