Recipe from Peter Meehan
Adapted by Sam Sifton
- Total Time
- About 20 minutes
- Rating
- 5(717)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Peter Meehan developed this dish for Lucky Peach's cookbook, "101 Easy Asian Recipes." I make it on a flat-top griddle set over a grill, but the method works equally well on your kitchen stove. The burgers are a take on a dish served in Xi’an, the capital city of Shaanxi province in northwestern China, at the easternmost terminus of the Silk Road. Cumin and chile, along with some Sichuan peppercorns if you can find them, bring a bright funkiness to ground lamb, which crisps up beautifully on top of a bed of sautéed red onion and jalapeño pepper. Put the patties into potato buns, and serve under a spray of cilantro leaves. It's a meal you could cook twice a month for the better part of a year. —Sam Sifton
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Ingredients
Yield:4 burgers
- 1pound ground lamb
- 1tablespoon ground cumin
- 1teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and crushed (optional)
- ½teaspoon red chile flakes
- 1½teaspoons kosher salt
- 1tablespoon neutral oil, like canola
- 1small red onion, halved, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1jalapeño, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
- Potato buns, for serving
- Cilantro leaves, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
405 calories; 31 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 21 grams protein; 363 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Create a flat-top cooking surface on a gas grill by using a couple of large cast-iron skillets, or a thick metal sheet like a Baking Steel, or soapstone cooking tiles. Light the grill, and set the burners to medium. Lower top of grill, and allow it heat.
Step
2
Gently combine the lamb, cumin, Sichuan peppercorns, chile flakes and salt in a large bowl, then form into four equal-size balls.
Step
3
Raise the lid of your grill, add the oil to the cooking surface and use a spatula to coat it, then place the onions and jalapeños on the surface, and fry them until lightly browned but still crunchy, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
Step
4
Separate the vegetables into four piles with a good amount of space between them. (If using two pans, each pan should contain two piles.) Top each pile with one of the balls of meat. Use the spatula to smash the balls into flat patties, approximately ½ inch thick. Cook until the bottom of each patty is well browned and the meat is opaque about halfway to the top, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Flip each patty, and cook through, approximately 3 minutes for medium.
Step
5
Place patties on buns, and top each one with cilantro leaves.
Ratings
5
out of 5
717
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Cooking Notes
Tinarina
Because I could eat the cumin lamb noodles from Xian Famous Foods at least weekly, I had to try these. Really good, but next time I'll use a bit more of all the spices--especially cumin. I need some practice getting the onions and jalapenos to adhere to the meat--one was perfect and the rest not quite. I used good quality toasted English muffins instead of potato rolls, since they remind me of Chinese flatbread. Good combo!
Mary McAlpin
We made them once according to the recipe. Then we tried it with ground turkey. A marriage made in heaven!
Naani-Daadi
I've cooked an Indian version of this. I use finely chopped medium hot green chillies and as always, add a pinch of turmeric and another thumbful of finely grated ginger. Also, I serve it on a whole wheat Naan bread, rolled up. Ypogurt raita on the side is essential. So glad that you are exposing us all to global cuisine and allowing us to add our comments, and benefit from yours. Thanks.
Henry
As a variation use NYT Recipe: Vaguely Vietnamese Slow Cooker Pork Tacos by SAM SIFTON.
Substitute Lamb for Pork and top with Braised Peaches.
MB
I would add more cumin and pepper, plus almost double the onion and jalapeno, as I wanted more in every bit. Very good.
lori
i used ground turkey upon your suggestion and don't think i've ever made a better turkey burger! thanks, mary!
Dean
I think the Xi'an experience of Rou Jia Mo (literally meat inside mo buns) requires Mo. A baked bun doesn't deliver the earthy taste and crunchy feel of the mo. Mo can be prepared either as a yeast bread or baking powder bread. For four mo buns, combine 200 gr of bread flour, 120 gr water, some salt and either the baking powder or yeast; kneed; allow to rise when employing yeast; fashion into 4 flat buns, then cook in a dry frying pan (10 minutes until toasted).
Tom Who
The flavor of the burger was good, but it's way too dry to eat. It needs butter or mayo on the bun and a thick slice of tomato.
I would also sauté the onions and peppers separately in a pan then grill the burgers over a flame instead of using a flat solid surface on the grill. Didn't really get any of that nice, smoky grill flavor with the burger and the onions started to burn by the time the burgers were done.
Phyllis Hunter
Sorry to reply again, but I made the burgers as a meatloaf last night. They are really salty! I was talking to a young man who will be teaching a cooking class in my shop about it, and he mentioned that Szechuan peppercorns are often salt cured. I had added less of the salt than the recipe called for, so this at least provided a possible answer as to why we had this problem. I will not add any salt next time.
Figaro
These are delicious. However, I find using the grill in this manner makes for a messy cleanup. I cook the onions and pepper in a TB of olive oil using and my 11" French blue skillet. It gets VERY hot, is well seasoned and cooks like it's Teflon. I season the burgers with Sumac and sauté them in the same plan. Some sliced tomatoes and pita bread round out the serving.
In SW Florida, it's no joy to stand over the grill. With the exception of steaks and chops, I'd rather be under A/C.
wonderful recipe
The only thing I would change is to tone down the cumin a bit. Of course making this with excellent posture-raised ground lamb is the way to go. I also put some shiitake mushrooms in with the peppers (I used poblano) and onions just because I had to use them up. Oh -- and no need for a bun. Fantastic.
Dawn
Great idea. Yes, seems completely doable, I add sauteed veggies to all kinds of meat and make meatloaf throughout fall and winter, so using the veggies in here to mix is sounds scrumptious. I would use NYT's recipe for Moroccan Meatloaf as a guide for cooking time. %20Search%20Recipe%20Card&pgType=search&rank=1
Tom
I can confirm this recipe works wonderfully with ground turkey. Stellar.
Amber
Outstanding. I let the lamb and spice mixture cure for a few hours in the refrigerator and double the jalapeño as suggested in the comments. Also as suggested, I made a makeshift tzatziki with just a cup of whole day Greek yogurt, a shredded Persian cucumber, a grated garlic clove, and a little salt for two burgers. I’m going to be making this a lot.
anne
Title of magazine that Peter Meehan edits...see author's note above. Hope this is helpful
Amy
This was truly delicious. I agree the assembled burger needs a little more moisture - I mixed some mayo with lime juice and the cilantro and spread on both sides, and it was perfect.
Paul
Used ground turkey and added avocado for richness, it came out great
janisani
Simply delicious. I love lamb! This was nice and juicy, doesn't need any condiments.
stephanie michelle
Loved these. And I even skipped the grill and cooked them in my cast iron indoors. Whipped up a cilantro mayo with garlic, yogurt and lime because we like our burgers saucy. So easy and super delicious. Plan to try with turkey as another reviewer suggested!
SusanD
Delicious flavor. I made it as described though used half the amount of cumin. The fried onion and jalapeno were a wonderful accompaniment, and we had tzaziki and a cucumber/tomato salad on the side. Totally yummy!
Barbara
This is a family favorite. Rather than oil, I add a generous amount of full-fat plain yogurt. They come out quite juicy.
Es
Delicious burgers. Cumin and lamb are made for each other. and the cilantro...
RH
These were fine but nothing special. A regular burger is much better!
Kel B
From the comments I really wish I could have located the Sichuan peppercorns. Delicious without it so I can only imagine! 5 stars!
Jacob
Served bunless and with regular peppercorn, since I had neither bread nor sczechuan pepper. This turned out divine: the smokiness of the veggies and meat worked perfectly with the earthy cumin and pepper. I drizzled a bit of spicy soy sauce on the topping to kick up the umami.
Fran
Used the Szechuan peppercorns this time, and Aleppo in the amount indicated. No mayo, but served veggies with tahini sauce alongside. Wrapped in ww Arab bread. Delicious.
Mick
really good. cooked in cast iron on stovetop...super greasy, but that's lamb. Can't wait to try with turkey.
Jenn
Awesome. Found some of the notes really helpful. Added more cumin and would add more of the Szechuan pepper and red flakes next time, too--it could use a bit more spice in the meat. Made a tzatziki to put on top and added coriander too it in lieu of cilantro (the spouse is one of those anti-cilantro people). Woke up still thinking about its deliciousness this morning...!
Tessa
Loved this! Perfect amount of cumin. The Szechuan peppercorns are a must...their floral scent and flavor is so distinctive and fabulous. I cooked the veggies in a skillet on the stove and grilled the burgers, serving them together with cilantro and crumbled feta. Divine!
ts
Delicious! Will definitely make again. I made a couple modifications: serrano instead of jalapeno, and cooked indoors instead of on the grill. Those feel fairly minor to me, as far as how they would affect the flavor profile. I will definitely make this again, perhaps planning better so I have a jalapeno on hand, but either way, an absolutely wonderful lamb burger.
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