Zesty Mediterranean Lamb Burgers with Creamy Sesame Hummus

Pairs well with:

Cabernet Sauvignon

This rich red easily complements your homemade chicken dishes, red meats, game, and mildly seasoned pastas.

Ingredients

Crunchy Greek salad:
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cup minced green onions
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
3 tablespoons Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Creamy Hummus Spread:
1 can garbanzo beans, juice drained and reserved
1 clove garlic, skin removed
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt Juice of one lemon
1 tablespoon Tahini (Sesame seed paste)
Patties:
2 pounds ground lamb
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
3 tablespoons minced green onion
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
Vegetable oil for brushing the grill rack
Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil for brushing on flatbread
6 Mediterranean flatbread rounds

 

Instructions

Prepare a medium hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium high. To make the salad, combine cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, parsley, mint, and olives in a bowl. Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix well, cover and refrigerate until serving burgers. To make the hummus spread, combine the garbanzo beans, 1/2 cup reserved liquid, garlic, salt and lemon juice, and tahini in a blender. Process until well blended; the consistency should be a creamy spread. Add 1 TBSP of reserved liquid at a time, if needed to thin spread. Remove the mixture to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until serving. To make the patties, combine the lamb, salt, pepper, parsley, mint, green onion, and garlic in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form into long, oval shaped patties. Brush the grill rack with oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover and grill, turning once, until done to preference, about 5 -6 minutes of cooking on each side for medium. During the last few minutes of cooking, brush olive oil on one side of the flatbread, and place oiled side down on outer edges of grill to lightly toast. To assemble the burgers, place a generous amount of the hummus on top of the grilled bread. Add a patty, and top with a generous amount of the Greek salad. Fold flatbread over and serve. Makes 6 burgers.