Ground Venison Arayes
Ground venison, pork fat, onion, garlic, and parsley are stuffed into pita and grilled until the bread is crisp and the filling is cooked through. Venison arayes are a fast, easy dinner and a good way to turn ground venison into something you can eat with your hands.
Ingredients
- 14 1/2 ounces venison
- 1 1/2 ounces pork fat (or beef fat)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 of an onion, minced
- 1/2 bunch of fresh parsley, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste (or your favorite spice blend)
- Pita bread (as needed)
- Olive oil (for brushing the pitas)
Instructions
- Preheat your grill over medium to medium-high heat.
- Grind the venison and pork using your grinder's small die.
- Add the garlic, onion, parsley and seasonings to the meat. Mix well until incorporated. Now is a good time to cook off a small bite in a pan and check the seasoning for taste.
- Cut the pitas in half and stuff them with enough meat mixture so that when you flatten the pitas, they are around 1/4" to 1/2" thick.
- Gently press them with your hands to flatten them uniformly.
- Lightly brush the pitas on each side with olive oil.
- Place them on your grill and cook for about 5 minutes, ensuring that they don't burn.
- Flip the pitas over and move them to a cooler spot on your grill. Close the lid and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes.
NOTES
- Use a little added fat. Ground venison with about 10 percent pork or beef fat works well here because it stays juicy without soaking the pita.
- Cook a test bite first. Fry a small piece of the filling before stuffing the pitas so you can adjust the salt, pepper, or spice blend before cooking the whole batch.
- Do not overstuff the pita. Add only enough meat so the filled pita presses down to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. That helps it cook through before the bread burns.
- Press them flat evenly. Gently flatten the stuffed pitas with your hands so they grill evenly from edge to edge.
- Brush the outside with oil. A light coat of olive oil helps the pita crisp and brown better on the grill.
- Start on medium-high heat. Grill the arayes about 5 minutes on the first side, watching closely so they do not burn.
- Finish over cooler heat. After flipping, move them to a cooler part of the grill, close the lid, and cook another 5 to 7 minutes so the filling finishes without scorching the bread.
- Use the oven if needed. Brown them in a skillet first, then finish in a 350 F oven for about 10 minutes if you are not grilling outside.
Nutrition
Calories: 227kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 53mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 11IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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