Ground Elk fat %

[Doodle]

This thread is about burgers...not dry aged steaks. A couple of times a year I will buy a really good porterhouse for me and the wife to split but there is nothing on a wild game animal that is even remotely comparable to that.

Personally when we are talking burgers I will take a 100% deer or elk burger over beef every single time, so I do think it is superior. I appreciate the flavor that venison brings to the table and I've been eating it for so long that I find beef burgers kind of boring.

Yea I hear you. I was just using the steak comparison to dry a line between two different items people often think of as superior in one way or another. At the end of the day, as long as you like what’s on your plate, it’s all good.

 

[Indian Summer]

100% grade A uninspected elk! Just don’t overcook it.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

My family and buddies do 100% venison for Iowa whitetail burger. It patties nicely for burgers and in chili there is no noticeable difference to beef.

For sausage and bologna we add approx. 20-30% bacon ends to the grind and sometimes high temp swiss.

I've never tried this, but I've read in several recipes that adding fine cut oatmeal to venison grind makes it much easier to handle for burgers, similar to bread crumbs. Apparently it locks in the moisture and adds some texture. Something I may try this season.

Key with all venison is to keep it rare-med/rare.

 

[Stalker69]

20% pork fat, makes great burgers and sausage. Our customers have always preferred it that way.

 

[cnelk]

20% pork fat, makes great burgers and sausage. Our customers have always preferred it that way.

Have your customers ever tried 100% burgers?
Just asking

 

[Doodle]

Have your customers ever tried 100% burgers?
Just asking

Probably, yes, given the “health conscious” community in the area. Most of them probably cooked 95% lean stuff at home. That being said, I worked in fine dining restaurants, so when we served burgers you can bet they were loaded with fat. Some even had slices of seared foie gras on them and piles of truffles…..They were unbelievably delicious.

Part of the allure of fine dining is the sheer decadence of it, the complete change between your home cooking and this magical food being served to you in a (usually) luxurious setting…… as a chef you can’t break that psychological playpen for the guest, so you almost never serve home-style food. Not when you’re charging through the nose anyway.

EDIT: Oops! Wasn’t paying attention to who he quoted! I blame the scotch.

 

[ncossey]

I don’t cut my wild game with fat. I just add bacon or a couple eggs to my burgers before I cook them.

 

[mwebs]

What the heck are you guys doing to your ground elk that you can’t get it to patty without messing with it? Never had a problem with plain elk burgers, also have added bacon or fat depending on how I am feeling.

 

[jpitt777]

100% + shredded butter + bbq sauce = great burger


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[Michael Rankin]

I used to use some pork or bacon end pieces. I stopped a few years back and and like it better just ground. i do a coarse grind then the fine grind. Sometimes ill add one egg to around 3 lbs of burger meat to make burger patties. That seem to make the extra juicy, but don't need it.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Bacon. Add ~10% bacon and thank me later.

Yelp, all version gets this mix except axis

 

[wyosam]

I package it as is. When making burgers, I’ll add some olive oil.


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[Sanchez]

I have the butcher add 8 % fat to my very lean elk meat. Burgers hold together, it is easy to cook and taste great. Ground elk has been a mainstay of my diet for the last 40 years.

In the distant past I experimented with more and less fat. With no added fat the meat did not hold together for burgers or cook without burning on the outside. More fat was not necessary and defeated the benefits of eating lean meat from wild game.

 

[MTNMARAUDER1776]

My buddy showed me to just grind straight elk and If you need more fat content you can use bacon. And now I'll never go back. I believe using fat from other animals is where the weird rank taste you get from time to time comes from

 

[willy]

My wife and I prefer our deer and elk to be 100 percent deer and elk. The flavor can't be beat, medium rare is the ticket. We grill or fry them and don't have a problem with them falling apart. One of our favorite meals is elk or deer patty melts with tator tots.

We process our own animals including domestic, so I know how they've been taken care of. The result is the best table fare that can be had.

I truly can't stand eating a beef burger with high fat content. The fat on my teeth and texture in my mouth is something that I've grown to despise.

 

[Broomd]

10-15% bison or grass fed beef fat only. I get the attitude behind eating only what you kill and that’s how I live but you need fat in your diet. Wild game is too lean unless you’re eating the entire animal head to tail you should supplement other animal fats for optimum nutrition.

Downright amazing how many here tolerate dry meat.
We did the '100% game meat' experiment--once, and learned from that mistake.

We raise and market Scottish Highland livestock. Highlander meat is naturally lean and has obvious health benefits--hence our solid repeat customer business-- we get the premise behind 'lean meat'-- but some added beef fat is imperative for a decent product, especially if a grille is involved.

 

[jimmy33]

100% elk


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[Piranha37]

It’s obvious everyone feels strongly about how they process their meat, which is probably the most important thing I took from this thread. It makes sense, we should take pride in what and how we do it.
I personally changed from beef fat to 10% bacon for burger, 20-30% pork back fat for sausages a couple years ago and my family has been happy with it - this has been what I have focused on most, making my wife and kids love eating it as much as I do. I’m always open to trying new stuff, however, so I’ve enjoyed reading how everyone else does it.

 

[Hoodie]

We cut some with 10% beef fat and did some 100% elk with my cow last year.

The fat isn't necessary, particularly for chili, meat sauces for pasta, etc. I do think it tends to make a slightly better burger. But only slightly.

 

[1982davew]

Pork shoulder 5-15%