Peppered Lamb Burgers With Hot Tomato Jam

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 cups ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
• salt
• 1 1/3 lbs freshly ground lamb
• 2 tablespoons peppercorn blend, very coarsely ground (five-peppercorn blend)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/4 cup merlot
• salt
• olive oil
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• 4 red leaf lettuce leaves

Recipe

• 1 prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high.
• 2 make the jam: combine tomatoes, sugar, ginger, vinegar, and ½ teaspoon of pepper sauce in a flame-proof nonreactive saucepan.
• 3 place pan on the grill rack; bring mixture to a slow simmer.
• 4 continue simmering, stirring occasionally and moving on and off the heat as necessary, until the mixture is reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
• 5 move the pan to the coolest part of the rack and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
• 6 taste; add remaining pepper sauce to taste.
• 7 continue cooking until mixture reaches a jam-like consistency, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
• 8 stir the basil into the cooled mixture and season to taste with salt; set aside.
• 9 make the patties: combine the lamb, peppercorn blend, garlic, sesame oil, and merlot; season to taste with salt.
• 10 handle the meat as little as possible, but combine mixture well.
• 11 divide mixture into 4 equal portions; form into patties to fit the buns.
• 12 brush grill rack with olive oil; place patties on the rack, cover and cook, turning once, until done to preference—4 minutes on each side for med-rare.
• 13 during the last few minutes of cooking, place the buns, cut side down, on the outer edges of the rack to lightly toast.
• 14 assemble burgers: spread the cut sides of buns with tomato jam; on each bun bottom, place a lettuce leaf and a patty; add bun tops and serve.