Last summer we toured the whole island, searching for the lambiest burger in Malta, and ended up finding one in Marsascala. Since then, Lamb burgers have become the current trendy obsession on the local burger scene. And that’s no wonder, as this particular flavour of burger could be well seen as the Mediterranean version of the American all-time classic… the Beef burger. Lambs have long been a dietary staple in both Europe and Asia and sheep meat features prominently in several cuisines of the Mediterranean, whilst mutton is very popular in Central Asia.
Today #MALTAburgers are heading off to the distinctive Balluta Bay, where amidst a towery Church and Georgian townhouses, we find U Bistrot, a stylish restaurant tucked in a corner, that we’ve already visited last year. Here were find Chef Neil, who’s getting ready to build all the components of the lamb burger from scratch… even the bread!
The burger is made from 3 main components plus sides. There’s the patty, a mayo sauce and the bun. You can’t get more basic than that, and meat lovers who nitpick their burgers to remove the vegetable components are going to gorge on this one! The patty is made from 200gr of lamb. The meat is imported and worked out in the kitchen, with different succulent cuts of lamb making up the thick patty, which is combined with eggs, and seasoned with cumin, garlic and ginger. Thick is the keyword here, as this patty packs some good height, making the entire burger a somewhat hulking affair. If we’re shelling out €10+ for a meat burger, this is what we would expect, but sadly, many other burgers fall flat in this category. The patty is grilled to order and then oven baked, resulting in a juicy patty that pleases on all counts. Gamey is often used to describe meat with a stronger aroma than conventional beef, but the seasonings used here do a fantastic job to balance the natural flavours of lamb. They don’t mask the lamb’s taste and inherent qualities, which are still very distinguishable, resulting in a flavorful profile that every lover of meat should be fond of. These flavours have been used wisely and craftily, as they build up to an evidently Mediterranean burger. In terms of texture, the patty is well packed with a crust that is very present. The charring can be appreciated by both the eye and the taste buds. The lamb crumbles nicely due to its coarse grind, making you want to shovel it all in your mouth in one go!
How can you top such a well-made piece of lamb? You whisk up a fresh mayo, with black pepper, mint and garlic! This is a classic culinary pair as it goes particularly well with grilled meats, and it’s abundantly spread over both sides of the bun. It’s thick and pasty enough that it does not drip when you take the holy burger with both hands, tip it perpendicular and bite down on it!
The patty and sauce are held together by a special kind of bun. Since 2017 U Bistrot have been baking their own bread in-house. The 120gr brioche bun is sprinkled with thyme and pepper and brushed with a mix of oils. It’s freshly made every evening as we’ve had the pleasure to experience, and left to ferment and rest for use on the next day. The secret bread recipe has been refined since last time we visited, and the end result is a well-balanced burger bun which is neither too bready nor too weak in consistency, with a subtle floury flavour. At this point in time, we might even dare to say that this is the most rewarding burger bread we’ve tasted in the whole history of #Maltaburgers and this is no incidental occurrence, as the culinary team at U Bistrot are very adamant to improve their end product.
We also got oven baked potatoes shined with thyme and oregano, and a considerable salad of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and leeks, infused with in-house mustard, just in case you want to top up your burger with those. The potatoes are well roasted, with a crisp and crunchy outside and soft interior. They are well-seasoned and hold their own place next to the lamb, however, we wish that the size of the portion was bigger. U Bistrot have also managed to preserve their organic roots by also preparing fresh fruit juices. You can select different fruits from their list of ingredients, and create your own juice. We tried out the grapefruit one, the cucumber mixed with ginger and celery and our favourite, the apple and ginger, which proved to be a mouth refreshing follow-up to the burger. Last year these juices were presented in standard glasses, but we see that U Bistrot have since then picked up on our suggestion and are serving them in handled jars.
U Bistrot have managed to combine good quality ingredients to build a new classic standard when it comes to local Lamb burgers. It’s a definite crowd-pleasing piece of grilled lamb with no frills and extravagant condiments. The thrill is in the lamb itself, and that was superbly executed. A little lamb does go a long way…
