Persian Malbec Lamb Burgers with Mast-o-Khiar and Pomegranate Tomato Jam

This is part 2 of a feature on my delicious experience with Adam Richman and Alamos Wines in New York City. You can find part 1 here.

Red wine deepens the flavors in both the burgers and jam in this Middle Eastern spin on Adam Richman's Malbec Burger recipe.

Burgers and wine. Not a pairing I can say I'd ever had until recently, but let me tell you - it really works beautifully!

I loved the richness of the Creole Tomato Jam that went on Adam's Malbec Burgers at the event in NYC. Since pomegranate goes so well with lamb (like with this recipe), I figured that a bit of pomegranate molasses would be a good swap for the fruit jam and grainy mustard in his recipe.

And whenever I eat anything Persian, I love giving it a healthy dose of Mast-o-Khiar, a cucumber-y, minty yogurt sauce that adds a nice cooling balance to the spiced meat. This recipe makes quite a bit, so you'll probably only need half of it for the burgers. It's a great condiment to keep around the house though - it's delicious with anything Greek, Indian or Middle Eastern. Feel free to cut it in half if you don't want to have extra.

I used a cast iron skillet to cook my burgers indoors, and they got a beautiful crust on both sides. Make sure to season the outside of the patties well to ensure you get the same results. These would cook up fabulously on an outdoor grill once the weather warms up.

I took Adam's advice and paired the Alamos Malbec with these burgers, and it was one of the best pairings I've ever had! The deep plum and blackberry flavors in the wine really came through, and it was rich enough to hold up to the burgers.

I also recently inherited my grandma's crystal stemware - it was a wedding gift of hers from 1945. I've been really enjoying drinking wine out of these beauties!

The blend of spices in the burger mix, along with the condiments gives these burgers a big, bold flavor. I liked Adam's idea of using panko inside them instead of regular breadcrumbs, too. It was a deliciously hearty meal that I'll definitely be making again and again.

Cheers!

UPDATE 02.11.16: Gauntlet thrown. Victory ensued!

Your move, @AdamRichman: Persian Malbec Lamb Burgers w Mast-o-Khiar & Pomegranate Tomato Jam https://t.co/YYmGLaOdMz pic.twitter.com/w5RusfEEmT

- Ashley Covelli (@bigflavorsblog) February 11, 2016

I bow to your greatness... https://t.co/4mrMTtzjZd

- Adam Richman (@AdamRichman) February 11, 2016

📖 Recipe

Persian Malbec Lamb Burgers with Mast-o-Khiar and Pomegranate Tomato Jam

Red wine deepens the flavors in both the burgers and jam in this Middle Eastern spin on Adam Richman's Malbec Burger recipe.

Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen - Ashley Covelli

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Servings: 4 Servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Persian

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

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For Mast-o-Khiar:

• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 1 English cucumber peeled, seeded then grated
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint cut into chiffonade
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For Pomegranate Tomato Jam:

• ½ cup grape tomatoes quartered
• ⅓ cup Alamos Malbec
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons pomegranate molasses

For Burgers:

• 1 pound ground lamb
• ½ cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated white onion about ¼ of a medium white onion
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• ¼ cup parsley finely chopped
• ¼ cup celery leaves finely chopped
• ¼ cup Alamos Malbec
• 1 green onion finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper cayenne
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For Serving:

• Burger buns
• Sliced tomato
• Lettuce

Method

 

1. For Mast-o-Khiar: In a medium bowl, stir together Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, honey, mint and salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. For Pomegranate Tomato Jam: In a small saucepan over moderate heat, combine tomatoes, Malbec, black pepper, salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently until thick and relatively uniform in consistency, mashing the bits of tomato into sauce as it reduces. Remove from heat and place in a nonreactive bowl to cool. When just above room temperature, stir in pomegranate molasses.
3. For Burgers: In a large bowl, mix lamb, panko, grated onion, egg, parsley, celery, Malbec, green onion, cinnamon and cayenne thoroughly but gently. Form in to 4 equal sized patties. Season outside of each burger generously with salt and pepper. Grill to medium rare (or cook in a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron).
4. Lightly toast the buns (either on the grill or cut side on a baking sheet in the oven). Place some Mast-o-Khiar on the bottom bun, then top with the lamb burger. Dress the top bun with some of the Pomegranate Tomato jam, sliced tomato, lettuce and red onion.

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