Fat in deer burger

I'm curious to hear what you guys use in your deer burger for fat. In the years past I've always used clean beef or pork fat that was readily available at our local meat counter upon request but when I went in to get some Saturday I was told I needed to give them at least a month's advance notice for them to save it for me. The problem is I have a deer that needs to be in the freezer and don't have a month to wait. Has anybody ever used regular cooking lard? I've used bacon ends in the past but sometimes I just don't want my burger to taste like bacon. I'm to the point that I think I'll just have to knock down another wild hog and mix it in my venison. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

I've always mixed in a more fatty over the counter hamburger; not the lean stuff.

I don’t add any fat to my ground deer. Wife usually adds beef burger when she cooks anyway

I mix 75% venison with 25% boneless pork butt. Found this to be a good ratio after many different seasons making venison hamburger.

Chris

We don’t add any fat or other meat. Just pure venison burger. Don’t have any problems with patties falling apart and enjoy the flavor. Try it.

No plain fat. Add untrimmed pork butts. Plenty of fat right there.



Charlie

yes pork butt

Although I have not done it, I believe beef tallow is an option to use with venison to help it bind.

beef fat

Always add beef fat to burger, pork butt for sausage/bologna. Why not freeze it until you can get the fat?

#2 smoked bacon from the local butcher `10 lbs/$30.00 doesn't take much to give a nice smokey flavor and bind the burger a little 10/2 ratio more or less

Nothing, just venison. If I want a bacon burger, I add it later.

Pork butt is my method too

17lb ground venison
2lb beef fat
6lb bacon

Makes pretty tasty burgers

I have always used beef or pork fat but can't get it. As some have suggested yes I have done straight venison with no fat for years and like how it is with fat better. It's just my personal preference. The pork butt deal is what I'm leaning towards but instead of buying pork but I'll just knock another fat shoat down and use it to mix in. Thanks to everybody for thier input.

I have used beef fat / beef trimmings for years. like ours about 90 deer/ 10percent fat. Check with any of your local supermarkets and ask for it. They can usually help you in a day or two depending on how much you need.

That's what I usually do Rockfarmer but my local grocery store told me I needed to give them a month's notice before they would save it.

None. If I want beef, I'll hunt cows.

We use lots of ground venison for tacos, chili, lasagna, and meatloaf without adding fat, but we don't make venison burgers. Pronghorn makes a good burger w/o adding fat.

We dont put anything into our deer burger and try to keep the deer fat to a minimum. If you want to make hamburgers for the grill or do summer sausage or snack sticks adding pork or beef shoulders is OK. Just doesnt hold as well in the freezer.

Beef fat

The realy cheap burger , or buy some fatty brisket or ribs that need trimmed and tri. them for future use another place to try would be BBQ resurants sometimes they will give away trimmings . All our groceries stores want to sell their fat for $ 1.99 LB so I use pork butt

1/3 pork added

I don't used my ground venison for burgers, it all gets made into sausage. I mix 20% fatty pork butt with it.

We use breakfast sausage.

Don't add anything.

been making ours for years..

5 pounds beef fat to 20 pounds deer

Beef fat, about 8%.
Pork fat melts out of the burger when you cook it leaving voids.
If you don't add any fat, you can always add a little milk to the burger before you press into patties and that will help hold the patties together.

Hook up with one of the meatcutters at a local grocery store and have them save some fat when they are trimming ribeyes. At any decent sized store they are cutting steaks every day. I usually call one day ahead and they have 5-7 pounds for me. If they have ribeyes on sale, they can have a LOT more.

We add nothing to deer burger. Also Sheri and I process are own deer. She made me get a different grinder for the deer though.

I agree with adding pork trim. I get 25% added to mine. I've had straight venison burger and no thanks. Other than the loin chops and tenderloins which I like, I don't save any steaks or roasts. I've had it and again no thanks I'll stick to beef or pork. To me venison is way too lean to eat on it's own,

Freeze the meat and place your order for fat. When the fat becomes available thaw out the meat.

I haven't tried it but I hear you can use coon fat. Hmmm, I've got a buck aging. Maybe I should go set a few coon traps tomorrow and give it a try.

I just grind it. The more fat the better. Early season deer are best.

Usually add nothing but sometimes grind 75% deer and 25% bear for a little different flavor. Make a lot of deer jerky on my firepit. better cuts of meat make better jerky than tough scraps do

Same here, like it better with no fat. I've had deer burger that the fat created a sort of bad aftertaste and ruined the taste of the venison.

That's how I do all mine.

We don’t add any fat or other meat. Just pure venison burger. Don’t have any problems with patties falling apart and enjoy the flavor. Try it.
what i do. had some go bad in the freezer one time. never again!

.. brisket... 50/50

Pork butt for sausage, beef suet for burger. Caribou, moose or musk ox.

If we did it was pork I don’t know why lard wouldn’t work all it is, is a pure form of fat.

If you don't like venison roasts i can almost guarantee it's because you are over cooking it. I used to feel the same way you do until someone showed me how to cook a venison roast; they come out just like prime rib, not joking.

Rapidly sear/brown the outside of the roast in a very hot skillet.
Place internal temp probe into the center of the roast; this is a must-do part of the process,
Place roast on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 250 for 30 minutes,
then turn the oven down to 170-190.
pull the roast out of the oven when the thermometer read 135-140, but not a bit over 140.
Let roast rest for a few minutes before slicing.
Server with horseradish sauce.


In a conventional oven this may take a few hours, in a convection oven you will reach the correct internal temperature much sooner.

Been doing a lot of my deer steaks/roasts in a smoker lately, water pan underneath really helps. Cant hardly beat it. Sous videt is another good way to do deer steaks. I prefer cooking my deer steaks as whole roasts, sous videt I would slice them, as they hold moisture better this way.

10 % beef fat , pork fat can become rancid quicker

I prefer just Montreal steak seasoning mixed in plain burger. My best friend runs a large deer processing business and this is the best that I have had for burgers and often his best seller after people try it. I have tried bacon, beef and pork mixed in but prefer the steak seasoning. Cooked lower and slower and they will stay together for burger. I don’t mix anything in what I want for other recipes.

I'll probably take your word for it waggler. I use a slow cooker for roast and it never dries out beef roast. I like the beef fat in my steaks and roast as fat is flavor. That's not the case in venison though. It's so lean there is no marbling in the meat. To each there own. The area I hunt is farm country so their primary diet is corn and that still doesn't matter.

10% beef fat if needed