Burgers with olives and English muffins

Sounds a little odd doesn’t it? Burgers with olives and English muffins? Perhaps. But I’m a convert. Let’s start with the olives.

In the last month I’ve come across two burger recipes that include chopped olives mixed into the ground meat. Olives and burgers didn’t seem like a natural combination to me, but it should have. The salty/briny olives provide an unexpected taste tweak to the savory meat.

First, lamb burgers with kalamata olives. Dave loves lamb; I count it as one of the foods (along with goat cheese) that I am “in training” on. So, surprise! These burgers are absolutely, drop-dead delicious. Juicy, savory, and hands-down my new favorite burger. Dave and Rosa both devoured them as well. Here’s the recipe:

- Chop two cloves of garlic and about a quarter-cup of kalamata olives.
- With your hands, mix the garlic, olives, and generous amounts of salt and pepper into a pound of ground lamb. Don’t overmix.
- Cook – either broil, fry, or grill.

Mini versions of these burgers would make great hors d’oeuvres, as well.

The second olive burger is from Eating Well – Spanish Pork Burgers. The recipe is a little more complicated – incorporating chopped caramelized onions and grated manchego cheese – but not much. The seasoned mayonnaise is optional.

Here’s where the English muffins come in. I’ve always been a little flummoxed when it comes to hamburger buns. The puffy white ones sold in packs of eight at the grocery store are usually a) too big, and b) tasteless. And, I’m stuck with six extras, which I stash in the freezer and promptly forget about. I’ve also experimented with crusty dinner rolls, which have some flavor but are too, well, crusty. I don’t need my hamburger bun gouging my mouth while I’m eating. Somehow we discovered toasted English muffins – either wheat or white. They are ideal for hamburgers, the right size, a little flavor, and not too bun-ny, the perfect vehicle to get your olive burger into your mouth. Enjoy!