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Merguez with Pork and Lamb

by Lidia Bastianich on May 23, 2013

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Servings
About 12 patties
Course
Entree

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of Italian sausage, already ground, either hot or mild
  • 1 or 2 lamb shoulder chops
  • 1½ teaspoons of cumin powder
  • ¾ teaspoon paprika
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
  • Iceberg lettuce leaves
  • Cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions

  1. Buy 1 pound of Italian sausage, already ground, either hot or mild, and 1 or 2 lamb shoulder chops, about 12 ounces total. These chops are a bit “fatty,” and give great flavor to the merguez.
  2. Bone the chops, and cut the lamb meat into 1-inch pieces. You should have 9 to 10 ounces of meat.
  3. Grind all the meat through a medium-size screen in a meat grinder, which I have as an attachment to my mixer. Alternatively grind these pieces in a food processor for 10 to 15 seconds, and mix the ground lamb with the Italian sausage. (If you find the Italian sausage is coarser than you would like, grind it a little, as well, in the food processor.)
  4. To the combined meat, add 1½ teaspoons of cumin powder, ¾ teaspoon paprika, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¾ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic.
  5. Mix together until well combined, and then form the meat into 12 pieces, each about the size of a ping-pong ball, and flatten slightly to make patties, each weighing about 2 ounces. At this point, the patties can be wrapped well and frozen, but be sure to allow them to thaw slowly in the refrigerator before cooking.
  6. To cook the merguez, place on a very hot grill for about 3 minutes on each side. They will get crusty and juicy, with a wonderful aroma. Do not press on them, as people often do with hamburgers. They should be cooked medium, with a juicy interior and seared exterior.
  7. Arrange on iceberg lettuce leaves, sprinkle with cilantro leaves and pass around to guests.

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