I love a good pita. A pita or a wrap, really. The problem is that often wraps or pitas fall apart, and that makes me SO sad. I get why sliced bread is the king of the sandwich outers, but I really love other options. 
ESPECIALLY when the innards of a sandwich are so special, like this one. They just beg for a different kind of bread that works with the flavors - pita is totes Middle Eastern imo, as is lamb. A perfect pair! I made these sandwiches a few weeks ago on a Saturday, and as per the usual the pita fell all over the place and we ended up kind of slopping bits of this into our mouths because it was still SO good. So here's what you need to do - get some really good, sturdy pita, and go. to. town. Because lamb patties.
The ingredients are really simple, which I love in stuff like this when there is so much flavor going on - you don't need a ton of ingredients! You'll need ground lamb, red wine vinegar, olive oil, cumin, cinnamon, feta cheese, pita bread, yellow squash, and lettuce for serving. Any kind of lettuce you like! 
Ok so first we'll make the lamb mixture and let the patties rest while we work on the squash. Sprinkle the lamb with the cumin, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of salt. 
Use your fingers to mix the spices into the lamb, then form 8 little patties, about 2 inches wide. Set the patties aside to rest at room temperature (or in the fridge if you aren't cooking the lamb within 2 hours). 
For the squash, combine the vinegar, oil, and some salt and pepper in a little bowl. Cut the squash into matchsticks, then toss the squash with the vinegar mixture. Let it sit while you cook the lamb. 
Back to the lamb! Preheat a large skillet to medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the lamb patties and cook them for about 3 minutes on each side. Don't touch the patties in between flipping - they'll get a better crust if they can just sit and cook until it's time to flip them. 
Now, I like to shred lettuce for sandwiches, so do that if you want to. When the lamb is done, grab the pita and feta and lettuce, then drain the pickled squash. 
Assemble the pitas with the lamb, lettuce, squash, and feta, and curse the ever-loving Lord because no matter what you do your pita always falls apart. 
Then take a bite and don't worry about it a bit, because the flavors here totally forgive the broken pita issue. 
These are ridiculous. They have such a great combination of textures and flavors, and the lamb is nothing short of succulent. You could make the lamb patties larger and do burger buns with these, but if you can manage the pita idea I really recommend it, broken or not.
Enjoy!
Lamb Pita with Pickled Squash
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground lamb
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 yellow squash cut into matchsticks
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 2 large round pitas halved
- 4 large lettuce leaves
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the lamb with the cumin, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Form into 8 small patties and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the squash, vinegar, oil, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir, and let sit to marinate while you cook the lamb.
- Preheat a skillet to medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. When the skillet is very hot, add the lamb patties (do this in two batches if you need to) and let them cook without touching for 3 minutes, then flip. Cook another 3-4 minutes until well browned on both sides.
- When the lamb is cooked, drain the squash through a strainer. Assemble the pitas with the lettuce, two lamb patties each, some of the squash, and crumbled feta. Eat immediately. Enjoy!
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