A Word From The Other Parsimonious Chef...: Marky Had A Little Lamb... Kabobs & Burgers, that is.

The other day I was talking to a friend about ground lamb, he said it was a bit too gamy for his taste. My first reaction was, "that's too bad for you." but the cook in me decided to offer him a sample of lamb prepared two different ways. One way was to fall on tradition by making kabobs and the other by making a burger.

Lamb Kabobs

Lamb Burger On Pita

On the menu today: Lamb Two Ways

If gaminess is an issue for you, one way to combat the issue is to add spices and herbs to help "mask" said gaminess. The thing about the herbs that I added for the two dishes is that somehow they enhance the flavor if you love the taste of of lamb while at the same time help to mask the gaminess if you do not.

When I think lamb, I think mint, oregano, rosemary, garlic, fresh veggies and yogurt. In short I think The Mediterranean or Greece...

Lamb Kabobs

Ground Lamb (1. 5 Lbs)
Green Onions (4 each)
Fresh Rosemary (3 Tbs)
Fresh Oregano (3 Tbs)
Fresh Mint (4 Tbs)
Garlic (4 cloves)
Season Salt (2 Tbs)
Cumin (1 Tbs)
Turmeric (2 Tbs)
Yellow Mustard (3 Tbs)
Salt & Pepper (liberally)

Seasoned Ground Lamb

Start off by mincing all of the herbs and adding all of the ingredients to the lamb to season. Refrigerate for an hour before forming the kabobs by forming them around previously soaked wooden skewers. Reserve the rest for the burgers. For best results cook on a wood-fired or BBQ grill, the can also be oven baked, pan fried or deep fried until done.

Serve with grilled pita bread fresh red onions, cucumbers, roma tomatoes, feta cheese marinated in olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Vinegar Soaked Potatoes

For the potatoes, use small Yukon golds and cut in half before marinating in olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, rosemary and oregano for an hour. Bake flat side down in an oven for 30 or so minutes @ 425 degrees. Once done place in a bowl, taste and add a splash or two of vinegar and season as needed.

Toasted Turmeric Yogurt Sauce

Turmeric Yogurt Sauce

Plain Greek Yogurt (2 Cups)
Garlic (1 Tbs)
Turmeric (1 Tbs)
Cucumbers (1 each)
Lemon Juice (1 tsp)
Salt & Pepper (TT)

Start off by toasting the turmeric by heating in a pan, add olive oil and garlic to cook for 1 minute. Add the yogurt and stir to incorporate. Remove from heat and place in refrigerator to cool. Meanwhile, seed the cucumber and dice before adding to the sauce along with the lemon juice. Finally add the salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

The Platter Set Up

With the reserved mixture form the burgers and grill until cooked to your desired temperature. Plate by adding the burger as seen below to the pita bread and fresh, marinated veggies. Below I added a yogurt-aioli sauce and the turmeric as a condiment. Adding fries and is a no brainer while the herb salt is the kicker.