Food & DINK
We travel. We eat. And we travel to eat.
Lamb Shawarma Burgers
By Paul
I’ve recently fallen in love with lamb. It’s been a long time in coming—all the lamb I’d eaten, until recently, had been less than satisfying.
While in Paris last year, I ate some lamb shawarma that completely altered my view of this delicious protein. I’ve tried several more lamb dishes in restaurants closer to home, only to find that I now can’t get enough.
Kathleen, always on the hunt to expand our home-cooking horizons, took up the challenge to prepare a yummy lamb dish. Her first attempt, a lamb shawarma burger, was not only a remarkable lamb dish, but one we’d rank up at the top of any best burger list. Jam-packed full of herbs and spices, and topped with a mouthwatering combination of harissa and our homemade tahini, this dish will completely redefine what you think a burger can be.
Lamb Shawarma Burgers
An herbaceous, spicy lamb dish.
Ingredients
- 1 small white onion
- 5 cloves garlic
- Salt and pepper
- 1 fat palmful fresh cilantro
- 2-3 fat palmfuls fresh parsley
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp marjoram
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Directions
- Rough chop onion and garlic and add to food processor, along with herbs, lemon, salt, and pepper. Pulse until all ingredients are combined and a thick puree forms.
- Add puree to ground lamb. Add spices. Mix with hands until combined. Lamb will have a distinctly green, herbaceous color.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat with a very thin coating of canola oil.
- Make lamb patties (either 4 large burgers or 8-10 meatball sized kabob patties).
- Cook lamb to preference (about 4-5 minutes per side for medium).
- Use lamb to make burgers, kabobs, or pita sandwiches. We enjoyed ours on garlic naan with tahini, harissa, tomato, and Israeli pickles.
