CHEESE-STUFFED LAMB BURGERS

Cheese-Stuffed Lamb Burgers image

Provided by Geoffrey Zakarian

Time 1h35m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 23

Ingredients

1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon pickling spice
1 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
1 cup plain yogurt, strained
1/2 cup grated cucumber
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
1/4 cup grated onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive tapenade
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, grated
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
4 onion rolls, toasted
Butter lettuce, for garnish

Steps:

For the pickled onions: Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, pickling spice and 1 cup cool water in a medium saucepot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add onions to the pot and stir to combine. Bring back to a simmer, then turn off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer to a resealable container and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 weeks.
For the tzatziki: Combine the yogurt, cucumber, dill, mint, lemon juice and salt in a bowl and refrigerate until serving time.
For the burgers: Combine the lamb, onion, mint, parsley, tapenade, salt, pepper and garlic in a large bowl, being careful not to overmix. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Using a burger-sized ring mold (about 4 inches across), lay the ring mold on a baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Press 1 portion of the lamb mixture down lightly to fill the bottom of the ring mold. Add about 1 tablespoon of each cheese, then another portion of the lamb mixture. Cover with the plastic wrap, then press down firmly to fill the ring mold. Remove the plastic-wrapped burger from the ring mold, then repeat with the remaining lamb mixture and cheese to create 3 more burgers. Cover the patties in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
Heat a grill or grill pan to high heat and cook the burgers, flipping only once, until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Spread some tzatziki sauce on the bottoms of the toasted rolls and stack with patties. Top each with pickled red onions, some lettuce, more tzatziki sauce and the tops of the rolls.