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We have been crushing smashburgers lately

Smashburger Recipe

I’m definitely trying this

20% beef fat with elk burger. As long as it wasn't a rank old bull, or shot to doll rags, it'll be excellent. I'm not a fan of dry burger. Get the trimmings from a well fed steer and it'll be as good, or better, than beef burger.

For longer storage: When cutting the elk, we bag large chunks in gallon freezer bags. 1 bag will hold about 5lb of meat. Whole meat is a lot less susceptible to freezer burn. We grind 1 or 2 bags at a time as we use it. When we grind it, we'll refreeze some of it in 1lb packages and the rest we'll make into burgers using a LEM burger press. Put plastic coated burger papers between them. Don't use waxed paper. It will soak up and freeze too hard to get the burgers apart.

I add 10-15% beef fat or trimmings to my burger whether it’s deer, elk or moose. A few years ago a friend gave me some bacon ends that I mixed with elk. I think the ratio was about 3 lbs of bacon to 17 lbs of elk. It was a big hit!

Smash burgers have been my go-to the last year. Make a double with fried onions, hatch peppers, and cheddar or american. I've added pork or beef fat10-15% in the past. The pork can be more sensitive. I haven't had it happen to me, but I've heard it can go rancid faster than beef fat for some. That being said, my meat processor adds 15% pork fat. This year I added fat to half my ground and no fat in the other. Going forward, I'll stop adding fat for health and use egg as a binder for burgers, otherwise, most of our ground goes in chilli, tacos, bolognese, etc.

topic drift alert...On the Left Coast, the Columbia Blacktail has a rich and varied diet, is generally killed prior to the rut, ergo, the meat is arguably the mildest and best game meat out there, with the possible exception of alfalfa field antelope. One of my favorite recipes is pan seared Blacktail with salt and pepper. That good, yes. Grinding it into burger? What a damn shame.

Mack1112: I carefully and completely trim all fat and white tissue from the Elk meat - ALL of it.
Then I obtain some sweet suet called "kidney suet" and grind that in with the well trimmed meat - 15% or so.
Best of luck to you with your "recipe" (and on your Hunts).
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I think it makes a difference mixing it all together like sausage, as opposed to sprinking on top after making patties.

Add the pork fat as everyone has mentioned before, more is better.
Then when putting patty on the grill add a pat of butter on top of it. PS. I do this especially with deer and on steaks also.

We use beef clod / shoulder meat trimmed real well ground with our venison. Enough fat to make Pattie’s, and still fairly healthy as red meat goes….

There "ain't no best way" just cook it and remember the hunt!...........

100% moose makes the best burgers

why would you contaminate wild, organic meat with steroid beef fat and pork ?

Can honestly say that the best hamburger I ever had was made with elk.

A friend/neighbor up north where I have a cottage on a lake shot a cow elk in Colorado a couple years ago.

Had us over for a cook out.

Elk burgers. Said they were 5% beef fat. Seasoned well.

Big half pound patties, grilled over charcoal, medium rare. Red onions, yellow mustard, and a slice of cheddar on an onion roll.

My wife who isn't a big fan of "wild game" still talks about them.

I ate 2 burgers and had a few Modelo Negras and was very very happy

I mix mine with pork shoulder about 20%.

I put the burgers on aluminum foil to firm up on the top rack…..before I put it directly on grill.

Thanks for that recipe huntinaz, that gal is taking some sort of happy pills, gotta get me some lol.

I will be making it then for sure this week. Do you make your own brioche buns, I do it's easy and they are better than anything you will get from a store or a bakery and 1/4 of the cost. If you would like the YouTube recipe link I can post it if you like.

KB

3#-4# of ends and pieces bacon ground into 10# of venison. Patty and maybe just a hint of salt and lightly pepper just before hitting the grill/griddle/pan.

I mix 50/50 beef hamburger 85% fat and elk or deer. Since beef hamburger and beef fat are about the same price around here. I often will just eat the hamburger as 100% elk or deer though, depending on what it's going to be used for.

No animal fat added. Single grind though a medium plate, and try to be do a decent job of trimming out 'undesirable' pieces.

To make a patty: add an egg yolk, a little olive, and steak seasoning to taste. Grill and don't flip more than once.

Never heard of that before, so I will have to give it a try, thanks for the tip djb!

KB