Lamb Burger with Courgette and Olive Tapenade

The lamb burger itself from De Vleesbijbel is deliciously plain, so you can really taste the different toppings. You can also mix Mediterranean herbs such as thyme, rosemary and sage into the mince, or ready-made blends such as ras el hanout or vadouvan.

Lamb neck has a fat-to-meat ratio that is perfect for making burgers. Don’t have a meat grinder yourself? Ask the butcher to mince some lamb neck for you.

Method
Cut the lamb neck into 2 x 2 centimetre cubes. Spread them out in a shallow dish and place in the freezer for 30 minutes, so the meat freezes slightly. Mince the partially frozen meat with a meat grinder fitted with a 3-millimetre plate. Mince it again using the same plate. Replace the 3-millimetre plate with a 5-millimetre plate and mince the meat again.

Mix the meat with the black pepper and table salt. Divide into four equal portions and shape into burgers approximately 2 centimetres thick.

Grilling
Heat a griddle pan until very hot. Cut the burger buns in half and grill them until they have grill marks and are crisp. Place the burgers in the pan and grill for approximately 2 minutes. Turn the meat a quarter turn and grill for another 2 minutes. This will give you a beautiful crosshatch pattern. Turn the meat over and grill this side twice for 2 minutes as well.

Spread olive tapenade on the bottom half of the bun and lemon mayonnaise on the top half. Place the burger on the bun, then top with the pancetta, courgette and aubergine, and finish with pecorino.

Wine tip from Miss WineLane
The extras in this lamb burger add a bright, tangy Italian touch. Italian red wines often have pleasant acidity too, along with a satisfyingly firm tannic bite. Perfect with a burger like this.

Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina Nipozzano | Tuscany, Italy
€ 18.99 Gall&Gall

On-A-Budget Wine Tip
Casa Nostra Corvina 2015 | Veneto, Italy
€ 5.99 grapedistrict

De Vleesbijbel
Gertjan Kiers
€ 29.99
Carrera Culinair