So I picked up some ground ostrich on a whim, as today I was at Harmony Farms in La Crescenta, CA, lending support to our friend eugenek and they have a lot of esoteric stuff there (Alpaca!). But this big bird, at least in burger form, was not so hot. I like gamey. A little chewy I can work with next time. But a patty that doesn't want to stay together is a no-go. As soon as I took the meat out of the package, I could see it wasn't going to be easy, so I quickly beat an egg and worked that in. Nope. I might try non-ground ostrich again, but no huge regrets if this is the last ostrich burger I meet in this life. Unless, of course, one of you wants to tell me I skipped a fundamental step in ground ostrich prep. And that's entirely possible, but, until then, you folks can consider me an Emu man.
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I'm thinking the ultra leanness of a ratite to be the culprit.
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Try incorporating some fatty bacon into the grind ...Comment
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Ostrich is a very lean meat; much more lean than ground turkey. I've generally done egg, some bacon drippings or shredded butter, and some breadcrumbs in a bowl. Then, unlike hamburger, I really work the meat and press it hard into patties using a burger press. I'm generally going for 1/4 to 1/3 pound patties instead of 1/2 pound patties like regular hamburger. Finally, I rest the burgers in the refrigerator for about an hour to let everything rest and congeal. I cook those patties over a medium hot fire. I also spritz with oil on both sides before they hit the grate.Comment
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