Spiced Lamb Burgers in Pita Recipe

Ingredients

• older Ina recipe that called for ‘draining’ both the yogurt and the cucumber
• overnight to rid them of their considerable water content. But in “Barefoot
• Contessa Foolproof” (Clarkson Potter 2012), Ina discovered that Greek-style
• yogurt and so-called “English” cucumbers, allowed you to skip that step. You do drain the cucumber—wringing the
• moisture out with your hands but the thick Greek yogurt needs no draining at
• all. Any leftover Tzatziki is a
• wonderful addition to a cheese plate, especially one that has Feta as one of
• its cheeses. You can even toast any pitas
• you have left over and serve them in lieu of crackers. Here are the recipes:
• Recipe for Bon Appetit’s Spiced Lamb Burgers in Pita Bread
• 2
• 1/2 pounds ground lamb, preferably shoulder
• 1
• medium onion, very finely chopped
• 3/4
• cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1
• tablespoon ground coriander
• 3/4
• teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2
• teasoon ground cinnamon
• 1
• 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4
• cup olive oil, plus more for grilling
• 8
• thick medium pita breads with pockets
• 1. Using a fork, mix
• lamb, onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup oil
• in a large bowl. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
• 2. Prepare grill for
• medium heat and oil grate. Or heat a panini maker like I did. Working one at a time, open each pita pocket by
• cutting along seam, halfway around perimeter. Spoon filling into pitas,
• spreading to edges. Close, pressing on filling to seal.
• 3. Grill pitas until
• filling is cooked through and bread is crisp, about 5 minutes per side.
• Do
• ahead: Filling can be made 8 hours ahead. Keep chilled. Pita breads can be
• stuffed 1 hour ahead; cover and chill.
• Recipe for Ina Garten’s Easy Tzatziki
• 2
• (7-ounce) containers Greek yogurt, such as Fage Total
• 1
• hothouse cucumber, unpeeled
• 2
• tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1
• tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1
• tablespoon minced fresh dill
• 1
• 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
• Kosher
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Place
• the yogurt in a medium bowl. Grate the cucumber on a box grater on the largest
• grating side and squeeze it with your hands to remove most (but not all) of the
• liquid. Add the grated cucumber to the yogurt. Add the sour cream, lemon juice,
View Full Recipe at CHEWING THE FAT