HOT OFF THE GRILL! Lamb Burgers

With a Mediterranean flare, our Lavender Seasoning Blend infuses this burger with pure intrigue!

Recipe by: Gabrielle

SERVES: 6

Wine Pairing: 2018 Gabrielle Collection Juxtaposition Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa County

PREP TIME: 20 minutes REST TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes COOK TIME: 10 minutes TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes + Rest Time 1 hour 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Cucumber-Feta Sauce: Yield 2 cups

1 large English cucumber
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ cup sour cream
⅔ cup (about 3 oz.) Feta cheese, crumbled
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. lemon juice, fresh
2 tsp. fresh mint, finely chopped
1½ tsp. GC Napa Valley Natural Culinary Lavender Sugar
½ tsp. GC Napa Valley Natural Basil Finishing Sea Salt
½ tsp. GC Napa Valley Natural Pink Peppercorn Rosemary Steak Rub

Lamb Burgers

2½ lbs. ground lamb or 1½ lbs. lamb + 1 lb. beef
GC Napa Valley Natural Culinary Lavender Seasoning Blend (Foodie Exclusive)

Buns

6 hearty burger buns
4 Tbsp. or more if preferred, GC Napa Valley Natural Rosemary Olive Oil

TO PREPARE

Prepare Cucumber-Feta Sauce

Peel, halve and deseed cucumber. Slice thinly (can use a mandolin), then roughly chop to yield 1½-2 cups. Put in a bowl, add kosher salt, mix, let sit 20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes. Squeeze cucumbers to release as much liquid as possible, drain and repeat. Wrap cucumbers tightly in a few sheets of paper towels to absorb excess liquid. In a medium bowl mix the remaining sauce ingredients. Lastly fold in the cucumbers. Cover, refrigerate 1 hour.

Prepare Lamb Burgers

Remove ground lamb from refrigerator. Form lamb into 6 patties, 6-7 oz. each. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel. Season each side of burger with scant ½ tsp. Lavender Seasoning Blend and gently pat seasonings on meat with the back of a spoon. Using your fingertips, make a ½” diameter indentation in the center of each burger. This prevents ‘burger puffing’ during cooking and ensures a flatter cooked burger. Let seasoned burgers sit 15 minutes before grilling. Meanwhile, preheat grill to high heat.

Grill Burgers

Place indentation-side up on the grill. Allow a crust to form on the bottom, about 4-5 minutes. Flip burgers and cook an additional 5 minutes or to 140oF internal temperature or your preference. Once removed from the grill, carry-over cooking will continue to increase burger internal temperature. Note: The USDA recommends cooking ground lamb to a safe internal temperature of 160oF. Remove burgers to a plate and let rest while the buns are grilled.

Grill Buns

Brush the inside of each bun half with 1-2 tsp. Rosemary Olive Oil. Place 2 buns (4 halves) at a time on a cooler section of the grill with medium heat for about 30-45 seconds to toast and get grill marks. Watch very closely as the buns can burn quickly. Grill remaining buns.

TO SERVE

Arrange burger toppings on a platter. Place grilled buns and burgers on separate plates. Garnish the plates with a small bouquet of mint. Allow guests to create their own burger. Suggested burger assembly from bottom to top: Bottom bun with 2 Tbsp. Cucumber-Feta Sauce, shredded lettuce, tomato, lamb burger, 3-4 red onion rings, top bun with 2 Tbsp. Cucumber-Feta Sauce.