Grape Leave Burgers (a la Sitto)

Ingredients:

For the Burgers
5 cups 80% lean ground beef
2 cup cooked white rice (recipe below)
1 large egg
3 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp allspice

For the Rice
2 cups water
1 tbsp EVOO
1 cup white rice
1 tsp kosher salt

For the Buns
12 fresh pita bread loaves – no pocket
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the Sauce
1 cup greek style plain yogurt
¼ cup lemon juice
6 cloves minced garlic
1 cup crumbled feta
1 tbsp kosher salt

Fixins
6 jarred grape leaves, drained and rinsed
2 cup water
1 cups lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
6 whole stewed tomatoes
2 tbsp allspice
1 tbsp kosher salt

Instructions:

1) Combine burger ingredients. Mix. Shape into square patties.

2) Combine sauce ingredients. Stir.

3) Grape leaves: Fill grill safe pot with water, lemon juice, oil, and garlic cloves. Add grape leaves and boil 30 minutes covered.

4) Rice: In second grill safe pot, bring water and oil to a boil. Add rice and salt. Cover and simmer 20 minutes on low heat.

5) Slice stewed tomatoes thin. Sprinkle with allspice and salt.

6) Add burgers to med/high grill. Grill about 5 minutes per side.

7) Cut pitas into squares. Brush with evoo. Grill 1 min per side.

8) Build burgers: pita square, burger, grape leave, tomato slices, sauce, pita square. Repeat.