Lamb Burger with Goat Cheese and Onion Jam

I'm not sure why I ordered this at Matt's at the Market in Seattle's Pike Place. It is very unusual that I would order lamb anything, but something about pairing the lamb burger with goat cheese and onion jam, just made me do it.  And... It was terrific. Matt's is THE place to go in the market, and you have a great view of the hustle and bustle of the market, and the landmark sign while you dine in comfort and deliciousness.  My burger was served with a crazy garbanzo bean, golden raisin, red onion and mint salad. I'm going to make that soon, it was amazing too.

I know that not everyone likes lamb.. which is fine, I'm not 100% sure I love it that much either. I just happen to live with this guy who thinks its like the best thing ever. So if you don't like lamb, this would be terrific with ground beef or turkey too.  Make it what you like!

In case you are wondering, I made the buns too. I made the 5 Minute Artisan bread the other day, so I had the dough on hand, waiting for me. I made smaller rolls with fresh rosemary and baked my own buns. 
Except they turned out a bit large... yeah, way too big. What a terrible problem to have, huh?  I'm not saying you need to make your own buns, but you could and they would be awesome, chewy, fresh and yeasty perfect for getting the lamb, the goat cheese and the onion jam to your face.  Yum.

Serves 4-6

2 lb. ground lamb

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Burger Fixings:

4 oz of goat cheese, cut into 8-12 slices

1 cup onion jam (recipe below)

Dijon mustard

4 Slices Tomato

2 cups baby spinach, shredded and tossed with

- 1 Tbsp Olive oil

- 1 tsp lemon juice

Onion Jam Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large red onion, sliced

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup water (you might need more water as you go, if it looks dry)

Make the Onion Jam first!

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and the oil.

Cook until soft and translucent about 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the sugar, red wine vinegar and water.

Cook until the liquid is reduced completely and the onions are caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add more water if the mixture starts to look dry and the pan bottom starts to brown. Set aside. It will get even darker as it cools.  I did this the day before I wanted to serve the burgers.

Mix lamb, or beef, with oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Shape into patties. Grill the burger patties until done to your liking, probably 3-5 minutes per side, but how hot your grill is makes a difference. Take off the grill. Add the slices of goat cheese on top of the hot patties.

Lightly toast the buns, add a bit of dijon mustard on the bottom bun, topped with onion jam, the patty, the shredded spinach salad and the sliced tomato.

Eat, enjoy... yum.

Here are some other great sandwiches to make:

Tandoori Turkey Burger

Sourdough Picnic Meatloaf
Banh Mi - Vietnamese Sandwiches
Simple BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich or Sliders