Lamb & Beef Sliders

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Split the slider buns. Peel the garlic cloves. Mince 1 clove; mince the remaining clove, then smash with the side of your knife until it resembles a paste. Halve the cucumber lengthwise; using a spoon, remove and discard the seeds. Thinly slice the cucumber on an angle. Pick the mint off the stems; discard the stems and finely chop the leaves. Cut off and discard the root of the lettuce; separate the leaves. Using a peeler, remove the yellow rind of the lemon, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest. Quarter the lemon and remove the seeds. Peel and cut the onion in half. Thinly slice one half into rings; small dice the remaining half.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the minced garlic and diced onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Add the spice blend, lemon zest and half the mint. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until toasted and fragrant. Transfer to a plate and spread in a thin layer. Place in the refrigerator to cool. Wipe out the pan.

While the aromatics cool, in a medium bowl, combine the garlic paste, half the labneh, the remaining mint and the juice of 2 lemon wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the cucumber and as much sliced red onion as you’d like (you may have extra); mix until well combined. In a separate small bowl, combine the harissa paste, remaining labneh and the juice of the remaining lemon wedges; season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a medium bowl, combine the ground meat with the cooled aromatics; season with salt and pepper. Gently mix to incorporate. Divide the mixture into 6 equal parts and flatten into ½-inch-thick patties. In the pan used to cook the aromatics, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on high until hot. Add the slider patties and cook, occasionally pressing down with a spatula, 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Transfer to a plate; wipe out the pan.

In the same pan used to cook the patties, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, add the buns, cut side down, and toast 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer the buns to a clean work surface.

Divide the lettuce between the tops of each toasted bun. Place 1 burger patty onto the bottom of each toasted bun and top with a spoonful of the harissa-labneh sauce. Serve with the cucumber salad on the side. Enjoy!