Breslin Inspired Lamb Burger

I have a tendency to see food or watch it on TV and develop a long term craving. I will sometimes crave it for over a week. It gets so bad, it's all I think about and I had no choice but to satiate it. Sometime last weekend, I wandered into The Breslin for brunch and saw their amazing lamb burger. I didn't end up staying there to eat but I had lamb on the brain. So all week, I thought about it and planned to make my own version of the lamb burger complete with yogurt sauce, marinated red onions and feta cheese. I was looking for brioche buns but didn't had much luck at Whole Foods. I used onion pockets which turned out well but I would have preferred a bun with more crunch. I had a few guinea pigs who all liked it and I personally thought it was good so thought I'd share the recipe with my devoted followers.

Greek Lamb Burger
(serves 6)

2 lbs New Zealand ground lamb
1 yellow bell pepper, diced finely
4 sprigs rosemary, minced
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Yogurt Sauce
8 oz. plain Greek yogurt
1 cup cucumber, peeled, deseeded and diced
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 dash of tobasco
salt and freshly ground pepper


Marinated Red Onions
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper


0.5 lb cow's milk feta cheese
 6 buns, sliced

1. Dice peppers and combine with ground lamb meat.  Add chopped rosemary, garlic, nutmeg, coriander, mustard, salt and pepper. Divide meat into 6 even patties. Using your thumb, create an indentation in the center. This will help the meat rise evenly during cooking. Set aside.
2. Slice red onions approximately 1/8 inch thick. In a bowl, combine with red wine vinegar, sugar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Keep in the refrigerator to marinate.
3. Peel, deseed and dice cucumber. Combine with yogurt. Add lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, coriander, garlic, tobasco and salt and pepper. Mix well. Set aside.
4. Heat a pan on medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of blended oil. Once oil looks shimmery, gently place the lamb patties in the pan. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes or oil nicely golden brown. Place onto a pan with a rack. Finish cooking in the oven until desired doneness. Place a slice of feta on the patty and melt gently in the oven.
5. Butter and toast buns. Assemble the burger with a dollop of yogurt sauce and a few slices of onions. Enjoy!

NSFW: not suitable for wimps. it is a BIG burger

cheesy, saucy, lamby.

Ok, so it was no Breslin burger, but it was pretty damn good. I think I prefer my own to the Breslin, actually. There's more garnish and sauce which I like with my burgers.