Grass-Fed Beef Burgers

It has been a really long time since I made a hamburger.  Turkey and chicken burgers, sure, but not beef.  I limit my beef consumption to once a month, and a contributing reason for that is the difficulty in finding grass-fed beef (which is healthier and more environmentally friendly) in grocery stores.  Well I have good news, people.  It is becoming more common.  I happened upon a 1-pound package of organic, grass-fed ground beef at Trader Joe's this weekend!  Miracle of miracles.

The beauty of grass-fed beef, among other things, is that it has a unique flavor of its own that doesn't require a lot of doctoring.  This burger recipe seemed like the best way to use it, since it is so uncomplicated.  A simple combo of Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce, some salt and pepper, and voila.  Sure you can top it with ketchup, mustard, whatever you like after you're done.  Some good quality aged white cheddar is a nice addition (as pictured above).  But the burger itself has a fantastic depth of flavor that is hard to compete with.

Now that I've found grass-fed ground beef I'm not going to start eating it every week, but it definitely makes me feel good about my monthly beef consumption.  Eco-conscious meat eaters (no that is not a paradox), rejoice.

Grass-Fed Beef Burgers

serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound organic, grass-fed lean ground sirloin or chuck (85:25)

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

cooking spray

2 thin slices of aged white cheddar (or other cheese)

2 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted if desired

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat a grill pan over high heat.  While it preheats, use a fork to gently combine the ground beef, mustard, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper (to taste) in a bowl until well combined.  Divide into two patties no thicker than an inch each, and create a slight indentation in the middle of each patty so they don't puff up too much in the middle.

2.  Spray the preheated grill pan with cooking spray and add the patties to the pan.  Sear for about one minute on each side, then reduce heat to medium-high and cook for about 5-8 minutes per side, to desired doneness.  

3.  When burgers are just about done, place a slice of cheese on each patty and tent with foil.  Turn off the heat and let sit for a couple of minutes.   Place the patties onto the buns and serve.

Enjoy!