Beyond Beef Burgers
I rarely get tired of burgers, in part because I play around with the ingredients. Fresh fish, mashed beans, ground pork—- there’s a lot you can do with the basic idea.
Lately, I’ve been using different cheeses. I like stuffing the cheese inside the burger, but this recipe for a lamb burger caught my eye because I like combination of brie and lamb.
This is an awfully “cheffy” recipe with a lot of steps. I’d actually be tempted to skip the compote and aioli, so take away from it whatever bits appeal to you. Me, I’m going to chop some jalapenos from my garden into my next burger at home.
Grilled Australian Lamb Burger with Brie Cheese, Cranberry Compote & Roasted Jalapeno Aioli
Recipe from Chef Anthony Jacquet of The Whisper Lounge in Los Angeles.
Burger Patty:
2 lbs ground Australian Lamb
2 ea shallots, minced
1 ea jalapeno, minced
1 tsp rosemary, chopped
1 tsp thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Cranberry Compote:
1 bag fresh cranberries
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup pinot noir
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup Riesling wine
1 cup sugar
1 ea zest of orange
5 ea sprigs of thyme
2 tsp pink peppercorns
1 ea chili de arbol
1 ea fresh bay leaf
1 ea vanilla bean, split lengthwise
pinch of salt
Roasted Jalapeno Aioli:
1 ea whole egg
1 ea egg yolk
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 ea jalapeno, roasted, peeled, rough chopped
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
½ cup olive oil
1 cup canola oil
to taste salt and white pepper
Other Ingredients:
4 ea brioche burger buns, cut in half
8 ea 3” x 1/4” slices of brie cheese
2 cups wild arugula
1. Heat the grill.
2. Make patties. Mix ground lamb with shallots, jalapeno, herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix well and weigh into 8 oz balls. Use the top of a 3 lb spice container and form the patty into a round. Be careful not to pack too tightly. They should be about an inch thick. Set aside.
3. To make the compote, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add all ingredients and bring to boil. Let simmer for 30 minutes until cranberries have burst open and mixture thickens to a jam-like consistency. Set aside.
4. To make the aioli, place egg product in food processor. Add garlic, jalapeno, lemon juice and cilantro and start machine. As the blade is twirling, slowly incorporate the olive oil and canola oil, until the emulsification occurs. Season with salt and white pepper. The mixture should be of a mayonnaise consistency. If it is too thick, thin with a little water a teaspoon at a time. Set aside.
5. To prepare burgers, place patties on hot grill. Cook for 2 minutes and then turn a quarter turn and cook for another 2 minutes. Flip burger and cook another 2 minutes. Turn a quarter turn and cook another 2 minutes. Add brie cheese and cover with a stainless-steel mixing bowl for another minute. Pull burgers off of grill and let rest. They should be medium rare.
6. Meanwhile, place buns on grill to toast for a minute. Place aioli on both sides of bun. Add arugula to bottoms of the bun, followed by the burger patties and brie cheese, top with cranberry compote and top with other side of bun. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
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