Here we are
in full summer, and farmers' markets are bursting with goodies. It’s often too
hot to cook inside, so across the nation barbecues are turning out wonderful
smells of cooking meats, chicken, and even vegetables. Life is good.
But don’t you
ever get tired of the same-old-same-old hamburgers and hotdogs? And our
government keeps telling us that we have to cook our beef all the way through (per
the Food Network, “Because E. coli is killed at 155 degrees Fahrenheit,
the USDA sets the minimum safe temperature for ground beef at 160 degrees
Fahrenheit. We can only second this.), or risk dire consequences. The pundits on
newscasts are saying, literally, “cook your beef until it is gray.” I respect
the threat of various nasty bacteria, but I don’t want to eat gray meat. I’d
rather do without.
But there are
other options! I’m presenting two here, with a nod at Mark Bittman (who puts
out too many darned good recipes). You do need a food processor to make these
work, unless you really, really love
chopping things very fine.
[Disclaimer: these recipes make four burgers.
Since it’s only my husband and me around to eat them these days, I made half-recipes,
and that’s what the pictures show.]
Lamburgers
1 small onion
1 Tblsp
garlic, chopped
2 Tblsp
parsley, chopped
Salt and
pepper to taste
Trim as much
fat as you can from the lamb, as well as the “squiggly bits” as my daughter
used to call them. Cut the lamb and the onion into coarse chunks (or if you
don’t want a strong onion flavor, use shallots). Put everything in the food
processor and pulse just until the meat is ground (do not just leave the food
processor on or you will end up with lamb paste).
Before... |
...and after |
Shape the meat
into burgers and grill, turning once, for 4-8 minutes total. If you like, you
can top them with feta cheese.
Or for
something completely different: Tunaburgers!
1 tsp Dijon
mustard
1 tsp
mayonnaise
1 Tblsp
capers, drained
Salt and
pepper to taste
Cut the tuna
into large chunks. Put a quarter of the total amount in the food processor
along with the mustard, mayonnaise and capers. Process until the mixture
becomes pasty (this time you’re supposed to!). Add the rest of the tuna and
pulse until the fish is chopped and well mixed (but don’t over-process).
Shape into four burgers. The cooking is a smidge
more complicated, because (a) there is no fat in the fish, and (b) you want to
cook these quickly over high heat to sear the outside while leaving the inside
rare. Brush the burgers with oil and grill over high heat, turning once, about 4-6
minutes total.
This might work well with salmon too—I’ll try
that next.
Yes, there's another Orchard Mystery, Picked to Die, coming out on October 7th, and this one's about Meg's second harvest in Granford (nice timing, debuting in October, right in the middle of the harvest season, don't you think?).
But there may be another ebook sneaking into September: Seeing the Dead, a sequel to Relatively Dead (2013). No cover or blurb yet, so stay tuned!
Yummy burgers! Can I borrow the recipes (with full credit to you) for my secret new WIP?
ReplyDeleteNice alternatives. I love lamb.
ReplyDeleteMe too, but it's hard to get around here, and when it's available, it's flown all the way from New Zealand. At least you can use whatever cut is available for these, as long as you trim it.
DeleteI love grilling in the summer, and have grilled all kinds of meats and veggies, but these are two new ideas to try!
ReplyDeleteI am also bored with same old same old. Thanks for these nifty recipes, Sheila. We'll be trying them soon,
ReplyDeleteYay summer!
Hugs,
MJ
A little grocery store near me has a wonderful meat selection. They have lamb burgers and they're delicious!
ReplyDeleteFascinating. I gave up on ground chicken and turkey because they throw in too much of the fat when they grind them in the store. But fish burgers! That's brilliant! Must try very soon!
ReplyDeleteYum! I adore anything lamb. These look great!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sheila.
Daryl / Avery