Good venison burger recommendations?

[RK]

Hiya -

OK, so believe it or not, I've never made venison burger. Thought I'd try some this year for a change of pace. I have probably 5 or 6 pounds of trimmings - all very clean, no fat or silverskin or gristle - that I'd like to try making burger with.

So, anyone have any good recommendations on what to mix it with? I was thinking bacon because, well...bacon. Also heard just plain pork fat or ground pork? Ground pork shoulder work?

Ratio of venison to other stuff?

Anything else I should know?

Thanks!

RK

[motley man]

I do mine plain and add whatever when I cook it. If I use it in chili, noodles, whatever just plain. If burgers I add cheese [your choice], egg and pork sausage.

[jentz]

If you have the meat super lean I'd go with 20% plain pork fat.Adds some grease and moisture

[DonBo]

I do the bacon and everyone loves it. I add 20%, or 2 lbs for every 10 of venison. If you don't want the added expense of the bacon, add some fat. Pork or beef works just fine, but beef freezes (and grinds) better IMO. Use about 10%.

[pike79]

I like to make venison burgers with three strips of bacon, 1 cup of chedder cheese, a chopped jalapeneo, and some bbg sauce mixed with a pound of ground venison they taste great and very juicy.

[pikestabber]

I do the bacon, too, but at a much higher percentage (one lb of bacon per two pounds of venny trim).

My last recipe was...

* 1lb. Venny

* 1/2 pound quality bacon

* 3 small Serrano peppers, chopped fine

* 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

Mix all together and season as you would any burger

Grill (preferred) or pan fry until cooked through

Serve on a toasted bun with mayo and spicy mustard along with sauteed portabellas and swiss cheese.

[goblueM]

I like 15-20% beef fat, but I can't get any this year so I'm using 20% pork trimmings. Made a test batch and it tasted pretty good.

I like going simple, because you can always add stuff in at cooking time, but you can't take it out once it is in there

[LABS4ME]

I make venison Burgers...

4 lbs venison

1 lb bacon

1 small to medium white onion cut into wedges

add pieces equally into grinder... grind through fine plate

then

mix in 1/2 - 1 packet lipton onion soup mix

1 lb high temp cheddar cheese

bbq sauce

mix well

I use a patty press and make 1/3 lb burgers, seperate with each w/ patty paper and freeze 4 to a package. Works awesome! Especially for ice fishing. You only need to pack the buns as everything else is included in the burger already! no cheese or condiments to pack! Bacon cheese burgers right off the grill!

Good Luck!

Ken

[RK]

Awesome stuff - thanks guys.

Rob

[Dark Cloud]

I worked for years at a meat market/butcher shop and have tried about every combo going. Everyone has diff tastes and preference but for our burgers I like 1lb of bacon ground with 4-5 lbs of venison. More than 5 pounds and it can get a little dry. I also ad in a tablespoon of generic "burger seasoning"...

50/50 with pork butt is good also but I save that for sausage type stuff.

I will also grind venison with pure beef fat. I'll save fat from NY strips or rib-eyes and grind that at about 10% with venison. We tend to use that for tacos, stuffed, peppers, chili, ect. But it also makes good burgers...

[picksbigwagon]

the last time I did ground venison, I had it mixed 50/50 with pork, the burgers were awesome, even my wife liked it, which is a huge compliment from her when it comes to venison

[mainbutter]

I don't mix my venison with other meat, however:

I started off adding an egg to about 1-2lbs of meat and mixing together because it does help lean meat bind. I use the same technique for lean ground beef.

The last few times I've skipped the egg and not had binding issues, which surprised me.

I typically add worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper to my ground venison for extra deliciousness, and mix it up. Form some patties, on the grill, bam you're done. I use it just like lean hamburger.

[Tripleplay]

I've been going with a mix recommended by the meat market I use and it has reached the point where we don't buy beef burger anymore. 20% addition of 85% lean ground beef added to my trimmings which I clean up really well.

Brown this for chili, hotdish, etc. and you don't even have to drain before adding.

My wife who is very picky will eat this mixture so it works for me. I ended up with some caribou burger that I didn't have any control over from a trip to Alaska this fall and my wife has already informed me that she won't be eating it but will cook it for me! I don't think it is the mixture as much as the stronger smell of the caribou that caused this.

[Stratosman]

I use 80/20 ground beef in my venison at a rate of 1:3....I found the absolute best burger for the grill is mix in cooked bacon as well as blue cheese crumbles. Unbeleivable.

[KEN W]

I've been going with a mix recommended by the meat market I use and it has reached the point where we don't buy beef burger anymore. 20% addition of 85% lean ground beef added to my trimmings which I clean up really well.

Brown this for chili, hotdish, etc. and you don't even have to drain before adding.

My wife who is very picky will eat this mixture so it works for me. I ended up with some caribou burger that I didn't have any control over from a trip to Alaska this fall and my wife has already informed me that she won't be eating it but will cook it for me! I don't think it is the mixture as much as the stronger smell of the caribou that caused this.

If Cariboo bulls are taken during their rut,they are the strongest tasting wild meat I have eaten.Almost inedible.....had to make sticks to cover up the strong taste.

[Dark Cloud]

Had 17lbs of trim from our last deer and ground it with 4lbs of bacon. Mixed in a tablespoon of burger seasonings and made 6oz patties. These are ready to be vac-packed in various sized packages.

Awesome on the grill but I do prefer a beef ratio for stuff like tacos, chili, stuffed peppers. I did save a 1.5lb chunk of the bacon ground stuff to make a meat loaf out of...

[mskyfshntchr]

We mix beef tallow with our burger. About a 7:1 or 8:1 ratio of meat to tallow.

Just enough to get the venison to stick together.

To me, If you mix pork and all that other stuff with it you are losing the venison flavor. That's what I like anyways. TO each their own.