Question on making deer burger

[Rob]

I am grinding some deer meat into burger, and I believe it is common to add Suet to the meat while grinding.

Question is, how much do you add in (what ratio) and do you just chop it up and mix it in from time to time while grinding the chunks up?

[Griiz]

I use bacon ends. I cut the bacon up and add it as I grind. As far as ratio, I use my sight and feel to decide if I have the amount I want in the meat. It depends on how fatty you want the burger.

[jrebel]

Don't add  suet......my opinion......if you want to add a little fat use ground beef.   We add 20% ground to our deer meat which gives a little higher yields and brings up the fat percent.  It is delicious and still extremely lean.  Suet has a tendency to spoil after being cut off the cow.  We have had more than one batch ruined from suet when we use to take our deer to the butcher.  Now we do it all ourself and have never er had bad deer burger. 

[jrebel]

Forgot to mention....we grind the deer then mix the ground deer with the burger by hand and grind a second time.  It blends really well this way. 

[highside74]

When making burger I buy a fatty beef brisket from cash and carry. 50 # deer or elk and a 17-20# brisket.

When making sausage I buy a pork butt/shoulder and do 20# game and 5-8# pork depending on the weight of the pork and how many batches I'm making. A couple # +- isn't to big a deal.

Bacon is fun in a small batch but it can get old eating everything tasting like bacon. 10# game 1-2# bacon max is all you'll need.

If you are grinding your own try making sausage it's easy and tastes great. I don't put mine in casings I just make patties when cooking. This year I made Polish for the first time and it is awesome. I always do italian and breakfast no matter what.

[highside74]

I know your question was about burger but if you make sausage don't buy the pre done season kits. They are 5-10 times the cost of buying your spices separate at the bulk bin from the store.

Letsmakesausage.com is my go to place for recipes. Every recipe has 5 or so variations so you can pick the one that sounds best to you.

[elkboy]

I grind twice, with a medium plate (Cabela's standard 1.5 hp grinder).  I have never added fat (such as from beef or pork), but I do use some of the fat that comes on the whitetailed deer around here (Whitman County).  It has never really affected the flavor or texture.  If I make burgers, I tend to add a little BBQ sauce and bread crumbs to help them hold together. 

Happy processing!

[Rob]

Thanks everyone!  great info

[WSU]

I don't add anything and use it for everything except making burgers.  I prefer it lean and without other flavors.

[sagerat]

I know your question was about burger but if you make sausage don't buy the pre done season kits. They are 5-10 times the cost of buying your spices separate at the bulk bin from the store.

Letsmakesausage.com is my go to place for recipes. Every recipe has 5 or so variations so you can pick the one that sounds best to you.

Which stores are best for buying the spices?

[highside74]

I know your question was about burger but if you make sausage don't buy the pre done season kits. They are 5-10 times the cost of buying your spices separate at the bulk bin from the store.

Letsmakesausage.com is my go to place for recipes. Every recipe has 5 or so variations so you can pick the one that sounds best to you.

Which stores are best for buying the spices?

I go to winCo or Fred Meyer. WinCo has better selection.

[northwesthunter84]

For burger I usually go 90/10, game to fat ratio.  I have the past few years requested fresh beef trimmings from the butcher, they charge a nominal fee and I pick it up the next day or a few hours later depending on their schedule, packaged like any other meat.  The last couple times it has been rib roast trimmings.  For sausage I go 60/40 and tend to use the bacon ends.  I grind course and finish with a medium grind. 3 runs keeping the grinder cool and ensure proper mixing.  You can adjust the ratio's as needed but anything less than 75/25 on sausage gets a little dry.  And I don't like to go much less on the burger.

[JLS]

I run somewhere between 5 to 10% beef fat.  I grind everything with the fine plate, mix by hand (eye balling the ratios), then grind again with the coarse plate to mix everything up well.

I've used suet before, and never had a problem with rancidity.  I package it in quart freezer bags, and have routinely kept burger for over a year without issues.