Beirut Burgers

Pairs well with:

Chardonnay

Reach for our Chardonnay when you’re in the mood for a rich and creamy wine that delights with the fruity flair of pear, apple, and peach.

Ingredients

Yogurt Sauce:
-1 cup plain yogurt
-2 large cloves garlic minced
Patties:
1/2 small grain bulgur wheat
-1/8 dried mint
-1 cup minced white onion
-2-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp allspice
-1/2 tsp corriander
-1/2 tsp cardamom
– 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
-2 lb fresh ground chuck
-12 pitas
-olive oil for brushing pitas and tomatoes
-6 thick tomato slices

 

Instructions

To make the yogurt sauce place a coffee filter in a kitchen strainer suspended over a large bowl. Spoon the yogurt into the coffee filter and let drain for one hour. Scoop the drained yogurt out of the filter into a small bowl and stir in the minced garlic. Discard the whey that has drained into the large bowl. Set aside the yogurt/garlic mixture. To make the patties, in a medium bowl mix together the bulgur, mint, onion, salt, cinnamon, allspice, corriander, cardamom and black pepper. Place ground chuck in a large bowl. By hand thoroughly mix the bulgur/spice mixture into the ground chuck. Divide the resulting mixture into 6 equal portions and form into 3/4" thick patties. Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Trim all 12 pitas to the size of the patties. Using a glass the same circumference as the patties like a cookie cutter works best. Place patties on rack and grill until browned on the bottoms, 3-4 minutes. While patties are grilling, brush both sides of tomato slices and one side of each pita lightly with olive oil. Turn the patties and continue grilling until done to preference, about 3 minutes longer for medium. While patties finish put tomato slices on grill until heated through, about 1 minute each side. Remove patties and tomato slices and set aside. Place pitas, oiled side down, on grill. Cook until lightly browned and remove. To assemble burgers place patties on grilled side of half the pitas. Spread a generous amount of yogurt sauce on patties, top each with a grilled tomato slice. Add remaining pitas, grilled side down on the top and serve.