Even though it's the middle of the winter, I still crave grilled foods. Thanks to my grill pan, I can make summer cookout foods year-round. There's only one small problem: I have no ventilation for my stove. So every time I grill (or sear) meat, my apartment fills with smoke, the alarm goes off, and our bedroom ends up smelling like a barbecue for days. But it's totally worth it.

I created these lamb sliders for a couple of reasons. 1) I LOVE lamb. I'd take a lamb burger over beef any day. 2) I love the idea of burgers, I just don't like the size. These little 2-ounce sliders are easier to eat, they look cute, and you can serve them either for dinner or for an hors d'oeuvres party. 3) I created these to taste like kofta, the insanely flavorful spiced meatballs served on skewers in Turkey. (Confession: I've never been to Turkey, but I'm a big fan of their food. I hope to go one day!)

lamb-raw

The combination of the spices and herbs in the lamb, plus the delicious yogurt mint cucumber sauce is a match made in heaven. I'm not gonna lie: these little guys are delicious. Bring on the summer (mid-winter) and give these a try!

(Photos by Signe Birck)

[recipe:best-lamb-sliders-recipe]

TZATZITKI

Makes about 1 1/4 cup

1/2 cucumber, seeded and peeled

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Pinch of salt

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped mint

Salt and pepper, to taste

Roughly grate the cucumber on a box grater (or, alternately, finely chop by hand). Place in a paper towel-lined seive and squeeze out an additional moisture.

Mash the garlic, salt, and lemon juice together on a small plate (this makes the garlic have less of a bite). Pour into a medium-size bowl and whisk in the yogurt, olive oil, and mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for an hour (or more) in the refrigerator for the flavors to combine.

Serve with the lamb sliders.