Greek-style Lamb Burger

The English often serve lamb with a mint sauce, Americans often serve it with mint jelly, the Greeks use fresh mint. Fresh mint is not often used in this country and cinnamon is commonly used only in sweets. However, they make this burger very Greek.

1 pound ground lamb

1/4 red onion, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Fresh squeezed lemon juice (optional)

Combine the first 6 ingredients (lamb through pepper) and thoroughly blend. Rubber gloves will make this easier because the meat will not tend to stick to your hands. Form the mixture into patties. Placing them on pieces of waxed paper will save a trip to the kitchen for a clean plate for the grilled burgers.

Prepare the grill for hot direct cooking. Grill the burgers directly over the fire for 4 minutes per side lid closed, then turn them and cook for 2 additional minutes on the first side for medium rare.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the burgers for serving. This may seem strange, but it is also Greek. Lemon juice is good on grilled meat, and in my opinion, is one of the most underused seasonings in this country.