Spanish Lamb Burgers

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 33 mins Cook Time: 27 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cups thinly sliced spanish onions
• 3/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 lb ground lean lamb
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped spanish green olives (such as manzanilla)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons pimientos, de la vera or 2 teaspoons hungarian paprika
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 pinch saffron
• 1/4 cup shredded manchego cheese or 1/4 cup monterey jack cheese
• 4 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted
• 2 whole jarred piquillo peppers or 2 jarred pimientos, halved lengthwise

Recipe

• 1 heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• 2 add onion, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
• 3 cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• 4 set aside half the onion for topping; finely chop the other half.
• 5 preheat grill to medium.
• 6 place the chopped onion in a large bowl; add lamb, olives, garlic, paprika, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
• 7 gently combine, without overmixing, until evenly incorporated; form into 4 equal patties, about 1/2 inch thick.
• 8 combine mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice and saffron in a small bowl.
• 9 oil the grill rack.
• 10 grill the burgers, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°f, 10 to 12 minutes total.
• 11 top with cheese and cook until it is melted, about 1 minute more.
• 12 assemble the burgers on toasted buns with the lemon-saffron mayonnaise, some of the reserved onions and a half a piquillo (or pimiento) pepper.
• 13 .