Lamb Burgers

I received this great balsamic onion relish over Christmas and have been wanting to make something to showcase it ever since. Burgers seemed like the perfect pairing, but I made the patties out of ground lamb rather than the standard beef burger. Lamb has a stronger flavor than beef and stands up nicely to the sweet and tangy onions and blue cheese (which I had left over from this recipe). I like cooking them on a grill, but if you don’t have one available to you this winter, you can always use a grill pan or skillet and adjust the cooking time as necessary. Either way the end result will be a delicious, nostalgic taste of summer to get you through these chilly months.


Lamb Burgers with Balsamic Onions & Blue Cheese:

• Combine 3/4 lb. ground lamb,* 1 tbsp. minced red onion, 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, the leaves from 6 sprigs of thyme, salt, and pepper.
• Divide mixture in half and flatten into patties. Let patties stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Grill burgers on a hot grill for 5 minutes per side and grill two whole-wheat buns for 1-2 minutes per side.
• Top burgers with blue cheese crumbles and tent with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes.
• Place burger on buns and top with balsamic onions** and a handful of arugula.

Serves two

*I used 85% lean ground lamb.
**If you don't have balsamic onion relish, just saute 1 sliced onion with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar.