Colorado Lamb Burgers with Lavender and Lemon

Ingredients

Lemon Aioli:
1-2 whole lemons
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
Patties: 2 lbs freshly ground lamb
2 tsp dried lavender
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
olive oil for brushing grill
6 focaccia rolls, cut in half horizontally
6 small handfuls of arugula leaves

Instructions

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill with a cover, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. To make the lemon aioli, zest and juice the lemons to make approximately 2 teaspoons of zest and 3 tablespoons of juice. Place the zest and juice into a bowl and add the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper and chives and mix to combine. Cover and chill. To make the patties, combine the lamb, lavender, rosemary, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Handling the meat as little as possible to avoid compacting it, mix well. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions and form into patties. When the grill is ready, brush the grill rack with olive oil. Place the patties on the rack, cover, and cook, turning once, until done to preference, about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. During the last few minutes of grilling, place the rolls on the outer edges of the rack and toast lightly. To assemble the burgers, spread 1-2 Tablespoons of the lemon aioli on each of the cut sides of the rolls. Place a patty on the bottom roll and top with a small handful of arugula leaves. Add the roll tops and serve immediately.