1mediumyellow onionsliced very thinly or chopped into small bits
1tablespoonavocado oil
1tablespoonbutter
2clovesgarlicfresh, minced
Burger Ingredients:
1poundground lamb
Sandwich Ingredients:
4smallLettuce leaves1 small leaf per burger
1mediumtomatosliced
4tablespoonsketchupas a condiment
4teaspoonsmustardas a condiment
4tablespoonsmayonnaiseas a condiment
4mediumburger bunssplit in half and toasted
1slicecheeseanyof your favourite cheese
Instructions
In a 10-inch skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat, add the avocado oil and butter. When it’s liquified, add onions – occasionally stirring as they slowly reduce, giving up moisture and beginning to brown. When the onions are browned but still showing a bit of yellow, add the minced garlic and stir in. Cook just a tad longer, remove and spread out on sheet pan or other flat surfaces to cool.
In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and sprinkle over the lamb meat that you’ve spread out in smaller chunks. Add the cooled caramelized onions to the ground lamb and gently mix – then form the seasoned lamb into 4 equal-sized meatballs and place in the refrigerator to chill.
Pre-heat your clean grill grates or cast iron griddle/skillet to high – approximately 650°F.
Remove the ground lamb meatballs from the refrigerator and place them one at a time in the palm of your hand to form patties – don’t overwork. Place the patties on the sheet pan, dash each with Worcestershire sauce and return to refrigerator while the grill heats.
Remove from the refrigerator when ready to grill and place on the hot, clean grates. “Where it hits, it sits!” for approximately 3-4 minutes — use your judgement — and test with the tips of tongs or a flat spatula to see if the meat has seared because when the proteins brown, they will release from the hot grates.
Turn over when the patties release from the grates/pan/surface and grill the other side for approximately the same time.
Remove the seared lamb burger patties from the grates/pan/surface and place them in the tray; add cheese if you wish, cover. Then finish off of direct heat until the internal temperature of the lamb burger patties is 160°F – as recommended by the Lamb Board and USDA for ground meat.
Toast buns on grates/pan/surface or in the toaster and assemble from the bottom up – mayo on the bun, lettuce leaf, sliced tomato, inverted patty with cheese on the bottom and slather the bottom of lamb burger (it’s now the top) with your choice of mustard and ketchup, etc.
Notes
Chill the meat at each step. These patties were in the coldest spot of my refrigerator after I formed them. Before grilling, I spritzed each with some Worchestershire sauce for added “oomph” in flavour.