VENISON BURGER GUIDE
Updated: Sep 30
Today, we are covering the technique for making venison burgers. There are three essential factors you need to know when making a burger.
First, make sure you have the right meat to fat ratio for the type of burger that you are preparing.
Second, make sure that you double grind the meat and fat mixture so that everything is evenly distributed.
Last and certainly not least, leave your burgers out at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
Meat to Fat Ratio
You want to have the correct meat to fat ratio when cooking burgers and that especially goes for wild-game burgers. The ratio should be based off of the type of burger that you like.
If you like a nice thin burger that’s charred, at least a 15% fat content is highly recommended.
If you enjoy lean burgers, you’re better suited to go with a thicker burger. It's best to cook these to a medium or medium rare internal temperature. This will help prevent the burgers from drying out and to retain some of its moisture.
And of course, if you like thick fatty burgers with a fat content of at least 20% , you can pretty much cook them however you like.
Key Take Away: The higher the fat content that’s in the burger grind, the higher the internal temperature can be without drying the meat out.
Double Grind your Meat and Fat
If you’ve ever had a burger that was pretty good but you felt like some of it was dried out and some parts were juicy? I’m willing to bet my life savings that the meat and fat mixture wasn’t put through the grinder twice.
Putting the mixture through the grinder a second time ensures that the fat will be evenly distributed through the meat. You will also achieve a better crust on the meat because the surface will have the correct amount of fat.
You can a number of fats such as bear, beef, pork and even grass-fed butter. Yes, that’s right I said butter. Cut the butter into cubes just like any other fat and freeze for an hour before grinding. Also make sure that everything else is super cold as usual.
Let your Burgers come to Room Temperature
Don't want burger shrinkage? As with pretty much every other meat that you cook, burgers benefit by being rested at room temperature before cooking.
Letting your venison burgers rest to room temperature does two things.
First, it prevents the meat from being shocked by the drastic temperature changes. The ice cold meat and high cooking temperatures can cause the burgers to shrink up to nearly half their size.
Second, it will increase your chances of achieving a nice crust. Cold meat has a tendency to cool down the cooking surface and in return steaming the meat. Or even worse, making it stick to the pan or the grill.
Looking for other venison recipes? These are a few of my favorites:
If you make use this guide for making venison burgers, be sure to leave a comment or tag me on Instagram! I thoroughly enjoy hearing feedback and checking out the photos of recipes that you've made.
Smoky Venison Burger Sauce
Chipotle & Pepita Aioli
1 Cup – Mayonnaise
1 Teaspoon – Pumpkin Seed Oil
1 Tablespoon – Chopped Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
½ Teaspoon – Ground Cumin
¼ Teaspoon – Ground Coriander
Salt and Pepper to Taste
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