Ostrich burgers with gorganzola and sticky red onions

Ostrich, despite being a bird, has meat similar to beef or venison and its mince is perfect for a juicy, indulgent burger. Smother on the blue cheese and caramelised onions for extra decadence.

Credit: Sarah Graham's Food Safari

• serves

  6

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 750 g ostrich mince (see Note)
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 100 g feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 tbsp each of chopped fresh mint, basil and parsley
• 1 tsp dried coriander
• 1 tsp dried cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg, to bind

Sticky Red Onion Relish

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 red onions, chopped
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 tsp brown sugar or honey
• pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

 To serve

• hamburger rolls
• 200 g gorgonzola cheese

Chilling time: 30 minutes

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the minced meat, onion, feta, herbs, spices and egg.

2. Roll into patty-sized balls, flattened slightly between your palms, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

3. While the meat chills, heat the olive oil and butter for the relish in a heavy-based pan on medium heat. When the butter starts to foam, add in the remaining relish ingredients, and then turn the heat down and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the onions are caramelised and sticky. Check for seasoning and set aside until serving.

4. Just before serving, cook the burgers over hot coals or in a pan until golden and crispy on the outside and just pink in the middle, about 4-5 minutes per side. Heat your burger buns over the coals or pan just before serving. Assemble and add in gorgonzola and sticky onions as desired.

Note

• Ostrich meat is available at a small number of outlets in Australia. You could make these with other lean meats, such as lean beef.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.