Burger-licious

It's a glorious day here in PDX (Finally. I was beginning to wonder if this weather would ever come.)
Sunny, warm and perfect for playing music in the backyard -- and of course, for a turn at the grill.
Oddly, barbecue is the one area of cooking where I tend to be a little sexist. Though my mom and many other ladies I know are awesome grill mistresses, at our house, the little green machine is exclusively Boy-O's domain. Creating the flavorings is my contribution.

Inspired by the saucy, folksy, vaguely Middle Eastern music Boy-O and the big kids were playing, I've come up with the following. I like it so much, I think this'll be the new standard burger recipe 'round here. I do my ingredients to taste, but this is a rough approximation. I've included substitutes for spices you might not have handy:

Cher's Spicy Summer Burgers
1# ground lamb
1# ground beef

1.5 t. grains of paradise (sub: mixed peppercorns)
2 t. coriander
1.5 t. garlic powder
1.5 t. cumin
0.5 t. Aleppo pepper (sub: 1/4 t. red pepper flakes and 1/4 t. chipotle powder)
1 T. kosher salt

Yogurt cheese (plain yogurt is fine, too)
Mint leaves, chiffonaded
Slices of grilled onion

In a large bowl, combine the lamb and beef. Using your hands, mix them together thoroughly for at least five minutes. Set aside.

Combine all spices in a mortar; grind with the pestle. If you have a dedicated spice grinder or clean coffee grinder, feel free to use that instead. (I like the coarseness of hand grinding.)
Sprinkle approximately half the spice mixture onto the meat; mix in by hand for about 1 minute.
Fold the remaining spice mixture into the meat.

Grill to desired doneness. (I like mine just shy of medium, with a tiny dose of pink.)

Top with a dollop of yogurt cheese, a little mint chiffonade, and some grilled onion.
Somehow, we never have hamburger buns handy, so we serve ours on bagels.


Baby Z, of course, did not have a burger, but instead enjoyed some delicious applesauce courtesy of Earth's Best.