INGREDIENTS
For the burger patties:
- 1.8 kg (4 lb) mutton leg
- 400 g mutton fat
- 200 g grilled eggplant (finely chopped)
- 200 g grilled onion (finely chopped)
- 38 g salt (preferably fleur de sel)
- 4 g black peppercorns
- 3 g coriander
- 3 g cumin
- 3 g sumac
- 2 large garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 220 g hard goat cheese
- 3-4 eggplants (cut into rounds)
- Smoked hard cheese (for the burgers)
For the sauce:
- 200 g mayonnaise
- 100 g Dijon mustard
PREPARATION
Firstly, grill the eggplants (3 medium-sized ones approximately) on the charcoal grill or roast them in the oven. Roast the onions in the same way. Scoop out the flesh of the eggplants, take 200g of the flesh, and finely chop it with a knife. Peel the roasted onions, and finely chop them. Use a scale to weigh the spices, and grind them in a mortar and pestle. We recommend using a special knife or a kitchen cleaver to hand-chop ground meat yourself; alternatively, ask your butcher to grind the meat after trimming away any silverskin. Start kneading the ground mutton while it’s still very cold (if it isn’t hand-chopped).
Add the listed ingredients in the following order: the eggplant and the onion first, mixing well by folding the ground mutton, the garlic cloves next, and then the spices and the salt gradually, kneading each time to distribute them evenly. Lastly, add the goat cheese, after using the largest shredding holes of a box grater to grate it. Mix well by kneading the mince one last time. Cover the mince and refrigerate it for 5-6 hours.
COOKED ON amber.q A
COOKING
Inside the charcoal case of your grill, pile up the charcoals alongside. Place the kindling on top, and light them. The charcoals light upside down, from top to bottom, easily, quickly, and without smoke. While waiting for the charcoals, you can use time to shape the burger patties, and the meatballs. Use 120 g of mince to shape round or elongated burger patties. Use 35 g of mince to shape the meatballs that are going to be skewered on the small 8x8 spits. Firstly, skewer a slice of eggplant, then thread the meatballs and the slices of eggplant alternately onto the spit. Make sure that the last piece on the spit is a slice of eggplant.
When the charcoals are fully lit, spread them inside the charcoal case of your grill. Place the spits on the grill first, and place a clean grilling grate next to them to grill the burger patties. Your only task is to turn over the patties. Once in a while lift them slightly or move them a bit to avoid sticking. When the internal temperature reaches 75⁰C/167⁰F, remove the patties from the grill. Be careful not to overdo and dry them. Prefer grilling them over high heat. Prepare the sauce a few hours ahead of time by whisking the mayonnaise and the mustard together in a bowl. Cover the bowl, and keep the sauce in the fridge.
Grill pitas or burger buns. Place a slice of smoked hard cheese on top of the burger patties - after turning them over one last time - for extra flavor. Place a burger patty inside each bun or between two mini pitas, and then add grilled onion, a slice of tomato, and the sauce you’ve prepared. Remove the meatballs from the small spits along with the slices of eggplant, and serve them.
Enjoy these delicious mutton burger patties with good company along with fine red wine.
Happy Grilling, everyone!
