One of Chicago’s many, many graces is a proclivity of good lamb, whereas that honorable meat is all but neglected in the suburbs. I made this a couple Man B Ques ago, back in winter, during one of my many pronounced Greek food phases. There’s something about good lamb and strong seasoning that always endears me to their cuisine. I enjoyed this well enough when freezing my ass off, and I’m happy to report that it’s twice as good when you can feel your fingers as you grill.

The Setup

Burgers
- 2lb ground lamb
- 1/2 c feta, crumbled
- 1/2 c goat cheese, cut into pieces (plus extra to spread on buns)
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 4 Pretzel buns or 2 pretzel rolls, cut in half and split

Red Pepper Spread
- 1/2 sweet onion, sliced thick
- 1 c crumbled feta
- 2 roasted red peppers, cut into strips
- 2 pickled yellow peppers, sliced
- 1/2 dry oregano
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh parsley, leaves only
- 2 tbsp green onions, sliced
- 1/4 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- Olive oil, for texture

Cooking

1. 3. Mix lamb patties with feta, goat cheese, and zest. Form into 8 oz patties, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator while you make the spread.

2. Brush a grill pan or cast iron pan with oil. Brush onions with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high until charred and separate into rings.

3. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Add olive oil for texture if you’d like. Add salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste.

4. Preheat grill or cast iron pan to medium-high and brush with oil.

5. Grill patties 5-8 minutes per side, depending on how thick you made them.

6. Remove patties, cover with foil, and rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, spread bun halves with softened goat cheese left over from making the patties.

7. Serve burgers with red pepper spread.