For years I have been under the false impression that I did not care for the iconic margarita.

I would accept an invite for “margaritas with the girls” and cringe at the icy pitcher all my friends seemed to happily share while I sipped a lonely Dos Equis at the corner of the table.

I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what bothered me about it so I assumed it was either tequila itself or the food coloring & corn syrup laden pre-fabbed drink mixes that restaurants tend to use in the popular cocktail.

However! In the last two weeks truth has found me and I have seen the light. I thought I knew but I didn’t. I thought I had it all figured out but I don’t. I was close, but no Cuban cigar.

See what happens when someone assumes they know something without really getting down to the heart of the matter?

That someone misses out on a really good Summer cocktail!

So here’s the scoop: I was half-right about the weird ingredient thing. The pre made margarita mixes are totally disgusting because they are comprised of all sorts of cheap food colorings and chemically high-fructosish things that make you feel less than your best in the morning…and really, who needs that? Not you, not me.

But that’s elementary Watson and I would never have made a margarita with a pre made mix in the first place…so what else?

Well I am here to say that…given the circumstances, I have come to believe… as far as I’m concerned {can you tell I’m stalling? I’m nervous…OK} the thing I want to share with you is that I’m sort of convinced that Triple Sec ruins the excellent and refreshing margarita! I know it seems like mutiny but instead of sweetening with triple sec, let yourself be enlightened to the obvious: sweetening an agave based liquor with agave nectar is like making an eternal love match on the beaches of Cabo San Lucas.

Who Knew?

I’ll tell you who- Bon Appetit magazine! Geniuses. Those food editors are pure awesomeness and have shed so much light in to my dark kitchen. They are like the little Albert Einsteins of food & drink.

So at the risk of being banned from Margaritaville altogether {I love you Jimmy Buffet!} I am here to share with you my:

Triple Sec Free Salt Rim Free {I know…I KNOW} Scratch Margarita it’s so good!

1 serving:

2 oz agave tequila {or any top shelf tequila- listen, don’t be cheap or this will all be in vain…good ingredient=good products, right?}

juice of 2 limes {you totally have to use one of those citrus squeezers or you won’t get all the juice and your hand will hurt and that won’t be fun at all}

Agave nectar to taste {I never measure..a teaspoon maybe?..more if you have a sweet tooth…less if you’re Darrinmysweet}

Lots of ice.

Shake shake shake in a cocktail shaker and strain over a glass of ice. I’m not in to salting the rim because aren’t we usually using margaritas to wash down chips and salsa? This margarita is totally clean and refreshing.

Enjoy!

Farmers’ Market season has just kicked off in Indianapolis and I am ever so glad. During the warmer months of the year my cooking tends to revolve around what is available at our local farmers’ market {we have several really good ones around here} and I have been longing for the good, grass-fed lamb that the Royer Family Farm faithfully provides us from April thru October {or until they run out…and they tend to run out before October}.

After two years of faithfully attending the Broad Ripple Farmers Market in pursuit of our desired lamb, Darrinmysweet and I finally got smart. Last winter we put our names on the list. Putting your name on the list means you are agreeing to pay the Royers’ ahead of time and will be the proud owner of an entire lamb once they go to slaughter {sniffle}.

Long gone are the days of pathetically waiting in line at the Royer’s farm-stand, blindly expecting to return home with an armload of lamb, only to be faced with disappointment and menu revisions. OH NO- that was so 2011. This summer we are rolling V.I.P. style into Broad Ripple, picking up our promised-and-paid-for lamb, and rolling out. I probably won’t even stand in line. After I find a parking spot I’ll meander over to the little local coffee-stand {no rush here} get my to-go cup, and casually saunter over to the lamb tent. When I cruise to the front of the line and cooly say… “Gosser” I think I’ll give a little wink to the customer who thought they were first in line.

Yes sir, it is going to be lamb, lamb and more lamb for the Gosse Posse all Summer long.

So now coming out of the batter’s box, it’s:

Low-Carb Lamb Burgers {I mean- who isn’t counting carbs these days?}

1 lb ground lamb {preferably grass-fed, local…we get ours from Broad Ripple Farmer’s Mkt on Saturday mornings}
4 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp dry sherry
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp blackstrap molasses
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

1 yellow onion, sliced
1 Tbsp butter {nothing beats Kerrygold Irish Butter for cooking}
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 oz chevre goat cheese

8 leaves butter lettuce {or iceburg}
sliced tomatoes for garnish

First things first: In a sauce pan, melt your butter and olive oil on medium heat and begin to caramelize the chopped onion. You have probably heard before “The best way to cook an onion is to turn your back on it.” so get that started and, for the most part, ignore it while you do your other tasks.

Preheat grill to medium heat. In a large bowl hand-mix the lamb, cilantro, mint, oregano, garlic, sherry, vinegar, molasses, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Get it all really nice and incorporated. I went back and forth between squeezing everything through my fingers and then kneading for a good 2 minutes.

Divide evenly into 4 patties. Grill patties for 10 minutes total, flipping after 5 minutes.

While those grill, turn off the stovetop the onions have been cooking on {they should be golden and brown and very soft- cooked at least 30 minutes}. Season with a little sea salt and add goat cheese. Let the goat cheese sit until right before you take the lamb burgers off the grill and then give it a good stir to incorporate with the onions.

Using the lettuce leaves as a bun substitute, lay each lamb burger on top of one lettuce leaf and top each patty with 1/4 of the goat cheese/onion mixture. Next top with tomatoes and second lettuce leaf.

Enjoy!