Lamb Burger

For the second time this spring the weather got up to 70 and the sun blessed us all day! Time to BBQ hamburgers! Big question: What meat to use? We have ground beef, lamb and elk; all three of which make delicious burgers. My favorite is elk burger, mixed with Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, salt and pepper, and topped with the traditional tomato, lettuce, dill pickles, mayo and ketchup. But the rest of the family feels that lamb burgers are the best.

We butcher our lamb at one year old, meaning that it is lean, not "mutton-y" and tender. It has a lamb-taste but it's not overwhelming. I add salt, pepper and garlic powder to the ground before forming the patties. Toppings include fresh basil leaves, instead of lettuce, tomato, cheese and mayo. That's what we are making tonight. Since the lamb and elk is a fan-favorite, the beef ground usually get's relegated to pasta and casserole dishes.

As a side dish I'm starting to crave potato salad, but I'm going to wait to make that. Potato salad is a summertime dish (in my opinion) and therefore we should wait until summer to make it. Just like pumpkin pie is only to be eaten in the fall. So since potato salad is out, we'll make Jo-Jo's - potato wedges tossed with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and roasted at 425 until soft and a little golden.

Delicious!