Oryx Burgers with Smoky Sriracha Mayo
You’re probably wondering… what on earth is an Oryx? Well I’m here to tell you what an Oryx is, where on earth you can find it, and how you can create a tasty treat using its meat!
An Oryx, or gemsbok, is a large antelope native to the Kalahari Desert. Between 1969 and 1977, 95 wild oryx were brought over from Africa to an experimental range in New Mexico. Since U.S. federal law prohibits introducing wild animals from other countries into the wild, the offspring of these oryx were released at White Sands Missile Range. The purpose for their release being to increase large game opportunities for hunters.
There are thousands of oryx residing at the missile range today. Since the oryx lacks predators in New Mexico (lions and other natural predators control the population in Africa), annual hunts are held to help control and stabilize the population. A family friend of ours went on this year’s annual oryx hunt and gifted us a portion of his ground oryx meat.
I wasn’t entirely sure how to cook oryx, and after an extensive Google search, realized there’s pretty much zero recipes out there for oryx anything. So we settled on oryx burgers—a simple method of cooking ground meat where you can still taste the meat without hiding it under a bunch of other flavors and ingredients. And let me tell you, you do NOT want to cover up the flavor of this oryx! It is uniquely delicious and incomparable to any other meat flavor my husband and I have tasted.
With that being said, I didn’t add much to these burgers because they didn’t need it. But, like any burger, feel free to spruce it up in any way you feel is fit :)
(Where to buy oryx meat? It appears to be pretty hard to come by, but you can find it on exoticmeatmarkets.com for $49.99/lb……)
Ingredients
3 lbs ground oryx
Onion powder
Salt
Mixed greens (baby spinach, arugula, etc.)
Tomato slices
Swiss cheese
1/2 cup mayo
1 tbsp sriracha
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
4 tbsp butter, melted
6 buns
Instructions
Form ground oryx into (6) 1/2 lb patties. Season with salt and onion powder. Allow to sit for 20 minutes before grilling (allows seasoning to be absorbed by the meat).
Note: I like to make my patties a little bigger, so I ended up with (5) instead of (6).
In the meantime, mix together mayo, sriracha, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Set aside.
Grill oryx patties over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side. I recommend grilling these to the maximum temp of medium rare. Wrap in foil and let rest for 5 minutes before devouring.
Brush melted butter onto buns and either grill or toast to give them a little crisp.
Finally, assemble your burgers! Lay down a bed of mixed greens on your bun, followed by tomato slices, oryx patty, swiss cheese, and top with a dollop of smoky sriracha mayo.
Oryx Burgers with Smoky Sriracha Mayo
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs ground oryx
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Mixed greens (baby spinach, arugula, etc.)
- Tomato slices
- Swiss cheese
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- 6 buns
Instructions:
How to cook Oryx Burgers with Smoky Sriracha Mayo
- Form ground oryx into (6) 1/2 lb patties. Season with salt and onion powder. Allow to sit for 20 minutes before grilling.
- In the meantime, mix together mayo, sriracha, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Grill oryx patties over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side. I recommend grilling these to the maximum temp of medium rare. Wrap in foil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Brush melted butter onto buns and either grill or toast to give them a little crisp.
- Finally, assemble your burgers! Lay down a bed of mixed greens on your bun, followed by tomato slices, oryx patty, swiss cheese, and top with a dollop of smoky sriracha mayo.
