I’ve been trying to branch out and soak new proteins in my SousVide Supreme. Today, I experimented with making lamb burgers in my water oven. Why? Well, my go-to guy for all things sous vide, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt over at Serious Eats’ Food Lab, has some compelling reasons why you should sous vide your burgers. What really sold me was his drool-worthy description of sous vide burgers:
We’re talking burgers that oozed juices for nearly a minute after biting into them. Burgers that were thick, juicy, and perfectly medium rare from edge to edge with crisp brown crusts. We’re talking nearly perfect burgers here.
Dude! I want to eat one!
Time to make sous vide lamb burgers!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground lamb
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 heaping teaspoon Tabil seasoning
Equipment:
- All of my recommended kitchen tools are listed here.
Method:
I preheated my SousVide Supreme to 137 F (J. Kenji suggests 130 F for medium rare, 140 F for medium) and generously seasoned the ground lamb with salt and pepper. Then, I added the Tabil seasoning and gently mixed the meat to distribute the seasoning.
I divided the meat into 4 patties…
…and then froze them for two hours so my sucky-ass FoodSaver wouldn’t squash the patties too much when it was time to vacuum seal them.
After the patties solidified, I vacuum sealed them, two per bag.
I dunked them in the SousVide Supreme for about 2 hours (you can keep them submerged for 45 minutes up to 12 hours). Then, I took the patties out and dried them with paper towels.
After arranging the patties on a baking rack on top of a foil-lined tray, I busted out my kitchen torch.
According to Douglas Baldwin, you should aim your torch 4-6 inches away from your target and make small circular motions with your flame until you get a nice even char. I think I just like setting things on fire.
Voila!
The burgers were pretty tasty, but not quite “perfect” because I like them closer to medium rare. Looks like I now have an excuse to try this again!
Next time, I’m gonna use a temp closer to 130 F and char the bleep out of them.
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Sous Vide Lamb Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground lamb
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Tabil seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat your SousVide Supreme to 137°F (J. Kenji suggests 130 F for medium rare, 140 F for medium) and generously season the ground lamb with salt and pepper. Then, add the Tabil seasoning and gently mixed the meat to distribute the seasoning.
- Divide the meat into 4 patties and then freeze them for two hours so your vacuum sealer won't squash the patties too much when it's time to vacuum seal them.
- After the patties are solidified, vacuum seal them, two per bag.
- Dunk them in the SousVide Supreme for about 2 hours (you can keep them submerged for 45 minutes up to 12 hours). Then, take the patties out and dry them with paper towels.
- Arrange the patties on a baking rack on top of a foil-lined tray. Break out your kitchen torch and you should aim your torch 4-6 inches away from the patties and make small circular motions with your flame until you get a nice even char.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
uf! I want to make this but I don’t have a sous vide, can I fry them up in a pan?
Try this recipe instead: Lamb Burgers