Deer burger mixes - addins

[KFhunter]

Hey what you all add in to your lean burger while you grind it up.   (besides pork fat - I'm talking seasoning!)

Chipolte and Feta cheese 

dried onion, garlic burger



what you all got?   I'm in the middle of mixing burger and want to make up some special batches for the grill.

[KFhunter]

just made about 10lbs of burger with 10-20% bacon mix    

[RadSav]

I do not like adding much to burger while I grind.  Too often they do not freeze well and it's easy to add afterward with fresh.  And it takes away from your ability to be flexible with meals.  Sometimes, as with meat balls, I like to grind ingredients into the meat.  So I am always setting aside a reasonable amount of course ground burger with nothing at all added - not even fat!  Then later as I am fixing a meal I can add whatever is needed and fine grind just before cooking.  This also allows me to fluff large grind for Asian dishes or stroganoff   A few nights ago I fluffed some course grind for use in some goulash...oh so much better

We always have three full size freezers full.  And since pork doesn't freeze as well as beef fat I don't often use pork fat or pork butt.  However, this years deer and the wife's last elk were so sweet and scrumptious I ground with 10% applewood smoked bacon.  Burger is now our favorite cut of meat   However, if I were to do it again I would just course grind and add the bacon later.  Freezes much better!

Our favorite add-in ingredients would probably be red onion, roasted garlic, gorgonzola cheese and teriyaki sauce.  Not all at once of course.  And, then with all of these if we do not yet have fat added...it's applewood smoked bacon all the way baby!

Tip:  Emeril's red onion Swedish Meatball recipe is to die for.  You can make them ahead of time and freeze for an upcoming get-together!

[jay.sharkbait]

I do not like adding much to burger while I grind.  Too often they do not freeze well and it's easy to add afterward with fresh.  And it takes away from your ability to be flexible with meals.  Sometimes, as with meat balls, I like to grind ingredients into the meat.  So I am always setting aside a reasonable amount of course ground burger with nothing at all added - not even fat!  Then later as I am fixing a meal I can add whatever is needed and fine grind just before cooking.  This also allows me to fluff large grind for Asian dishes or stroganoff   A few nights ago I fluffed some course grind for use in some goulash...oh so much better

We always have three full size freezers full.  And since pork doesn't freeze as well as beef fat I don't often use pork fat or pork butt.  However, this years deer and the wife's last elk were so sweet and scrumptious I ground with 10% applewood smoked bacon.  Burger is now our favorite cut of meat   However, if I were to do it again I would just course grind and add the bacon later.  Freezes much better!

Our favorite add-in ingredients would probably be red onion, roasted garlic, gorgonzola cheese and teriyaki sauce.  Not all at once of course.  And, then with all of these if we do not yet have fat added...it's applewood smoked bacon all the way baby!

Tip:  Emeril's red onion Swedish Meatball recipe is to die for.  You can make them ahead of time and freeze for an upcoming get-together!

Thanks for posting this 4hrs too late.

I'm calling the butcher in the morning re the bacon thing.......

[KFhunter]

awesome!

Glad I only did 10 lbs with bacon - we'll go through that quick.  I'm using HILLS brand applewood bacon and it's a good 10% ratio.
I like their bacon and it was on sale 50% off so I bought 10 packages and was going to grind it in deer burger but I'll hold off.


I've got 20 lbs deer coarse ground now with nothing added,  I'll just freeze that in seal a meal bags then add stuff later on.


Thanks rad 

edit: added minced garlic and fried up a big patty - very tasty

[Possum197]

We've been grinding Elk and Deer for hamburger for many years and always add 20% beef tallow and nothing else.  The bacon thing does sound good though....

[chukar58]

I you have a meat grinder then just package your trim in two pound bags and when you want hamburger take out a package and grind it "fresh" and add what ever you feel like at the time you grind.   It only take a few minutes to set up, grind and clean up and you can also take a few minutes to really look over your trim and clean it up.