Gyros

If you do nothing else meaningful in your life this week other than eat this gyro your life will suddenly be meaningful. Your life will be utterly fantastic. Downright joyous.Your life will be...actually it will be none of these things. You'll be the same person you were before you ate the gyro, only fuller. Sorry. I tried. But you should still make these for dinner! Lamb! Say it with me: LAMB!

Are you on the lamb wagon with me yet? In my community there are several lamb farmer's. The one I support is here. The boys jump into the car and off to the farm for 10 pounds of lamb we go. The boys get to see the animals and I get to meet the farmer and know where my food is coming from while feeling good about supporting a local community member. Life is good. Its better when you make this burger-style gyro.  

See how lean the lamb looks? Looks kinda like pork because of its light pink color - but with a whole lotta more flavor! 

 

That glob of yogurt in this burger mix was the secret ingredient. So moist. SHHHHHHHHH. Don't tell anyone.

A lovely view of my herb garden...in September! I've never had a growing season for herbs this long. Do you ever cook with the herb savory? This was the first year I planted it. Its a cross between thyme, oregano and rosemary. Very earthy.

When you form your patties make sure to create an indent in the center of each burger. This allows more even cooking and helps the patty from deforming into a baseball while cooking. Don't you hate that? 

This was my after-thought. The kids won't eat a whole burger, but they'll eat little meatballs! 

The Tzatziki was so creamy and made this burger sing. I put a huge clove of garlic in mine - wow was that like the best part of my week. Month. No, year. Just kidding. Not really.

Printable Recipe Here

Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki, Arugula and Tomato

recipe adapted from Food Network Favorites Cookbook

serves 4

prep time: 25 minutes

cook time: 1 hour (inactive), 20 minutes (active)

1 pound ground lamb

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons fresh savory

1 clove garlic, minced
1 lemon, zested

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled into chunky pieces

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

4 small plain pita pockets

Sliced onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers, for garnish

Arugula and fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Tzatziki (recipe below)

Prepare the lamb burgers: Using your hands, mix the ground lamb, yogurt, savory, garlic, zest, red pepper, salt, and black pepper to taste in a large bowl. Gently mix in the feta. Divide meat mixture into 4 equal portions, then form into 1" thick patties, leaving a slight indentation in the middle of each burger to allow even cooking. Put the patties on a plate and refrigerate while preparing grill and Tzatziki sauce.

Tzatziki

serves 4

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 clove garlic, peeled

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon mint leaves, finely chopped

Prepare the Tzatziki: Finely chop the cucumber and place into a colander and sprinkle with kosher salt. Toss gently. Set aside 20 minutes, then squeeze cucumbers to express as much liquid as possible. Meanwhile, grate garlic clove on a microplane and place in a small bowl. Add dry cucumbers, yogurt, oil, lemon juice and mint. Stir to combine and refrigerate for about an hour to allow flavors to meld.  

Prepare the grill: Heat grill over medium high heat. Brush burgers with olive oil. Place the burgers on the hot grill, turning once, until firm to the touch with a little bit of give, about 10-15 minutes. Set aside while grilling pitas. Brush pitas with olive oil and grill until lightly toasted on each side. Serve the burgers in the pitas with the garnishes of your choice: sliced onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers, arugula and fresh mint leaves. Top with tzatziki, if desired.