Lamb Burger ~ Bifteki Arniou

This is one of the best lamb burgers I’ve ever had! The ingredients and cooking method don’t mask the lamb, and the resulting bifteki arniou has a very mild lamb taste that really doesn’t need much as an accompaniment. These were served on brioche buns, and the extra olive oil and the fresh lemon wedges highlighted a unique burger experience.

Some of the onion pieces fell out during the cooking process, but they just add a bit more flavor if you top the burger with them. I used a cast-iron skillet for this test. If you’re using a skillet, it MUST have a 12-inch diameter, or the burgers won’t fit. I used bacon, and didn’t have the time to improvise, so I cut two one-ounce slices in half. Once the pan was hot enough, I laid the two halves side by side on one half of my skillet and immediately placed one burger patty on top of the bacon. Then I repeated the process for the second patty on the other half of my skillet. It took two spatulas to carefully flip the burger. It was a tad fragile. The bacon actually clung to the burger instead of the skillet, which surprised me.

First, the list of ingredients is reasonable and the process simple enough that this recipe can easily be made for dinner on a work night if made on the stovetop, but would also be great for the weekend on the grill. Second, substituting bacon for the caul fat is a genius idea. I wouldn’t omit some sort of fat altogether, because even though the ground pork creates some fat, the bacon adds much-needed flavor. While the seasonings appear to be quite substantial, they are in fact very mild, so the additional bacon creates a lovely hit of flavor.

I realized partway through cooking that I had no idea how to tell if the lamb burgers were actually done. I dug out the meat thermometer to check, and took them off the burner at 160°F, which might have been a tad overdone, as they were slightly dry. A good cooking temperature in the recipe would be helpful. This is definitely a recipe I’ll use again. Next time, I’ll crank up the spices a bit, add a tad more salt and pepper, and grill them. These are definitely a great way to cook lamb!

The lamb benefited from the addition of the ground pork; it added just enough fat to make the meat flavorful without losing the lamb taste. I didn’t use the caul fat or bacon. Not much else should be changed in this recipe—it’s fairly straightforward, although I think the part about the mold could be omitted. Overall, I would make this lamb burger again with the addition of a yogurt spread.

We love burgers, and the combination of pork and lamb was intriguing. I made the recipe as written, except that I had to substitute bacon for the caul fat. I used uncured bacon, as I felt it would change the flavor the least. I also made the additional onion slices for the sandwich as recommended. The result was wonderful!

The Greek spices were a perfect blend and imparted just the right spice. The bacon kept the lamb burgers really moist, and the grilled onions added just the right sweetness. I highly recommend this recipe. I know we’ll make it often.

It’s a little more work than an average burger, but well worth the trouble. If you’re not a big fan of dill, like my boyfriend, there isn’t enough in here to turn you off. Just a hint of it.

The patties were quite moist but managed to hold together, almost more textured like meatloaf or meatballs than what we typically think of as a burger. The grilled onions chopped up in the meat were delicious. I considered feta, but instead made a tzatziki of Greek yogurt, cucumber, a touch of garlic, parsley, and mint to put on top that went very well. I also doubled the recipe with no trouble.

My family enjoyed these bifteki arniou. I’ll confess, we’re all lamb fans. I used whole cumin, fennel, and coriander, first toasting the spices in a small, dry cast-iron skillet for a couple minutes, then grinding them in my spice grinder. I do think this step helped bring out the flavors, giving this a nice Middle Eastern profile. I like food on the spicy side, so I used the same amount of spice that was called for in the recipe, even though the recipe called for powdered spices.

I made the recipe without wrapping the lamb burgers in caul or bacon. While I’m sure the fat would add another layer of rich flavor, I opted to go the less fatty route. The burgers were still delicious. Someday when my doctor isn’t looking, I’ll try the pork fat. Since I had a cupboard full of empty containers, I tried the tip to use them as shaping rings. Worked fine, and now I can use these rings in the future. Oh no, one more gadget in my drawers. For those wrapping the burgers, the resulting clean edges would make the task easier. Topping the burgers with tzatziki sauce and a few slices of roasted onion made us happy eaters!