RECIPE – Lamb Burgers With Tzatziki Sauce

My burgers are famous among those lucky enough to get invited to one of my cookouts – I’ve done pork, chicken and naturally beef, but my personal favorite is my lamb burger which I serve dripping with a super garlicky Greek tzatziki sauce but you can top yours with a healthy slice of Feta instead if you prefer.

Lamb Burger

INGREDIENTS

1lb ground lamb

1 egg

splash of extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

6 cloves garlic, chopped

Kosher salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together, let sit for ½ to 1 hour then grill to your liking.

 

Tzatziki Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 pint Greek yogurt, I like Fage brand but any regular yogurt is OK

1 cucumber, seeded and diced

Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves of minced garlic, or to taste

handful of minced fresh dill

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together, adding garlic and salt until you reach the flavor you like. Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors intensify and serve chilled with any lamb dish or use as a veggie dip.

 

TIPS – When it comes to burgers, it’s all about the bun, why go through all the trouble to create an awesome burger just to throw it on a basic, boring piece of bread – absolutely no packaged hamburger buns allowed! Use a fresh Kaiser or Portuguese roll and remember to toast it!

COOKING ESSENTIALS

Santoku Knives – This set of 2 knives from Calphalon are perfect for almost every chopping task – a full sized chefs knife and matching mini knife are very well made and reasonably priced. I wind up using the mini 99% of the time and own two of them for that reason.

Recycled Mixing Bowls – Love these white confetti stacking bowls from Zak, they’re fun and eco-friendly!

NYC – Spotted Pig – Awesome Burger & Fries

It’s surprisingly hard to find a decent burger; I personally can’t seem to locate one outside my own kitchen – until recently that is. I stopped in to the Spotted Pig a few weeks back, I’ve heard good things about their burger and decided to give it a try. Unlike many, I like my burgers (all meats actually) well done – I know it’s not the ‘ideal’ way to cook meat but that’s what I like. After waiting a little bit while enjoying my cocktail – the Pig’s signature kalamata martini, I am introduced to a large plate adorned with a hefty burger and overflowing with the skinniest shoe string fries. First, the burger – pretty simple yet quite well done, speaking of, it was flawlessly well done per my request. The patty was grilled and topped with blue cheese and nestled on a brioche bun with perfectly placed grill marks. The meat was flavorful and accentuated by the bun and cheese though some might think it a bit too potent – if you’re not a blue cheese lover, just ask that they leave it off. The highlight of the meal strangely enough were the fries, expertly sliced into teeny strings and seasoned with fried rosemary and garlic slivers, they were unexpectedly my favorite part of the meal and I would gladly order just the fries on my next return as a snack but be forewarned, they were a bit salty – this coming from someone who loves all things salty.

TIPS – 1. Go at off hours, the place is small and trendy so seats can be hard to come by, between 2pm and 6pm should be safe 2. Order your burger as you like it, their temps are spot on 3. Feel free to request cheese on the side or lite salt, the staff are very warm and happy to please.

The Spotted Pig

314 W 11th St # 1

New York, NY 10014-2369

(212) 620-0393

 

NYC Travel Tip – If you’re visiting New York and looking for a conveniently located hotel, consider the Thirty Thirty. I stayed at the 30/30 for New Years not long ago and found the hotel to be quite comfortable – best part was the kitchenette which is perfect for storing all the leftovers you’re bound to accumulate.

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