Grassfed Beef and Veggie Burgers

One of the most common dishes eaten in Greece is called bifteki. Basically, it’s a hamburger without the bun, and like most Greek food, its beauty is in its simplicity. A side of potatoes and a lemon wedge is all you’ll get, and really all you’ll need.

This is sort of a rendition of bifteki, and it’s what I think it would look like if a hamburger and a veggie burger had a baby.

While grassfed beef is a star all on its own, its flavor is definitely complimented with some assistance from the vegetable kingdom. The veggies keep the burger moist, and stretch your meat (and dollars) a little bit further.

If you don’t already know why grassfed beef should be the only beef on your plate, you can read more about it in my post here.

Inside a burger is also a great place to hide vegetables, if cleverly disguising carrots and zucchini is something you happen to be interested in. 🙂

serves 3-4

Ingredients

3/4 lb grassfed ground beef
1 medium carrot, or several small
1 medium zucchini
1-2 cloves garlic
2 tbs fresh parsley
1 tbs pecorino romano/parmesan
1 tbs coconut oil or pastured lard
1/2 tsp natural salt
few grinds of black pepper
burger toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, etc.

Grate your carrots and zucchini into a mixing bowl. I usually use one medium sized carrot, or several of these little guys. You’ll want about 3/4 cup of each once they’re shredded. Did you know that grating vegetables has been clinically proven to reduce stress?

Just kidding. But it is one of my favorite methods.

Crush and mince the garlic and chop the parsley. I usually take a moment here to really appreciate the smell of fresh parsley. If you’ve only ever used the dried kind, you’re missing out!

Also, how adorable is that purple garlic?

Melt half of the oil in a hot pan and add carrots, zucchini, salt and pepper. Saute for about 2 minutes, add garlic and parsley, and continue to cook for several more minutes until vegetables have softened.

Combine cooked vegetables with ground beef and add grated cheese. Mix to combine.

Really get in there with your (clean) hands. This is almost as effective as the vegetable grating for tension relief. Who knew cooking could be so therapeutic?

Divide the meat and form into patties, I made four but you could definitley end up with more or less depending on the size you’re going for.

Add the remaining oil back to the pan, (the same pan, no use cleaning two!) and cook over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes each side.

I think it would be a shame to smother these beauties inside a hamburger bun, but you certainly could if you wanted to. In my opinion, this burger’s flavors sing the best out in the open. Maybe do as the Greeks do and eat it beside some potatoes. Heck, I’d even throw it on top of a salad. Whatever floats your boat, this is your dinner after all.