Meat & Livestock Australia “lambassador” Sam Kekovich is using his annual Australia Day address to urge people to “teach tots to love lamb” – and these tasty burgers should certainly help. Taking only around 10 minutes to make and the same time to cook, they should also prove popular with adults at your Australia Day barbie.

Ingredients

500g lamb mince
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 clove crushed garlic
Grated rind and juice one small lemon
1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 tablespoons fennel seeds

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To serve
Pita bread, lettuce, chopped cucumber and roasted capsicum, feta and tzatziki

Method

1 Combine the mince, onions, dill, garlic, lemon rind and juice, breadcrumbs and the egg. Mix lightly, shape into 12 small burgers. Lightly brush the burgers with a little oil and sprinkle with the fennel seeds.

2 Preheat the barbecue plate or pan to moderately high. Add the burgers, lower the heat to moderate. Cook for 4-5 minutes each side, or until cooked. Turn them once only.

3 Serve the burgers with pita, lettuce, cucumber, capsicum, feta and tzatziki.

Tips

• Use wet hands to shape the burgers: this stops the lamb sticking to your hands, helping you to roll and shape them easily.
• Oil the burgers rather than oiling the barbecue or pan. This ensures the burgers don’t stick to the grill or pan allowing them to sear well. If they sear well in the first few minutes of cooking they’ll be golden brown and tasty. To make it easy, brush the burgers with a brush dipped in oil or easier still use a spray can of oil.
• Burgers should always be thoroughly cooked. The burgers should not be served rare or pink. A good guide is to insert a skewer into the thickest part; if it is ready to eat the juices will be clear.

Recipe provided by Meat & Livestock Australia. For more lamb recipe ideas, visit www.beefandlamb.com.au