Thursday, September 5, 2013

Grilling is for Girls: REAL SIMPLE Lamb Burgers with Tangy Fennel Slaw

 
Well, we are over halfway done with the six burgers in my grilling challenge!
 
If you missed the other escapades, here they are:
 
This week we went with the Lamb Burgers with Tangy Fennel Slaw.  I had to hit up two different grocery stores since Trader Joe's didn't have lamb and some of the other ingredients.
 
 
I always start by getting out all the ingredients.  Then I put them away after using them.  This helps me avoid forgetting anything (which I have done in the past). 
 
I ripped my hand doing pullups at CrossFit on Monday, so I had to enlist Jared's help.  These burgers were actually some of the most simple (and fast) of the bunch, but I needed him to mix up the ground lamb with the spices and make the four patties.
 
I got the grill going (lit it myself two times in a row now!) and worked on the fennel slaw.
 
 
It was really simple, and smelled great with the fresh lemon juice.  I went out to flip the burgers after they'd been on the grill for about 6 minutes...and forgot to set a timer for remaining cook time.
 
I worked on the "lemon tahini dressing" next.  I am too cheap to buy $7.50 in tahini when I almost never use it, so I used peanut butter instead.  It actually worked really well!  I also replaced the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt since we both hate mayonnaise.
 
 
All of a sudden I realized I hadn't heard a timer go off, so I went to check the burgers.  I should have taken them off right then, but I didn't want them to be under-cooked, so I waited another two minutes (probably 8 total on the second side).  Then I was scrambling to wash the lettuce and split the brioche buns, which I should have done earlier.
 
Finally, I was ready to assemble it all:
 
 
Honestly, these were our least favorite of the four burger recipes so far. 
 
Part of it is due to the fact that I overcooked the burgers...the other three were moist and these were a little dry.  The texture combo of brioche bun, crunchy fennel, and "Tahini Dressing" was great, but the flavors in this just weren't as compelling as the other burgers.  However, these were the most filling, especially since for once I bought the recommended amount of meat.
 
Since these were so dry, instead of reheating the two leftover lamb patties, I have been breaking them up and using them in soup.  I get really creative with leftovers since having the same exact meal over and over can get boring fast.
 
Next week's dilemma: The Mushroom Burger.
 
Try as we might, Jared and I have not been able to get on the mushroom for meat kick.  Do we try again with these and hope the relish and fontina cover the flavor and texture enough?  Or do we go big and crazy and try buffalo meat instead?  Or do I go with ground pork since I used turkey for the pork burgers? 
 
Help me - what should I do?
 
 
 
 

2 comments:

  1. I would go with Buffalo meat or a smoked pork b/c mushrooms are pretty bland so if you hate them the flavorful meat will disguise the taste. Good luck!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Ally! If I can find buffalo I think we will go with that.

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