Grinding Elk into Burger Questions

[JoeFishin]

Going to grind some elk into burger. Should I grind twice or one time? If I grind it twice, I will start with a course grind disc (about 1/4inch) and then go to a smaller grind disc (1/8 inch). If I grind once, I will go with the smaller grinder (1/8 inch). 

[billythekidrock]

We course grind the game meat once and fat/pork once, seperate.
Then we hand mix the two and then fine grind for packaging.

[hambone]

i always grind it twice it just mixes better

[kentrek]

we grind once with both the pork an the elk,with 1/4 inch plate, and then hand mix the burger real well to have an even distrabution of pork an  then send it through the grinder one more time,with the same 1/4 plate

[lokidog]

I grind once with the 1/8 inch and don't add anything, but I have zero (almost anyways) tendons/silverskin in my meat that I am grinding.

[splitshot]

i grind it twice and use pork shoulder not pork belly, it comes out leaner.  mike w

[Axle]

If you add fat, grind it twice. The second grind is to help the fat mix in better.
If you don't add fat, just grind it once with the 1/8" plate. That is all it needs.

If you do grind it twice, cut the chunks up and freeze them till they are about 50 to 75% frozen. It will go much faster and the grinder will not clog if you do this. Warm meat does not grind well.
When you grind it twice, use the 1/8" plate first. Then install the 1/4" plate for the second grind. You will find this method works very well!
The first grind is the easiest if it is partially frozen. Then the second grind will go much faster with the 1/4" plate.
It sounds backwards but try it and you will see how nice it works. 

[lokidog]

If you add fat, grind it twice. The second grind is to help the fat mix in better.
If you don't add fat, just grind it once with the 1/8" plate. That is all it needs.

If you do grind it twice, cut the chunks up and freeze them till they are about 50 to 75% frozen. It will go much faster and the grinder will not clog if you do this. Warm meat does not grind well.
When you grind it twice, use the 1/8" plate first. Then install the 1/4" plate for the second grind. You will find this method works very well!
The first grind is the easiest if it is partially frozen. Then the second grind will go much faster with the 1/4" plate.
It sounds backwards but try it and you will see how nice it works. 

Of course it will go through faster, it is already ground to 1/8....        

[kisfish]

We course grind the game meat once and fat/pork once, seperate.
Then we hand mix the two and then fine grind for packaging.

we use pork shoulder @ 15%.

[Kioti]

Grind it twice and use kidney fat.

[Elkrunner]

We course grind the game meat once and fat/pork once, seperate.
Then we hand mix the two and then fine grind for packaging.

we use pork shoulder @ 15%.

I do 10 percent pork shoulder and 2 percent bacon ends

[nwwanderer]

All good ideas.  One more, test cook any critter you get.  Fast fry some fat and lean, smell, taste and decide your next move.

[et1702]

For burger, grind twice.  Grind elk into plastic tub.  Buy some cheap burger in 5lb or 10lb chubs, which are usually about 25% to 30% fat.  Mix ground elk and burger by hand and then regrind for better mix and then just package.  Usually grind about 40lbs of elk and then add about 10lbs of fatty burger.

If you are doing sausage or brauts, use pork shoulder or pork butts.  Grind breakfast sausage twice, brauts once.  Have fun!

ET

[deadwoodbuck]

We course grind the game meat once and fat/pork once, seperate.
Then we hand mix the two and then fine grind for packaging.

Grind it twice and use kidney fat.

kidney fat...the  only way to go

[kenzmad]

Grind it twice and use kidney fat.

is this something you can request from a butcher? we just order pork fat, dont know where it comes from on the pig.

[deadwoodbuck]

a good butcher will know what you are talking about.  it is the fat around the kidney area and usually from beef so the elk stays pure.

[wafisherman]

a good butcher will know what you are talking about.  it is the fat around the kidney area and usually from beef so the elk stays pure.

What does it mean to "stay pure"?  Keeping the natural flavor and other properties as much as possible?

I was in a bind with my deer this year and ended up just using bacon.  Worked great.  Cubed up the meat, removed as much white tendon as I could, sliced up 1/2 frozed bacon in small bits, hand mixed in white tub, added flavors\seasoning, chilled in freezer until 1/2 frozen, grinded 2 times.  Made awesome burgers and sausage.

For sausage, I just used some pre-mixed flavoring from Cabelas that I didn't end up caring much for.  Will try something else next time.  For burgers, I just mixed in some worchestire sauce, garlic salt, and black pepper.

Got a meat grider attachment for my wifes heavy duty kitchenaid mixer and spent a few hours griding away (not 2 hours straight grinding - other stuff mixed in...).

Turned out awesome.

Don't have a vacuum sealer yet.  So just put the burger and sausage in freezer zip lock bags.  Other meat was wrapped in butcher paper.  Won't last long in my family of 10, so not worried about freezer burn or anything like that.

[NRA4LIFE]

I like mixing in about about 1 lb of fatty beef to 5 lbs of elk.  That way you can cook your burgers a little rare.

[hornhunter1987]

i mixed 80 pounds elk with 12 pounds pork suet and 8 pounds beef suet. then i use that same burger mix for all my sausage pepperoni breakfast sausage ect

[RadSav]

We course grind the game meat once and fat/pork once, seperate.
Then we hand mix the two and then fine grind for packaging.

That's been my favorite way to do it! 

I prefer beef kidney fat or bear kidney fat if you can find it.  We have three freezers full of game meat each year.  So often some packages can get lost in there or sit for a while.  For that reason I try to stay away from pork.  It just doesn't freeze as nicely as bear or beef.  If we have a banner year our last animals will be course ground and wrapped with no fat at all.  I can then fine grind a few strips of bacon per pound in later.

[Bowgina]

add 15% pork butt... first grind both meats through 1/4 plate then hand mix then grind again 3/116 plate and wala....

[lokidog]

You don't have to add anything....  Just cooked moose burgers last night and not a one fell apart.     Although I did mix in some dried french onion soup mix. 

[wrongway]

I grind twice and add nothing, why add something that is already good for you and tastes great.