Pita Burgers — Red Meat for a Blue Ribbon Night

Valentine's Day approaches and this year it means something. This year there is a person to share it with, a person who brought me obsidian and huckleberry pie and the four best words anyone has ever said about my cancer-free anniversary. Tom and I have been dating for five months. Five months of phone calls and dinners and hikes and one kiss in a kitchen on Christmas Eve that I replay in my mind like a song I can't stop humming.

We haven't discussed labels. We haven't discussed exclusivity. We haven't discussed any of the things that dating advice columns say you should discuss by month five. But we don't need to, because Tom shows up. Every time. Without being asked. Without wavering. He shows up for Wednesday dinners and Saturday hikes and the occasional weeknight when the kids are asleep and we sit on the couch with Hank and watch a documentary about something neither of us cares about, just to be in the same room breathing the same air. That's not a label. That's a fact. And facts are more reliable than labels.

Lily's show was Saturday. The walk-trot-canter at an arena in Nampa. Eight riders, ages six through ten. Lily entered on Pepper, back straight, face set, her competitive face — the one that looks like mine at the stove, like Diane's at the garden, like Gary's at the corral. The Dawson face. The face that says: I am here and I am not leaving until this is done.

She rode beautifully. Walk: fluid. Trot: rhythmic. Canter: smooth, collected, the horse and girl moving as one. She halted square. She stood in the lineup. The judge walked past. And when they read the placings, Lily's name was first. First place. A blue ribbon. The blue ribbon.

She held it up and her face broke open into the biggest smile I've ever seen on a human, and I was at the fence crying (obviously) and Brett was behind me saying, "That's my girl," and Mom was on the phone because I'd called her live and she was listening to the announcements and she was crying in Twin Falls and I was crying in Nampa and Lily was grinning on a horse in an arena and she'd done it. First place. She said she would and she did. That's Lily. That's Dawson. You say you will and you do.

I made a celebration dinner: steak. Because in this family, celebrations are marked with red meat. Lily's blue ribbon is on the refrigerator now, next to the drawings and the cards and the rocks. The collection grows. The evidence of a life being lived well accumulates on a refrigerator door in a kitchen in Boise, and every piece is precious, and every piece is proof.

In the Dawson house, big moments get marked with red meat — that’s just the rule. After Lily climbed off Pepper with a blue ribbon in her hand and that impossible smile on her face, I knew exactly what dinner was going to be. Pita burgers are my version of a celebration steak when I want something that feels special but still comes together fast enough that I can actually be present at the table, watching my girl hold that ribbon up to the light instead of hovering over a pan. These are bold, juicy, and a little bit festive — exactly right for a first-place kind of evening.

Pita Burgers

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 27 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (80/20 blend)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 pita breads, halved or left whole
• 1/2 cup tzatziki or garlic yogurt sauce
• 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 medium tomato, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• Olive oil, for the grill or pan

Instructions

1. Mix the patties. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until just combined — do not overwork the meat. Form into 4 equal patties, about 3/4 inch thick. Press a shallow indent into the center of each with your thumb to help them cook evenly.
2. Heat the grill or skillet. Brush a grill pan or cast iron skillet with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat until very hot. You want a good sear.
3. Cook the patties. Place patties on the hot surface and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium doneness, or until an internal thermometer reads 160°F. Do not press down on the patties while cooking. Let rest 3 minutes off the heat.
4. Warm the pitas. While the patties rest, warm the pita breads directly on the grill or in a dry skillet for 30 to 60 seconds per side, until lightly toasted and pliable.
5. Assemble. Spread a generous spoonful of tzatziki inside each pita. Tuck in a patty, then layer with romaine, tomato slices, red onion, and a scatter of crumbled feta. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 36g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 680mg