OT: venison burger

[ronpolk]

Any of you guys grind your own venison for burger? If so, do you add any beef fat and how much?

The last few years I’ve taken some meat to flora butcher for burger but I’d like to try grinding my own.

By the way flora butcher is very good for processing, at least hamburger meat anyway. Nothing against them, I’m planning on taking some out there after the season is over.

 

[DerHntr]

I prefer lower levels of fat in my burger but some people have trouble cooking consistently with it. I’ll make the majority of it with no more than 5-7% fat. This is used in tacos, spaghetti, etc. where you add a bunch of seasoning and oftentimes a liquid/sauce. The fat isn’t necessary because it won’t dry out owing to the rest of the recipe.

I will then make about 10 - 15 lbs with 15-25% fat. I use this only for smash burgers on the griddle or burgers on the grill. The extra fat helps you to keep it from drying out. It also adds the typical smoke flavor on the grill because the fat drips onto the coals. It’s not hard at all to do it like this. Just add more to the grind pile when ready and mark the bags with extra fat.

 

[dogmatic]

I like to mix 10% beef or pork fat into mine.

One neat way to do it is to add pork fat by mixing in commercially-produced breakfast sausage. Jimmy Dean or Tennessee Pride, whatever you like. It's easy to do and adds a nice flavor.

 

[peewee.sixpack]

I process b/w 10 - 20 a year between my family and friends. My wife doesn’t like venison burgers but we use ground venison for pretty much everything else (tacos, chili, spaghetti etc. etc.). I grind it straight venison and don’t add any fat. I’ve done it that way since 1999. I take 1 deer to Dwights or Stacie’s to get link sausage. Everything else I do myself. This year I did make some awesome patty sausage. For that I use a 70/30 combo of venison/pork shoulder. The fattier the pork the better. For seasoning I use rebul butcher supply HOT BREAKFAST SAUSAGE SPICE (~ 2 tbsp per pound). It’s freaking jam up good . I do a lot of jerky also. My favorite seasoning is high mountain jerky Hickory flavor, double up the recommended seasoning but keep the cure at the recommended rate. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer wrap the meat in Saran Wrap then freezer paper. It will last years.

 

[ronpolk]

I prefer lower levels of fat in my burger but some people have trouble cooking consistently with it. I’ll make the majority of it with no more than 5-7% fat. This is used in tacos, spaghetti, etc. where you add a bunch of seasoning and oftentimes a liquid/sauce. The fat isn’t necessary because it won’t dry out owing to the rest of the recipe.

I will then make about 10 - 15 lbs with 15-25% fat. I use this only for smash burgers on the griddle or burgers on the grill. The extra fat helps you to keep it from drying out. It also adds the typical smoke flavor on the grill because the fat drips onto the coals. It’s not hard at all to do it like this. Just add more to the grind pile when ready and mark the bags with extra fat.

I want to try to make some for smash burgers. The stuff I get from the processor is good doing a smash burger but I like a little more fat. I was going to try and keep about 10 pounds of venison to try to make meat specifically for this. I got a fairly big prime brisket in my freezer right now that I can probably trim enough fat off to make a 80/20 blend work.

 

[ronpolk]

I process b/w 10 - 20 a year between my family and friends. My wife doesn’t like venison burgers but we use ground venison for pretty much everything else (tacos, chili, spaghetti etc. etc.). I grind it straight venison and don’t add any fat. I’ve done it that way since 1999. I take 1 deer to Dwights or Stacie’s to get link sausage. Everything else I do myself. This year I did make some awesome patty sausage. For that I use a 70/30 combo of venison/pork shoulder. The fattier the pork the better. For seasoning I use rebul butcher supply HOT BREAKFAST SAUSAGE SPICE (~ 2 tbsp per pound). It’s freaking jam up good . I do a lot of jerky also. My favorite seasoning is high mountain jerky Hickory flavor, double up the recommended seasoning but keep the cure at the recommended rate. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer wrap the meat in Saran Wrap then freezer paper. It will last years.

Sausage is definitely on my list to try in the future. I just recently bought a meat grinder, so I figured I’d start with burger first.

 

[peewee.sixpack]

You can make bacon burger real easy. Just get bacon ends or cheap bacon. For that I mixed 80/20. One tip, whatever your mixture write it on the pack so you’ll know exactly what your eating and you can adjust from there.

 

[stateu1]

No fat added to mine. Use it from everything from chili to tacos to meatball subs.

 

[mcdawg22]

I thought about getting a grinder to grind leftovers for Brisket and Tenderloin. How easy are they to clean and how do you figure the percentage of fat?

 

[ronpolk]

I thought about getting a grinder to grind leftovers for Brisket and Tenderloin. How easy are they to clean and how do you figure the percentage of fat?

That is essentially why I bought a grinder… to grind up brisket trimmings. It makes a pretty awesome burger. I weigh out the meat and try to get a 10 or 15% ratio of fat to meat. I’m ultimately trying to get to an 80/20 but I’m going with 10 or 15% pure chunks of fat and figure the marbling in the slices of meat will give me the remainder fat I’m looking for. I’m sure there is a much more precise way to do it but that seems to work for me.

Cleanup is not bad. I’ve found that grinding and cleaning is easier when I keep the grinder parts in the freezer and also slightly freezing the meat before I grind it. Not frozen solid but enough to firm up the meat. I’d say cleanup process is less than 15 minutes.

I like grinding the brisket. For me, it makes it where I can trim the brisket the way I really want to know and know I’m not wasting a bunch of meat.

 

[mcdawg22]

I like grinding the brisket. For me, it makes it where I can trim the brisket the way I really want to know and know I’m not wasting a bunch of meat.

That’s a great point. I am conservative trimming because I don’t want to waste meat but I will certainly take more off the flat if I can grind it with some fattier sections.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

Most processors add 20% fat. Due to the lean nature of the meat, cook burgers on the stove (covered), they don't do as well on the grill. Although I did smoke some on low heat the other day and they turned out great.

 

[stateu1]

I thought about getting a grinder to grind leftovers for Brisket and Tenderloin. How easy are they to clean and how do you figure the percentage of fat?

Clean up is a snap. It’s all stainless so it’s a quick rinse a scrub.

 

[DerHntr]

I thought about getting a grinder to grind leftovers for Brisket and Tenderloin. How easy are they to clean and how do you figure the percentage of fat?

It’s pretty easy to clean the processor. It’s especially easy if you have a stand mixer and just get the grinder attachment. This is all you likely need for what you mentioned using it for. I buy beef fat from the butcher and grind it first. I then add 15 ounces of meat and one ounce of fat for every lb. This gives you 6.25% fat per lb. Grind up all of your meat, then add into you mixing bowl while on top of the scale. Mix it together. Easy process. 3 ounces per lb gets you just over 18%.

 

[DerHntr]

I want to try to make some for smash burgers. The stuff I get from the processor is good doing a smash burger but I like a little more fat. I was going to try and keep about 10 pounds of venison to try to make meat specifically for this. I got a fairly big prime brisket in my freezer right now that I can probably trim enough fat off to make a 80/20 blend work.

Definitely get 20% or more for the smash burger. I think they are terrific with deer. Like anything else, you’ll have to try it out a few times to see what you prefer. I have been known to fire up the griddle and mix up a pound while in the middle of processing. Great snack and you can determine if it needs more fat.

 

[Bud.sixpack]

What's a smash burger?

 

[mcdawg22]

What's a smash burger?

Isn’t that what you got at Allgood’s after coming back from The Landing. Oh wait that was a smashed burger.

 

[ronpolk]

What's a smash burger?

Probably best way to describe is similar to a five guys burger patty. Hamburger patty is put on a hot griddle and mashed down to be thin. Let it cook till you get a good crust on the patty, flip and do the same to the other side. Best way to eat a burger in my opinion.

 

[cowbell88]

Used to buy the cheapest hamburger meat I could fine and mix it in with once ground deer. Then grind again on smaller hole.

Unfortunately, there is not any cheap store bought burger now, so I take mine to processor and let him mix in the beef fat.