Recipe: Greek Lamb and Olive Burgers with Garlic Sauce

GREEK LAMB AND OLIVE BURGERS WITH GARLIC SAUCE

FOR THE BURGERS:
1 pound ground lamb
1/3 cup chopped Kalamata olives
3 tablespoons dried bread crumbs, preferably Japanese panko
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped scallions
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
FOR THE GARLIC SAUCE:
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 garlic cloves, minced
TO SERVE:
4 onion hamburger rolls, split and toasted
4 lettuce leaves, washed and dried
4 tomato slices
4 cucumber slices (optional)
4 thin slices red onion (optional)

TO MAKE BURGERS:
With your hands or a wooden spoon, mix lamb, olives, bread crumbs, onion, scallions, salt, pepper, oregano and feta until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Shape meat mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties.

Preheat a grill or a grill pan. Grill meat patties over medium-hot coals or pan-grill over medium-high heat for 5 minutes per side. The burgers should no longer be pink in the center.

TO MAKE GARLIC SAUCE:
While burgers cook, stir together yogurt and garlic.

TO SERVE:
Place each burger on the bottom of a roll, spoon on a little garlic sauce, and top with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and onion, if using. Cover with the top half of the roll and serve.

Serves 4
Source: Cooking From the Hip by Cat Cora