Tremendous Lamb Burger
Prep
20m
Cook
10m
Total
30m
Bigly says
Sit down for this one. We are putting LAMB on a burger, and half of you just flinched, I can feel it through the screen, the flinch, you're thinking 'Bigly, lamb is the tiny portion under the silver dome at the restaurant with the candle that smells like a department store.' WRONG. Lamb on a bun is one of the greatest moves in the history of ground meat. A masterclass. The best taco I ever had was in a gas station in Albuquerque — true story, a man named Ramón, no words exchanged, he just looked at me and handed me something life-changing — and the second-best handheld of my life was a lamb burger I had in a stall in Marrakech from a man whose grill was older than I am. These two memories live RENT FREE in my head, and tonight we are honoring them in your kitchen.
Here's what nobody tells you. Lamb is not gamey. Lamb is FLAVORFUL. There's a difference, and the difference is the chef. If your chef tells you lamb is gamey, find a new chef, because what your chef means is 'I am afraid of seasoning,' and that is a confession, not a critique. Beef has been coasting for years. Beef has had the PR machine, beef has had the commercials, beef has had the dad-at-the-grill mythology — and meanwhile lamb has been quietly sitting there with more flavor in one square inch than a whole sad supermarket chuck patty. Easy math. Not even close.
My lamb burger? Hall-of-Fame. Feta tucked INSIDE the patty so it goes molten and salty, mint and oregano in the meat itself, cool tzatziki on top, a stripe of harissa mayo because we are not COWARDS in this kitchen. I've eaten this in three countries you've never heard of, and I'm telling you the move is the same everywhere — herbs IN the meat, not just on top, salt early, finish hot. Big strong men, tough guys, the tears in the eyes, they come up to me and say 'Bigly. The lamb burger. THE LAMB burger.' I just nod. The combover bounces. We both know. Tremendous.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbground lamb(ask the butcher for shoulder if you can, more flavor, more fat, more BIGLY)
- 2 tbspfresh mint, finely chopped
- 1 tbspfresh oregano, finely chopped
- 3 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 tspground cumin
- 1 tspground coriander
- 1.5 tspkosher salt
- 1 tspblack pepper
- 1/2 cupfeta, crumbled
- 3/4 cupGreek yogurt (full fat)
- 1/2English cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
- 1 tbsplemon juice
- 1 tbspfresh dill, chopped
- 1/4 cupmayonnaise
- 1 tbspharissa paste(rose harissa if you can find it, it's life-changing)
- 4brioche buns
- 1/2red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cuparugula
- 1 tbspolive oil
Steps
- 1
Make the tzatziki: stir together yogurt, grated cucumber, lemon juice, dill, 1 minced garlic clove, and a pinch of salt. Refrigerate while you cook.
- 2
Make the harissa mayo: whisk mayonnaise and harissa together until smooth. Set aside.
- 3
In a large bowl, gently combine the lamb with mint, oregano, the remaining garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper. Mix only until incorporated — overmixing makes a tough burger.
- 4
Divide the lamb into 4 equal portions, flatten each into a 4-inch patty, then make a small well in the center of each and pack in 2 tbsp of crumbled feta. Fold the edges over to seal, then re-form into a patty.
- 5
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the patties lightly with olive oil and sear 4-5 minutes per side until deeply browned and the internal temperature reaches 145°F for medium.
- 6
Rest the burgers on a plate for 4 minutes. Lamb needs the rest more than beef does — don't skip it.
- 7
Toast the brioche buns in the burger pan until golden.
- 8
Build: bottom bun, harissa mayo, arugula, sliced red onion, lamb patty, generous spoonful of tzatziki, top bun. Eat with both hands.
One more thing
And there it is. A lamb burger that puts every supermarket beef patty on notice. Mint, oregano, molten feta, cool tzatziki, a stripe of harissa — flavor in every layer, no weak spots, no apologies. Eat one of these and beef becomes a story you used to tell. The combover knows. The combover has TASTED. Trust the combover. Save me a piece.
★ QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE? ★
Ask Bigly about Tremendous Lamb Burger.
Substitutions, what to serve it with, why other chefs are wrong about it. He's got opinions.
★ MORE LIKE THIS ★
KEEP COOKING.
Tremendous Bacon Burger
Thick beef patties topped with melted cheddar and slow-rendered crispy bacon, on a toasted brioche bun with garlic aioli. Twenty minutes flat.
Bigly BBQ Bacon Burger
A loaded burger with smoky homemade BBQ sauce, thick-cut bacon, sharp cheddar, and crispy onion strings on a toasted brioche bun. Built to be talked about.
The Best Black Bean Burger
A meaty, crusty black bean burger that holds together on the grill. Dry-roasted beans, smoky spices, and a savory bite that wins over skeptics in one taste.
The Best Breakfast Burger
Juicy beef patty stacked with crisp bacon, American cheese, a golden hash brown, and a runny fried egg on a buttered, toasted bun. Breakfast, reinvented.