Bunless Ostrich Burgers

Yes you read right. OSTRICH burgers. It sounded just as crazy to me when I stumbled upon the recipe in a Paleo cookbook. But after doing a bit of research I understand why dieticians, health professionals and organizations like the American Heart Association endorse it.

Ostrich is technically "red meat" and tastes very similar to beef. It is extremely high in protein but low in fat, calories, and cholesterol. Like other red meat Ostrich is high in Iron but is even lower in fat grams than skinless chicken or turkey(!) and is easy to digest.

I thought it tasted great but Dave said that it needed A-1 sauce. Not having grown up eating red meat I had to google A-1 sauce to determine exactly what it is. Verdict: If you enjoy adding corn syrup and xantham gum to your burgers have at it! (Although that version of the recipe probably doesn't belong on my blog;)

Ingredients:
4 ostrich steaks
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (see below for Paleo modification.)
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat grill. Coat ostrich patties with Worcestershire sauce and sprinkle with garlic salt, salt and pepper. Place on grill and cook about 4-5 minutes per side. Ostrich steaks will be done when the juices run clear and the meat has reached an internal temperature of 150F for medium. 

For Paleos, cook the burgers with just the seasoning for  4-5 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook for 4 mins, then pour 2 tsp of brandy on each burger.

Burgers are shown served over kale sauteed in onions. The salad is mixed greens, diced tomatoes, walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese. (Hold the cheese if Paleo.)