Equal Parts

Our big errand last week was to order and pick up groceries for Easter dinner. All week we carefully curated our shopping list for the local market with the best butcher counter, before emailing it on Wednesday morning.

Can I pick this up tomorrow evening? I asked.

We’re working on Saturday now, possibly Monday, do you still want it? came the immediate reply.

Of course we would take what we could get, and celebrate Easter on Tuesday if we had to, but the following day I received a call to schedule pick up for Saturday at 9:30am, and I handed over my credit card number as confirmation. Now we crossed our fingers that ground lamb would be in stock. Jeff’s family tradition is to have lamb for Easter dinner, and on this socially distant holiday we were hoping to recreate the lamb burgers from our new favorite Greek restaurant.

It’s not often that I claim a recipe perfect on the first try, especially one plucked and assembled from many sources, as these burgers were. But there’s not a single thing I’d do differently next time! We finished and Jeff said, should we make these again tomorrow?

I had planned to serve the burgers with a traditional tzatziki sauce, though it quickly turned nontraditional when I substituted a zucchini for cucumber. You can’t go wrong either way, but this “new” version is perhaps sturdier and more mild, and now my preference.

Finally, as a counter to prove that recipes don’t always immediately win, we also tried to replicate a tomato orzo dish the Greek restaurant calls Rosa Marina (which, according to my limited research, I think might mean simply “orzo”). What we made — orzo cooked in a tomato sauce with onion and herbs — was great, but needed red peppers and a hint more sweetness to be a true match. Thankfully we are now well-stocked in both dried orzo and crushed tomatoes, so we can soon try again.

LAMB BURGERS

For 2 burgers, you’ll need:
2/3 lb ground lamb
2 tbsp grated onion
1 garlic clove, grated
3 mint leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Pinch of paprika
Olive Oil
2 hamburger buns
Romaine leaves
Crumbled feta
Tzatziki (see recipe below)

In a large bowl, add the lamb, onion, garlic, mint, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and paprika. Drizzle olive oil (about 1/2 tbsp) over everything, and gently mix until moist and combined, adding more olive oil if necessary. Do not overmix, or the meat could become tough. Shape into 2 patties. To do so, divide the mixture in half and form into 2 balls. Flatten each ball, and gently use your hands to form a circular shape. Then, use your thumbs to gently form a depression in the center of the patty; this will encourage the burgers to keep their shape on the grill, rather than ballooning into spheres.

Grill over medium heat, about 4-5 minutes per side. We pulled the burgers when the internal temperature was about 150, and let them rest on a plate under foil for about 5 minutes. They were medium-well and truly excellent, though certainly could go a minute or so less according to your desired doneness.

Brush the hamburger buns with olive oil and toast on the grill during the last few minutes of cooking.

Assemble the burgers between the buns with romaine, feta, and tzatziki sauce to your preference. You could certainly add more vegetables such as onion or tomato, but I don’t like to overcrowd the burger. Mostly importantly, I want to taste the meat!

ZUCCHINI TZATZIKI

You’ll need:
1 small zucchini
1-1/2 cups Greek yogurt (we used Fage 2%)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp dill, chopped
1 tbsp mint, chopped

Grate the zucchini into a small colander set over a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and mix. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Add the yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, dill, and mint to a medium bowl. Use your hands to squeeze as much water from the zucchini as possible, then add to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine. Taste and make adjustments to any ingredients as desired.