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

Published: February 11, 2016 / Updated: July 31, 2020 / 7 Comments
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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.

Big Flavors from a Restaurant Kitchen Volume 10: Persian Malbec Lamb Burgers with Mast-o-Khiar and Pomegranate Tomato Jam

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.

Big Flavors from a Restaurant Kitchen Volume 10: Persian Malbec Lamb Burgers with Mast-o-Khiar and Pomegranate Tomato Jam

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!

Big Flavors from a Restaurant Kitchen Volume 10: Persian Malbec Lamb Burgers with Mast-o-Khiar and Pomegranate Tomato Jam

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Burgers served alongside glasses of red wine.

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

  • Author: Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen - Ashley Covelli
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop/Oven
  • Cuisine: Persian
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Description

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

Ingredients

Scale

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
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For Pomegranate Tomato Jam:

For Burgers:

  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated white onion (about 1/4 of a medium white onion)
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup celery leaves, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup Alamos Malbec
  • 1 green onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For Serving:

  • Burger buns
  • Sliced tomato
  • Lettuce

Instructions

  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.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 705
  • Sugar: 15.3 g
  • Sodium: 925.3 mg
  • Fat: 37.3 g
  • Saturated Fat: 16.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 44.7 g
  • Fiber: 2.8 g
  • Protein: 40 g
  • Cholesterol: 148 mg

Keywords: Persian, lamb burgers, pomegranate

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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.

Ashley Covelli is a food photographer, recipe developer, and culinary instructor based in Ossining, New York. She loves helping people become enthusiastic and adventurous in the kitchen so that they can build skills and confidence to cook for themselves and their loved ones. She can almost always be found with at least 3 different beverages within arm's reach.

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