Turkish Lamb Pita Burgers Recipes

Steps:

• Soak bulgur for burgers:
• Pour boiling-hot water over bulgur with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl and soak 15 minutes, then drain in a sieve.
• Make sauce while bulgur soaks:
• Mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt (1/8 teaspoon) using a large heavy knife, then transfer to a food processor and blend with remaining sauce ingredients until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
• Prepare burgers:
• Preheat broiler.
• Pulse onion and herbs in cleaned processor until finely chopped, then transfer to a bowl and stir in bulgur, lamb, paprika, allspice, pepper, cayenne, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until just combined. Form lamb mixture into 4 patties (4 inches in diameter).
• Broil pitas and burgers:
• Arrange pitas on a baking sheet. Brush with oil, then lightly dust with paprika and season with pepper. Broil on lowest rack until toasted, 1 to 3 minutes (watch to prevent burning). Keep pitas warm, loosely covered with foil, while broiling burgers.
• Oil rack of a broiler pan and heat 4 inches from heat until hot, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Broil burgers, turning over once, until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes total. Serve burgers on pitas, topped with sauce.

Steps:

• Combine lamb, 1/2 cup onions, 1 teaspoon salt, pumpkin pie spice, pine nuts, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in medium bowl. Mix gently. Using moistened hands, form lamb mixture into 4 equal patties, each about 1/2 inch thick.
• Combine yogurt, cumin, remaining 1/2 cup onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in small bowl. Stir to blend. Let stand 15 minutes.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill burgers until cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium.
• Carefully open pita breads to make pockets; insert burger in each. Spoon in yogurt mixture and tomatoes, dividing equally, and serve.

Steps:

• Combine lamb, 1/2 cup onions, 1 teaspoon salt, pumpkin pie spice, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in medium bowl. Mix gently. Using moistened hands, form lamb mixture into 4 equal patties, each about 1/2 inch thick.
• Combine yogurt, cumin, remaining 1/2 cup onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in small bowl. Stir to blend. Let stand 15 minutes.
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill burgers until cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium.
• Carefully open pita breads to make pockets; insert burger in each. Spoon in yogurt mixture and tomatoes, dividing equally, and serve.

Steps:

• Heat grill to high. Season the lamb, then grill for 2 mins on each side until browned, but still very rare. Meanwhile, mix the seasoning, oregano and half of the mint into one of the tubs of yogurt, smother this over the lamb, then return to the grill for another 2-3 mins or until the yogurt is blistered and the meat is cooked to your liking.
• Leave the meat to rest on a board for a few mins while you toast the pittas, shred the lettuce and thinly slice the red onion. Stir the rest of the mint into the second tub of yogurt. Thickly slice the meat and stuff into the pitta bread with the salad and minted yogurt. Squeeze over lemon juice before tucking in, if you like.

Steps:

• For lamb:
• Combine first 13 ingredients and 2 tablespoons oil in large bowl; mix to blend thoroughly. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Using moistened hands and 1/4 cup for each, shape lamb mixture into about 20 oval patties measuring approximately 3x1 1/2x1/2 inches. Arrange patties on sheet of foil.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties; cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Using slotted spoon, return patties to foil. Reserve drippings in skillet.
• For sauce:
• Heat drippings in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, and allspice. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Stir in pomegranate molasses. Return patties to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until patties are cooked through and tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer patties to bowl. Tilt skillet and spoon fat off top of sauce. Simmer sauce until slightly thickened, mashing tomatoes with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Return patties to sauce. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap pitas in foil; bake 12 minutes to heat.
• Simmer patties in sauce until heated through; mix in green onions. Cut pitas in half; gently open each half. Place 1 or 2 patties and some sauce into each pita half and top with dollop of yogurt.
• *A thick pomegranate syrup that is available at Middle Eastern markets and some supermarkets.

Steps:

• Mix first 5 ingredients together in medium bowl. Season yogurt sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• Mix lamb and next 5 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Season generously with salt and pepper. Shape mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.
• Preheat broiler. Place lamb patties on broiler rack and broil until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
• Open pita bread rounds; line bottoms with trimmed tops, if desired. Place lettuce, burger, then large spoonful of yogurt sauce in each round. Serve, passing sauce separately.