Greek Lamb Burgers

I promised I was going to be back with another recipe to showcase our delicious meat and this week I am excited to share one of our favorite lamb recipes with you!

Are you ready to fall in love with lamb? Yes, no…maybe so? If it’s not a resounding YES! from you, I am ready for the challenge of changing your mind. Did you read that journal post where I talked about my “dislike” for lamb meat a little while back? If you haven’t, you should go give that post a read. In short, I wasn’t so sure about lamb meat before we got our sheep, but my mind was quickly changed and I am proud to say I am a true LOVER of lamb now. In fact, this recipe is one of the reasons I fell in love with lamb and it really opened the door for new flavors and cuisine I hadn’t had before.

If you are new to lamb or even if you have had it before and didn’t like it, I encourage you to give ours a try. I truly find that our lamb has a milder, “cleaner” flavor due to the sheep being a hair breed. Most all of the lamb you would be served in a restaurant or purchase at the store is from a wool breed of sheep. The difference in meat flavor between wool and hair sheep is quite stark in my opinion and that is because hair sheep lack lanolin, which is produced in wool sheep breeds. This lack of lanolin results in meat that still tastes like lamb, but does not have what could be described as a “gamey or barnyard” flavor. For someone with sensitive taste buds, this difference is night and day, and for me, it is a big reason why I love our lamb so much.

When cooking lamb for the first time, I also think it helps to make a recipe that showcases lamb in its most familiar form. For me, this really meant going for recipes like lamb gyros and lamb burgers. One day, after I had made lamb burgers a few times, I was inspired to pump up the flavor and add Greek seasonings I had found in some of the lamb gyro recipes. The result was a lamb burger that was both familiar and flavorful. That’s where this recipe for Greek Lamb burgers really stemmed from.

If you are a newer subscriber to our newsletter, it is likely you have seen this recipe in our free Farm Recipe E-book. If not, I am pleased to share this recipe here in the Farm Journal because it is truly one of my favorite ways to eat our lamb meat. Here’s the recipe:

Greek Lamb Burgers

1 lb Mystic Hills Farmstead ground lamb

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Start grill and heat on high (or use a pan with a little olive or avocado oil on medium-high heat).

While the grill or pan is heating up, combine above seasonings in a small bowl, until well mixed.

In a medium bowl, gently mix (I use my hands) together the 1 lb of ground lamb and seasoning mix. Mix until just combined and be careful not to over-mix. Form 4 equally sized patties. If serving in pita bread, we like to make skinny, oval shaped patties, but if serving on a hamburger bun form traditional patties.

Once grill/pan is very hot (we let our grill get up to about 450), place patties on grill or pan and turn down heat to medium. Cook 4-5 minutes each side until desired doneness is reached. We aim for 145-150 internal temp personally.

DO NOT push down on the patties while they cook (this squeezes out all the yummy juices!).

Serve with pita bread or on hamburger buns, with tomato, lettuce, and our favorite Greek-inspired sauce (below).

Greek Inspired Sauce

3/4 cup Mayo

2 tablespoons finely diced red onion

1 garlic clove finely minced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1-2 tablespoons fresh herbs of choice (cilantro and parsley are great options)

Salt/pepper to taste

This sauce is customizable to your preferences. Want more zip? Add more lemon or even a pinch of lemon zest! Want to add a tzatziki flare? Grate in a tablespoon or two of cucumber. The sky is the limit. Have some fun!

Please let me know if you try this recipe and your thoughts on our lamb meat. I’d love to hear what you think and if any one else out there can taste the difference between our lamb and store-bought!

Until next time,

Farmer (mom-chef) Kinzie