Planning to do my own grinding this year as we bought a large grinder to feed our dogs on teh Raw diet.

Looking for suggestions on methods, blend ins, etc

I've heard grind the venison two passes. I've heard cut with pork, some say beef, some say teh cheap ground beef, etc.

Some grind both together and let the grinder do teh combining, some grind each independently then mix then regrind.

Suggestions?

My school teacher buddy works part time for a game processor. They just add beef tallow.
I've had lots of it, (both Elk and Venison) and it's very good.

Probably best to try a few of the methods you've already researched and see which one's YOU like best.
Luck

I have a fried that grinds in 1lb bacon to 9 lbs venison. I sure like grilled burgers at his house

But FieldGrade is correct in that it would be best if you tried a little of each to see what you prefer.

I grind mine through a 3/16 plate,one pass.I package in freezer ziplock bags,straight venison.

We've done cheap pork roasts, bacon, beef tallow, double grind, single grind, coarse grind, fine grind, you name it, we've done it. All have their ups and downs.

Here lately I've just been doing straight venison, running it through my medium plate (7mm, bit over 1/4") twice, and packaging in 1 lb packs.

Main reason for that is I've decided if I wanted a hamburger, I like the taste of beef better. But for tacos, spaghetti, chili, lasagna, etc, I can just add a bit of oil to the pan as I'm browning it if needed.

Dang,,, that does sound good.

This is what I do.

I have and will add bacon to add fat but I don't like all that preservatives and salt.

If I'm making sausage then I add pork fat. You'll need a minimum of 20% but would suggest 25%.

If making burger then add beef fat.

I mostly use my ground for spaghetti, chilli, etc so there's no need to add fat, brown the meat and drain off the fat.

I grind mine once through a 3/16" plate, being careful to remove all silverskin, and fat. I never mix it with anything, unless we are cooking something that requires it, then it gets added at that time. I think we use deer meat for just about everything, including meat loaf, spaghetti, well, anything you would use beef for.

I package it into meat bags with my sausage stuffer, eliminating any air pockets. Works like a dream, and stays in the freezer long as you want it to...which is never long enough!

Larry

i run my moose thur with pork for sausage and with beef for burgers....there is some thing to "the bite" if "your mine" sayz u made a hambuger and its porkfat...well atleast whats left of my brain cells thinks that is so! i also run the meat thur a 3/4 grind 1st , then the fat...then i mix them togther...cool way down ....... and then thru the 3/16...good eats!

-1 on the beef tallow, a butcher added some to my deer burger, didn't like it at all. I add pork butt to my deerburger, 3# venison to 1# pork butt. Adding bacon sounds like a great idea, will sure try it next time.

I run once through a 7mm plate. For burgers, I add olive oil and dried soup base. For everything else, I just add some oil when I brown it. The 7mm plate will let some fairly big tendon chunks through if you don't trim it off prior to grinding. I used to use a 4.5 mm plate which does a pretty good job of cutting them up small.

I run it once through the fine plate. Mix venison 3 to 1 with fatty beef. Usually the fattest chuck roasts I can find. Tastes like straight venison but will form into patties no problem. For chili or tacos it also does not breakdown as much as straight venison.

I get beef fat from the butcher add 25% to sausage and 20% to hamburger. Do make some straight venison burger for my hunting buddy. Grind only once for me and I use the game bags one and three pound from cabelas or any meat processing store online. Use largest sausage tube you have and they sell some bigger and you only put the meat in and never touch it again when it comes out.

tried the bacon a few times and just didn't like it. ad 2-lbs of beef fat and mix in 2 packs of dry lipton onion soup to 8lbs of very well trimmed venison. mix it all before grinding.

try the same thing for sausage only use morton's sausage &meatloaf seasoning. season just a bit strong than the can calls for with pork. good eatin!!!!!!!

As Emeril says, "pork fat rules." I run 22% in our burgers and everyone loves 'em.

Second on the pork. Buy a boston but (non cured) and cut it up into grind size chunks and run thu with the deer on the first pass with the corse plate. Then mix by hand cold and re run to the texture you like. (IF you are not in a cold meat room use the fridge to keep the stuff cold when not working a part of the batch) It is the tops for flavor and works great.
Add a mix if you want awesome sausage. Rob P had a few very good home made sausage mixes on here I think last year.
I have had lots of plain venison and also ground with beef fat.
Both are fine but I like the pork added the best.

I have added pork shoulder to the grind for elk and deer. I like the pork addition but I truly like pure game meat better. The fat content decreases storage time as the fat turns quicker in the freezer.
This years deer was ground with the medium disc and it is wonderful in its pure form.

Try it without fat first, see how you like it. Add a couple Tbs of olive oil to your ground when you cook it.

Beef fat will leave a "waxy" texture in your mouth and IMO is disgusting and RUINS venison.

I add clean pork fat to venison when I'm making sausage, but never to ground venison.

I stopped adding anything in mine until cooktime.

Fats and suets go rancid faster than raw lean meats in the freezer, so we keep them out of the mix til we cook.

Just my .02

Don't use beef suet. It will leave a pastey feel in you mouth. Adding any fat will cut the storage time in the freezer down as already mentioned.

If I want pork, or beef taste, I will buy it and cook separately. I like elk,deer, andantelope meat taste too much to cut it with something else

I don't add anything to my grind ,either deer, elk or antelope.

I grind twice with a course plate and put up in 1# packages.

If you make burgers, and they seem to fall apart. Only turn once after one side is done and you won't have the problem.

This is what the butcher I generally use does. The bacon burgers are AMAZING!

I'm going to offend a few of you here, but I'm sure you'll get over it. I've seen a few comments about "waxy" and "pastey" texture/taste on the palate after eating venison burgers with beef suet added. I've experienced this as well. However, if you take the time to trim absolutely every little piece of deer tallow from your venison burger trim and then add in the desired suet ratio, you will no longer experience the waxy or pasty texture or taste. The waxy texture is actually the deer tallow remaining in your venison trim. Eliminate that deer fat, and I mean completely, then add either beef or pork fat and it will be great. If you disagree, take some of each fat, fry a bit of it in a pan, and do your own taste/texture test. The deer tallow will have an objectionable flavor, odor, and texture, while the beef and pork will be quite tasty. Deer tallow has a significantly higher melting point than pork or beef, which leads to the waxy coating on your palate, not to mention it doesn't taste good. If beef fat left your palate waxy, no one would appreciate a perfectly marbled steak, nor would the cracklings from rendered tallow be used for scrapple, not would the rendered lard be worth a darn for making pie crusts and other baked delicacies (or fried if you're into deep frying in lard!)