3 Cups Julienne watermelon rind (julienne 3 inches long & 1/8-1/4 inch thick
Dressing:
2 tablespoons reserved watermelon picking liquid
3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
4 mint leaves, Chiffonade
Patties:
1 1/4 Pounds freshly ground beef chuck (20% fat)
1 pound freshly ground lamb shoulder meat
2 1/4 Teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Other ingredients:
Vegetable oil, for brushing on the grill rack
6 good quality Kaiser rolls, split
1/2 Cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
3 Cups arugula
Instructions
Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.
To make the pickled watermelon,
place vinegar, water, garlic, sea salt and sugar into a fireproof pot.
Place over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until it starts to boil.
Add watermelon rind and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until rind starts to soften.
Using a slotted spoon remove watermelon and place into a bowl. Refrigerate to cool.
Reserve pickling liquid.
To make the dressing, place 2 tablespoons reserved pickling liquid, olive oil, minced garlic and mint leaves into a blender.
Blend until smooth. Cover and set aside until ready to serve
To make the patties, combine beef, lamb, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions.
Form the portions into patties to fit the rolls. Make a slight indentation in the center of each patty to allow even cooking.
Set patties aside until ready to grill.
When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with vegetable oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once until the desired doneness. 3 to 5 minutes on each side for medium.
Place the rolls, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to toast lightly during the last 2 minutes of grilling.
Prepare topping just before burgers are finished cooking by combining the chilled pickled watermelon, olives, feta and arugula in a large bowl, top with dressing and toss to combine.
To assemble the burgers, place a patty on each roll bottom and top each with a one-sixth of the pickled watermelon salad.
