Happy Canada D’eh!
In celebration of our beautiful country, and weather worthy of barbecuing, we whipped up an extremely local Ostrich burger recipe for you.
Contrary to what one might think, BC happens to be home to a large population of Ostriches. This flightless bird experienced its first air travel when being shipped to Canada to start a new life. While Alberta lead the ‘herd’ by opening an ostrich hatchery in 1994, BC quickly joined in the movement and now has several farms over the province.
The meat for this meal came from a farm in Coquitlam.
Our mushrooms came from Richmond, BC.
Our Alfalfa came from Courtenay, BC.
This dish is a bit of a satire piece as we paired the ostrich burger with alfalfa sprouts, which, according to BC’s Agriculture Resources guide, are part of an ostrich’s diet to begin with.
Serving your ‘bird-ger’ medium rare with a healthy dose of spinach on top makes this sandwich into a pretty great source of iron.
Ingredients: (Yields 4 burgers)
The Patties:
100 grams of ground Ostrich meat
1 Tbsp fresh Thyme Leaves
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
3 Tbspns finely chopped onions
1 clove finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
The Whole Sh’bang:
(Ingredients to be divided across four sandwhiches)
4 Buns of your choice
About 2 cups of washed Alfalfa Sprouts
About 2 cups of Washed Spinach and Salad greens
About 1 cup of assorted mushrooms (To be sauteed)
1 Tsp of olive oil (For sauteing mushrooms)
About 8 Tbsps (1-2 Tbsps per burger) of Vegan Dill Salad Dressing https://www.bhihc.com/getting-dressed-5-minute-salad-dressing/
Instructions:
Combine ingredients for patties in a large bowl, be prepared to get your hands quite messy.
Cook on the barbecue or in a pan on the stove. Ensure the pan is hot before placing the burger down.
Drizzle a small amount of olive oil onto your frying pan, cook the burgers for 4-5 minutes on each side (or until done) at a medium heat. Use your discretion here and cut the burgers to check for completion. Aim for an internal temperature of 165 F.
In a separate frying pan place the tsp of olive oil, with a pinch of salt and pepper, on low heat, then add the mushrooms to saute for about 5 minutes.
When preparing the sandwich use your own creative flare and build them however you like.
We used a tbsp of dill dressing on each of our buns, followed by spinach and salad greens, then the patty, sautéed mushrooms, and about a half cup of alfalfa sprouts to top it off.
Enjoy with friends before catching the fireworks 😉
More info on BC’s Ostrich Population:
https://www.bcaitc.ca/sites/default/files/Grow%20BC/GrowBC_2014_Ostrich%20and%20Emu.pdf
https://www.producer.com/1994/04/alberta-ostrich-hatchery-the-first-in-canada/
Where do I find Ostrich Meat??
(One option:) https://windsorqualitymeats.com/