Hamburger heaven

When summer comes around there is always one garuntee- in the midst of beach days and bonfire infused nights-a barbecue is always just around then bend. Nothing screams summer more then the smell of burning charcoal and the sound of meat sizzling on the grill.

Last week my friends and I celebrated the first official day of summer in this fashion. Carey made spectacular fried green tomatoes, a Peruvian style salad and roasted potatoes while Paulina ran back and forth between starting up the grill out on the terrace and helping Sarah and Semra meticulously chop a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. My job was to whip up a S'more pie- which was more work than whip- and make the hamburgers. A few weeks before Carey had sent me a link to a New York Times article about the art of hamburger making that inspired me to really put some effort into it. The article was linked to several gourmet hamburger recipes and one in particular grabbed my attention- the Curry-Spiced Lamb Burger. The photo showed a perfectly charred burger topped with a melody of colors from orange-yellow mangoes to bright green scallions.

The trick, I learned, was all about the preparation of the meat. Although I did not have the time to buy or prepare ground meat from a lamb shoulder, I did buy good quality ground beef and was able to mix it with a fresh onion puree and flavorful spices. The topping was the most laborious, but thanks to the help of the girls, the task was accomplished. I used ciabatta for the buns and some of us spread barbecue sauce (straight from the U.S.) on top, which accompanied the sweet mango to a T.

Of course my camera malfunctioned right before the the photo op so I used a photo from the New York Times, but our burger actually turned out looking quite similar.

Curried-Spiced Lamb Burger

Adapted from the New York Times recipe

Serves 4-6

1 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into chunks (or 1 1/2 pounds good-quality ground beef)

1 medium (or 1/2 large) onion, peeled and cut into chunks

1 fresh chili, preferably jalapeño, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 ciabatta (2 if making 6 burgers) cut in half and then cut into 4 parts or 4-6 good-quality burger buns

Diced mango, green and red pepper, red onion and scallion; and shredded carrot and lettuce, to garnish.

1. If grilling or broiling, heat should be medium-high and rack about 4 inches from fire. Put lamb and onion into a food processor (in batches if your machine is small) and pulse until coarsely ground. If you are using the ground meat, just pulse the onions in a food processor until they form a puree and then add them to the meat. Put in a bowl with chili, coriander, cumin and turmeric, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix, handling the meat as little as possible, until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings. Handling meat as lightly as possible to avoid compressing it, shape it into 4 or more burgers (I've found this can make up to 6 burgers depending on the thickness).

2. To broil or grill, cook about 3 minutes on each side for rare and another minute per side for each increasing stage of doneness. For stovetop, heat a large skillet over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes, then add patties; cook, undisturbed, for about 2 minutes, then rotate them so they brown evenly. Turn once and cook for a total of about 6 minutes for rare.

3. Lay the burgers on the sliced ciabatta or good-quality burger buns.

4. Garnish with diced mango, green and red pepper, red onion and scallion, and with shredded carrot and lettuce.

5. Top with barbecue sauce or leave plain.