In the kitchen: Feta and Herb Stuffed Burgers with Polenta Fries

We tried out the ground beef from our Old Pine Farm meat CSA last night. I made Feta and Herb Stuffed burgers from one of the recipes included with our share. They were delicious. I've read that the biggest taste difference between corn-fed and grass-fed beef is in ground meat and after these burgers, I believe it. The meat has a stronger, naturally beefier flavor that the boy and I both really enjoyed. The meat is extremely lean, making for a denser burger, but wasn't dry at all.

Feta and Herb Stuffed Burgers
Adapted from The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook by Kacey and Kelly Petersoon
Serves 3

1/3 cup crumbled feta (I used Greystone Creamery from the CSA)
1 heaping Tb fresh oregano, minced
2 Tb fresh spinach, chopped
1 pound ground beef
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Mix feta, oregano and spinach in a small bowl. Divide ground beef into three portions and form patties. Make a well in center of each burger and place 1/3 feta mix in it. Reform patty up and around stuffing, making sure it is all covered. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

I pan-fried the burgers in a cast iron skillet, though they could also be grilled. If you do cook them in a skillet, I like to cover with a lid when cooking the second side to create some steam to help cook them without drying them out.

Baked polenta fries are a great with these burgers. If you have leftover polenta, spread it in a dish that is a suitable size so that it forms a 1-1 1/2 inch layer and refrigerate. When you are ready to use it, invert the dish to remove the polenta and cut into 1/2 inch strips about 4 inches long. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet and bake at 425º until lightly browned and crisp, 25-30 minutes, turning once.