I received a sample of Vermont Wagyu Beef burger from Spring-Rock Farm in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Stuffed Pesto Wagyu Burger serves tender wagyu beef burger meat mixed with pesto and roasted red peppers. Gooey cheddar oozes from the burger’s center, Juicy Lucy style!
Summer and grilling go hand in hand. Burgers are always a favorite way to get my grill on. What I love about burgers is their versatility.
You can season the meat with different spices or top your burger with endless combinations. One thing I do insist on is cheese. Sometimes a slice of American melted on top works. Other times, cheese gets stuffed inside, juicy lucy style.
No matter how you like your burger one thing is a must.
Start with good, quality beef.
For my Stuffed Pesto Wagyu Burger I’m using Vermont Wagyu. You never heard of Wagyu beef? Here’s a bit about it.
About Vermont Wagyu
Vermont Wagyu, a purveyor of all natural, 100% full-blood Wagyu beef, is now shipping its beyond prime grade beef direct to households throughout the U.S. via its website: vermontwagyu.com.
Vermont Wagyu is full-blood naturally-raised Wagyu. The Vermont Wagyu family-owned farm incorporates 350 acres, where founder Dr. Sheila Patinkin and her family raise Wagyu with an old-fashioned commitment to the land and a healthy environment.
“Our commitment is to offer customers naturally raised 100% full-blood Wagyu beef with no added growth hormones or steroids. Our cattle are primarily grass fed and they make it beyond prime grade 100% of the time. All this produces a healthy beef with a melt-in-your mouth texture that’s hard to find anywhere else in the American Northeast,” said Vermont Wagyu owner and founder Dr. Sheila Patinkin, who personally oversees the farm’s breeding genetics program. “We also package and send each order direct from the farm. Customers have the comfort of knowing that their food is coming directly from our family to yours.”
For more information, please visit www.vermontwagyu.com or follow Vermont Wagyu on social media at http://www.instagram.com and http://www.facebook.com/vermontwagyu/.
Stuffed Pesto Wagyu Burger
Adding pesto directly into the burger meat patty makes it so much better. I like to make my own pesto. The pesto recipe is included here. You can use store bought too if you like.
Diced roasted red peppers also go into the burger. So good!
Cube the cheddar into about 1/2-inch size. I use about an ounce of cheese per 4 ounce burger patty. Remember to center the cheese and gently fold the meat sides up and pinch shut.
Grill about 4 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Cheese will be melted when cut!
Of course you will want to take a bit of the garlicky pesto and mix it with some mayo to spread on top. Add a slice of roasted red pepper and serve on a toasted onion roll! Enjoy!
Stuffed Pesto Wagyu Burger
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (I used Vermont Wagyu)
- Pesto
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp chopped roasted red peppers
- 4 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed
- 1/2 tsp salt, optional
Instructions
- Make Pesto. Place basil and garlic in a food processor. Grind until well chopped. Add Parmesan and black pepper. Pulse to create a loose paste. With food processor running, slowly add olive oil until a firm paste forms.
- Mix together Wagyu beef, red peppers, and 1/4 cup pesto paste. Form mixture into 4 balls. Flatten each into a patty.
- Place 1 ounce of cheese cubes on center of patty. Fold up the sides and pinch shut. Place patties on a medium-high heat grill or griddle pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Serve on a toasted roll with a slice of roasted red pepper and pesto mayo if desired. (make pesto mayo ratio: 1 tsp pesto per 1/4 cup mayo.
