BBQ American Lamb Burger
4
servingsCindy Pawlcyn, chef and founder of the Napa Valley’s Mustards Grill, shows us how she makes her famous BBQ American Lamb Burger, one of the signature dishes on her menu. She prepares a flavorful BBQ spice mix that she blends into the ground lamb patties. The burgers are served with a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce, grilled onions, sharp cheddar cheese, basil aioli, and arugula.
Ingredients
- BBQ SPICE
1 ½ oz Paprika
1 ½ oz Brown sugar
1 oz Kosher salt
½ oz Cayenne
½ oz Chipotle chili powder
½ oz Garlic powder
½ oz Onion powder
BASIL AIOLI2 Egg yolks
Garlic head, roasted, husks removed
1-2 Garlic cloves, raw, peeled
1 Tbsp Champagne vinegar
Salt
Black pepper, ground
2- 2½ Olive oil
2 Tbsp Basil pesto
1 Lemon, juice of
BBQ SAUCE4 cups Onions, diced
4 cups Ketchup
2 cups Rice vinegar
2 cups Apple juice
2 cups Brown sugar
2 cups Bacon, crispy, chopped
1 cup Apple cider vinegar
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Mustard powder
1/3 cup Garlic powder
1 Tbsp White pepper, ground
1 Tbsp Cayenne
LAMB BURGER28 oz American Lamb, ground
as needed Salt
as needed Black pepper, ground
2 tsp BBQ Spice (recipe above)
8 ea Red onion slices, grilled
as needed Olive oil
4 oz BBQ Sauce (recipe above)
8 oz White cheddar cheese, sliced
4 ea Semolina burger bun, split, buttered, and toasted
4 Tbsp Basil Aioli (recipe above)
4 oz Arugula
16 oz Potato chips
Directions
- FOR THE BBQ SPICE:
- Mix all ingredients together. Store in a tightly sealed container.
- FOR THE BASIL AIOLI:
- In a blender add egg yolks, roasted and raw garlics, champagne vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth. Slowly add olive oil until emulsified. Remove from the blender and in a bowl whisk in basil pesto and lemon juice.
- FOR THE BBQ SAUCE:
- Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes. Blend with immersion blender until smooth. Continue to reduce for another 30 minutes and strain through a china cap colander or strainer.
- FOR THE LAMB BURGER:
- Shape ground lamb into four, 7-ounce patties, and season each patty with salt and pepper to taste and ½ teaspoon BBQ Spice.
- Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high.
- Season onions with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill onion slices and set aside.
- Brush patties with olive oil and place them on the hot grill. Flip them and baste each with 1 ounce BBQ sauce and continue to grill until caramelized. Add 2 ounces cheese to each and finish grilling to the desired doneness. Place two grilled onions on top of the melted cheese.
- Toast buns and set on the plate. Spread ½ tablespoon basil aioli on both the top and bottom of the bun. Place a finished lamb burger on the bottom bun and 1 ounce arugula on the top bun. Serve burger open faced with 4 ounces of potato chips.
