Trellis in Kirkland, Washington, takes seasonality and true agrarian cuisine to the next level — although the restaurant is in a Seattle suburb, it pulls its creativity (and daily harvest produce) from an 18-acre farm just a few miles northeast. When it comes to his house lamb burger, the restaurant’s farm-fresh groceries and local livestock are the stars of this show. In the case of this burger, it’s the high-quality, lean-ground leg of lamb.
Fortunately when it comes to pairing, Sound Brewery in Poulsbo, Washington, specializes in Belgian-style ales that demand lamb. The Dubbel Entendre Belgian-style Dubbel might be the brewery’s most decorated beer, but it is also a multi-faceted sipper with a dark side (chocolate and toffee malts) that balances farmhouse lamb funk with the light side (tropical fruits and spice).
Trellis Lamb Burger
Makes 6 burgers
3 pounds 80/20 lean ground lamb leg
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
1½ tablespoons rosemary
1 teaspoon ground pepper
6 potato rolls
Dijon mustard
6 slices of Swiss cheese
6 tomato slices
1 red onion, thinly shaved
½ head of romaine lettuce, shredded
House-made Sweet Pepper Relish (recipe to follow)
For the burgers, mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and hand-form into patties.
Brush grill pan or grill with olive oil. Cook patties over medium-heat until level of doneness is achieved, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Slice potato rolls if not pre-sliced, place burger on bottom bun and top with remaining ingredients and house-made sweet pepper relish.
House-made Sweet Pepper Relish
Makes about 2½ pints
10 large red and green bell peppers, julienned with stems and seeds removed
¾ pounds sweet onions, julienned
2 tablespoons canning or pickling salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup cider vinegar
½ tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
½ tablespoon black mustard seed
1 tablespoon fennel seed
Wash peppers and onions. Julienne onions and peppers into long strips. Combine in a large bowl with the salt and toss to mix thoroughly. Cover and let stand for 3 hours.
Drain peppers and onions, squeezing to get as much moisture out as possible. In a large non-reactive kettle, combine the two vinegars, sugar, mustard seeds and fennel seed. Add the well-drained pepper moisture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, until thickened. Stir occasionally, remove and chill.
This recipe originally ran in the spring 2016 issue. For the full article and more like it, click here.
