South Avenue Butcher Hosts Burger Recipe Showcase With Local Chefs & Celebs

St. Patty’s day is right around the corner… but right now the only “patties” on my mind are the ones from South Avenue Butcher in New Canaan!

South Avenue Butcher offers an assortment of burgers that are ready to be brought home and prepared in the manner of one’s choosing.  Current burger selections include lamb with rosemary and garlic, lamb with shawarma spices, and dry-aged beef.  To showcase the patties, South Avenue Butcher is teaming up with local chefs and food personalities.  They will put their own culinary twist on the burgers, describing the perfect cooking method, bun, and accompaniments for the meat.  Anna Zap of the Anna & Raven Show on Star 99.9 went first, providing tips on how to make a lamb burger with fresh baked Kale chips, truffle three cheese mac and cheese, and sweet potato fries.  In the weeks ahead, Luke Venner, Execuitive Chef at elm restaurant, and Chef Plum, private chef and TV host, will proffer their own recipes on the butchery’s website.

South Avenue Butcher opened its doors one week before Christmas.  It occupies the space that once housed Specs, and the name pays homage to the street that it lies on.  Michiel Hutton, also known as Mike The Butcher, manages the new butchery.

“We spend more time giving you the best cut of meat,” he says.  “We can get you any cut you want.”  Although South Avenue Butcher does not offer prepared foods like potato salad, an array of meat rotates through the shop.  They sell sausages, 99% of which are made right on the premises.  On a recent visit, a line of fresh, pink pork chops lined the top of the display case.  Underneath, perfectly marbled steak spanned from edge to edge.  There are plenty of sausages.

“My favorite cut is the rib-eye,” he revealed.  They also can procure game meats, such as elk and bison.

Recently, I was given the opportunity to try my hand at their lamb burger with shawarma spices.  Prevalent in Middle Eastern cuisine, the blend usually includes spices like Coriander, Allspice, Cinnamon, Cumin, Ginger, and Turmeric.  The flavors brought me back to the months I spent in Kuwait and other travels in the region.  I recollected times when the meat had been marinated in pomegranate and decided to take that approach with the burgers.  I marinated them in a few tablespoons of pomegranate juice and garlic.  I later grilled them, placed them on toasted pitas rather than a bun, and completed them with a drizzling of homemade pomegranate-port reduction sauce.

Check South Avenue Butcher’s website to see how your favorite local chefs prepare the burgers or visit the store and put your own twist on them!