Ostrich Burgers with Biltong, Feta and Red Wine Sauce

This was my entry to the 2011 Food24 burger competition. I was considering submitting my Cheeseburger Cupcakes, but I figured something savoury would be more appropriate. Ostrich is a lean meat that is low in cholesterol and high in protein, and there is no chance of E-coli or salmonella because of ostrich’s ideal pH. So all in all, it’s a pretty healthy alternative to traditional beef mince, that has a similar (although slightly sweeter) taste. If you can’t find or don’t like ostrich mince, these burgers can be made with beef mince.

Make the red wine sauce well ahead of time (or even a few days before), as it takes a while to reduce down.

Red Wine Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

1 onion – finely chopped

1 tsp minced garlic/garlic paste

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

250ml beef stock

375ml red wine

2 sprigs worth or chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

1tsp sugar

1 tsp Robertson’s black pepper paste

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I used the hot version)

Method

1. In a deep frying pan, fry the onions and garlic in the olive oil, until the onions have gone translucent
2. Add the balsamic vinegar and allow to reduce and coat the onions evenly
3. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir every so often, letting the sauce reduce until it is thick (This seems to take forever, but it’s worth it)

 

Ostrich Burger Recipe

Ingredients

500g Ostrich Mince

1 Onion – finely chopped

1 tsp garlic

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 egg

1 slice of bread

Salt and pepper to taste

Some olive oil

Method

1. Make breadcrumbs out of the bread – I use a food processor, since it makes the crumbs fine
2. In a big bowl, mix all the ingredients together until combined
3. Roll the meat mixture in the size of the burger patties you prefer. I managed to make 9 patties.
4. Leave the patties to chill in the fridge for at least 20min. This will help them to stick together better while you are cooking them
5. When you are about to cook the patties, give them a slight coat of olive oil, so that they don’t stick to the pan
6. I used a non stick frying pan to cook the burger patties.

 

Put the burger patties on your choice of bread or roll. I used a Panini roll, which fits 2 patties on – so very suitable for incredibly hungry people.

Top the burger with lettuce, biltong slices, crumbled feta and the red wine sauce.

And there you have it, my Ostrich Burger with Biltong, Feta and Red Wine Sauce. A healthier and delicious South African burger.