Lately we’ve found ourselves in what feels like a never ending quest to mix up our ground meat routine. Jay and I have been pretty happy with these meatball subs, this butternut squash pasta dish, and our venison kofta meatballs. This week we tried another Mediterranean twist on our ground meat with these venison pita sandwiches.
Before forming the patties, I chop and sauté half a red bell pepper and half an onion then mix them right in with the meat along with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, and garlic powder. This helps keep the meat moist and adds so much flavor to my patties.
Oh, and I’ve found the easiest way to form and cook perfectly round patties that don’t fall apart. I use a round cookie dough as a mold by placing it on a baking sheet and pressing my meat right inside. The patties then get baked for 12-15 minutes and don’t even need to get flipped. This is definitely far and away my new favorite way to make a large batch of burgers.
The patties get topped with cheese and a quick homemade tabouli. This version is oil free and is a bright contrast to the meat, cheese, and bread. The sandwiches get served with a dollop of greek yogurt, roasted red peppers, and leftover cucumber slices from the tabouli.
These sandwiches would be so good with turkey or beef, too. Try them out and tell me about it in the comments below!
Mediterranean Venison Pita Sandwiches with Tabouli
For the Pitas
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 Medium Onion, chopped
- 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 Lb Ground Venison, Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
- 1 Tbsp Cumin
- 1 Tsp Coriander
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 6 Slices Havarti or Muenster Cheese
- 6 Pita Pockets or Small Buns
For the Tabouli
- Juice from 1 Lemon
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 Cup Buckwheat, cooked according to package directions
- 1/2 Medium Cucumber, chopped
- 1 Tomato, chopped
- 2 Cups Parsley, chopped
- 1/2 Medium Onion, chopped
For Serving
- Roasted Red Peppers, sliced
- Additional Cucumber Slices
- Greek Yogurt
Preheat the oven to 400. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until translucent, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool then mix with the ground meat, cumin, coriander, and garlic. Divide the meat into six equal pieces. Place a round cookie cutter on a baking sheet and press one of the meat sections into the mold and remove. Repeat this step for the rest of the meat. Optionally, form each piece into a round, flat patty and place on the baking sheet. Cover with cheese and bake for 12-15 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160.
While the patties are cooking, chop and combine all the ingredients for the tabouli. Serve patties with small buns or pita pockets, tabouli, greek yogurt, cucumber slices, and roasted red peppers.
