Ground meat typically finds its way onto the grill in the summer, shaped into patties, tucked into buns, and layered with toppings at backyard cookouts and celebrations. But when the meat mixture is boldly flavoured with spices and seasonings, it can be so much more than a burger.

Merguez is a prime example. The North African sausage is flavoured with lots of spices, garlic and harissa. This recipe is a riff on merguez, adapted from my first solo cookbook, “Small Victories.” I’ve updated it a bit to suit my current tastes, which, honestly, have less to do with flavour and more to do with labour.