With Memorial Day in just a couple of weeks, it’s finally time to think once again about that most beloved of American pastimes—grilling meat. To kick off grill season, I have a really great recipe for you guys: Xi’An-inspired Cumin Lamb Burgers.
The Flavor of Xi’An
You may recall from our post about Xi’An street food that many dishes in that area of Northern China feature a spice mixture of chili and cumin, usually coarsely ground and sprinkled over things like lamb kebabs, potatoes, fried chicken, and biang noodles.
It’s a surprising combination that you don’t normally associate with China. Cumin and chili powder are things that you’d expect to see in say, a big pot of chili or a pan of ground beef for tacos. But that’s what makes exploring new cuisines so awesome.
I was just reminiscing with my parents the other day, thinking about the fact that a lot of the Chinese regional dishes that we know and love today—and post recipes for on this blog—are dishes that we didn’t even know existed until we moved to China. And we’re CHINESE. Likewise, we weren’t even introduced to Sichuan food until a few Sichuan restaurants started opening up in Northern NJ 15 years ago.
Since then, we’ve happily found the amazing Northern Chinese combination that is cumin, chili, and lamb, and it was only a matter of time for me to turn it into a burger. These cumin lamb burger beauties are lightly spiced, piled with sauteed onion and peppers, a garlicky yogurt sauce, chopped cucumbers, and cilantro.
If you’re looking to switch things up this Memorial Day, or perhaps just a slightly more adventurous Saturday evening dinner al fresco, give this recipe a try!
Cumin Lamb Burgers: Recipe Instructions
In a dry pan, toast the cumin seeds, Sichuan peppercorns, and red chili flakes.
Crush into a coarse powder with a mortar & pestle or spice grinder. Set aside.
Combine about half of your spice mixture with the lamb, and form into 4 patties. Season both sides of each patty with salt.
Heat a grill or cast iron skillet over high heat until searing hot. Sear the lamb burgers until crisp on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.
Set aside on a plate to rest, and cover with foil.
Add the onion and peppers to the pan along with a little vegetable oil (if you used a cast iron skillet), and fry until caramelized. If you grilled your lamb burgers outdoors, just fry the onions and peppers in a separate pan. Sprinkle with half of the remaining spice mixture.
Combine the yogurt with the garlic and season with salt to taste. Stir in the rest of the spice mixture.
To assemble the lamb burgers, spread some of your yogurt mixture on the bottom of the bun..
And top with some diced cucumbers…
And the lamb burger…
The onion/pepper mixture…
And more yogurt and fresh cilantro.
Serve!
