Deermeat/Pork Fat ratio for deerburgers?

yankytrash · December 5, 2001, 06:02 AM

Friend of mine told me to try using pork fat in deer burgers instead of beef fat. He said try a 1:5 ratio.

WRONG. Consistency still ends up like sausage.

I tried a couple lighter ratios, but ran out of thawed-out deer meat before I could find the right mix.

Any of you use pork fat for your deer burgers? What ratio do you use?

Meanwhile, I'll be spicing up about 20lbs of deer sausage. I hope the kids are hungry this morning. Anybody want some?

deanf · December 5, 2001, 06:14 AM

So are we talking regular sausage, like for cooking, or summer sausage? I just got 30 pounds of summer sausage myself. Mmmm . . . tasty.

yankytrash · December 5, 2001, 06:35 AM

My culinary skills are still a bit lacking to tackle summer sausage. You got a good recipe?

Damn I'm gettin hungry...

stephen_g22 · December 5, 2001, 10:24 AM

I don't have any fat added to my ground venison. I either mix the venison with some ground beef or ground pork right before I cook with it. I usually add 1lb of ground beef to 1lb-1.5lbs of ground venison. If I am making chili or tacos I use a little olive oil with the venison with no additional fat. Good and good for you.

I made some chili on Sunday and just for the heck of it I sauteed some dove breasts that I had de-boned in some olive oil, onion and garlic and added the cooked breast pieces in the bottom of my chili bowl before I added the scoop of chili. MMMMMM good.

I would have added the dove in the chili pot directly, but my wife would not have eaten it. She doesn't like dove.

FWIW

Southla1 · December 5, 2001, 01:33 PM

When I make deer sausage I use a 1 to 1 ratio of pork to deer(plus seasonings). We usually keep some out and make burgers with it and they are good. I never mix fat of any kind, I just use the natural fat in the pork roasts that I grind up for the 1 to 1 ratio. I also use the same mixture of 50/50 to make deer chile. The pork adds just enough moisture/oil to the dry deer meat.

Larry Ashcraft · December 5, 2001, 06:22 PM

I agree with Southla1. We use a cut from a local market called "pork butts". Mix it 1-1 or a little less pork (we used to use 30% pork for elk). We've done several pronghorns this way and it makes excellent breakfast or Italian sausage.

H&H,hunter · December 5, 2001, 08:03 PM

Depends on your tastes but my game meat butcher recomends between 10 & 15% for Elk or Mule Deer he uses beef fat however. I don't know that there would be a difference with pork??

Southla1 · December 5, 2001, 09:00 PM

TrophyShop, I wonder if it's not the same thing we are both using?

Down here we use what is known as a Boston Butt pork roast. Catch the local supermarket at the right time and it sells for 87 cents a pound on sale but never more than $1.29 a pound. If it is a good season we will have the venison all ready to go but freeze it till the pork roasts go on sale.

yankytrash · December 6, 2001, 05:30 AM

You guys might want to experiment with a cheaper option that I use - just ask the butcher at the grocery store for the next day's beef fat trimmings. My butcher gives them to me for free.

Unfortunately, the porkfat down south here sells as "fatback". Can't get it for free, but it's usually only pennies per pound (about $.25/lb, IIRC). (Makes vegetables go down easier

)

H&H - thanks man. That should help me out greatly. I suspect the porkfat ratio is a little smaller.

I'll keep at it. Next 20lbs is thawing in the fridge as we speak...

Dave McC · December 6, 2001, 05:59 AM

Bambi Burger is great as is for Pasta sauce and burgers. Why add the fat and cholesterol we get too much of anyway?

Oh, yes, sausage here runs about 4:1 Bambi to lean ground pork. Add a little sage, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, grill and serve with applesauce. Kids think this is served in Heaven for breakfast...

yankytrash · December 6, 2001, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Why add the fat and cholesterol we get too much of anyway?

Unlike most people, I have just the opposite problem - low bodyfat (<6%). Doc said, "...technically, you need to be eating 4000 calories per day, although it's not possible to eat that amount of food on a healthy diet....".

That, coupled with an active lifestyle, allows me to get away with murder at the dinner table.

Life is good!!

Larry Ashcraft · December 6, 2001, 12:15 PM

Southla1, sounds like the same thing, but we do it the other way. As soon as somebody draws a pronghorn tag, we start looking for pork on sale, then freeze it. We've got one market here that always has it pretty cheap.

Dave McC · December 7, 2001, 05:56 AM

That's rare, Yankytrash. My cholesterol levels are good, despite irregular exercise and fast food, because of lots of venison, prepared w/o much added fat.

For steaks and chops, try a marinade made from olive oil with fresh rosemary simmered in it, and poured over the meat when cool. Let it set an hour and then grill it.

Southla1 · December 8, 2001, 10:15 AM

Hey TrophyShop...................passed the local supermarket last night and on their sign our front they were advertizing "Boston Butt" Pork roasts for .79C per pound.....................now Bambi needs to show his face in my sights

Bottom Gun · December 8, 2001, 10:47 AM

I'll sometimes add a pound or two of uncooked bacon to the meat I grind.

December 5, 2001, 06:02 AM	#1
yankytrash Senior Member Join Date: April 17, 2001 Location: Farnham, Va Posts: 2,183	Deermeat/Pork Fat ratio for deerburgers? Friend of mine told me to try using pork fat in deer burgers instead of beef fat. He said try a 1:5 ratio. WRONG. Consistency still ends up like sausage. I tried a couple lighter ratios, but ran out of thawed-out deer meat before I could find the right mix. Any of you use pork fat for your deer burgers? What ratio do you use? Meanwhile, I'll be spicing up about 20lbs of deer sausage. I hope the kids are hungry this morning. Anybody want some? __________________ Right turn, Clyde.

December 5, 2001, 06:14 AM	#2
deanf Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 1999 Location: N47º 12’ x W122º 10' Posts: 1,599	So are we talking regular sausage, like for cooking, or summer sausage? I just got 30 pounds of summer sausage myself. Mmmm . . . tasty. __________________ I'm a constitutional fetishist. Airplane Pictures

December 5, 2001, 06:35 AM	#3
yankytrash Senior Member Join Date: April 17, 2001 Location: Farnham, Va Posts: 2,183	My culinary skills are still a bit lacking to tackle summer sausage. You got a good recipe? Damn I'm gettin hungry... __________________ Right turn, Clyde.

December 6, 2001, 05:30 AM	#9
yankytrash Senior Member Join Date: April 17, 2001 Location: Farnham, Va Posts: 2,183	You guys might want to experiment with a cheaper option that I use - just ask the butcher at the grocery store for the next day's beef fat trimmings. My butcher gives them to me for free. Unfortunately, the porkfat down south here sells as "fatback". Can't get it for free, but it's usually only pennies per pound (about $.25/lb, IIRC). (Makes vegetables go down easier ) H&H - thanks man. That should help me out greatly. I suspect the porkfat ratio is a little smaller. I'll keep at it. Next 20lbs is thawing in the fridge as we speak... __________________ Right turn, Clyde.

December 5, 2001, 10:24 AM	#4
stephen_g22 Member Join Date: November 15, 2000 Posts: 42	I don't have any fat added to my ground venison. I either mix the venison with some ground beef or ground pork right before I cook with it. I usually add 1lb of ground beef to 1lb-1.5lbs of ground venison. If I am making chili or tacos I use a little olive oil with the venison with no additional fat. Good and good for you. I made some chili on Sunday and just for the heck of it I sauteed some dove breasts that I had de-boned in some olive oil, onion and garlic and added the cooked breast pieces in the bottom of my chili bowl before I added the scoop of chili. MMMMMM good. I would have added the dove in the chili pot directly, but my wife would not have eaten it. She doesn't like dove. FWIW

December 5, 2001, 01:33 PM	#5
Southla1 Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 19, 2000 Location: Jeanerette, La. Near the Posts: 1,999	When I make deer sausage I use a 1 to 1 ratio of pork to deer(plus seasonings). We usually keep some out and make burgers with it and they are good. I never mix fat of any kind, I just use the natural fat in the pork roasts that I grind up for the 1 to 1 ratio. I also use the same mixture of 50/50 to make deer chile. The pork adds just enough moisture/oil to the dry deer meat.

December 5, 2001, 06:22 PM	#6
Larry Ashcraft Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2001 Location: Pueblo, CO, Home of Heroes Posts: 251	I agree with Southla1. We use a cut from a local market called "pork butts". Mix it 1-1 or a little less pork (we used to use 30% pork for elk). We've done several pronghorns this way and it makes excellent breakfast or Italian sausage.

December 5, 2001, 08:03 PM	#7
H&H,hunter Senior Member Join Date: July 25, 2001 Location: Colorado Posts: 504	Depends on your tastes but my game meat butcher recomends between 10 & 15% for Elk or Mule Deer he uses beef fat however. I don't know that there would be a difference with pork??

December 5, 2001, 09:00 PM	#8
Southla1 Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 19, 2000 Location: Jeanerette, La. Near the Posts: 1,999	TrophyShop, I wonder if it's not the same thing we are both using? Down here we use what is known as a Boston Butt pork roast. Catch the local supermarket at the right time and it sells for 87 cents a pound on sale but never more than $1.29 a pound. If it is a good season we will have the venison all ready to go but freeze it till the pork roasts go on sale.

December 6, 2001, 05:59 AM	#10
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Bambi Burger is great as is for Pasta sauce and burgers. Why add the fat and cholesterol we get too much of anyway? Oh, yes, sausage here runs about 4:1 Bambi to lean ground pork. Add a little sage, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, grill and serve with applesauce. Kids think this is served in Heaven for breakfast...

December 6, 2001, 12:15 PM	#12
Larry Ashcraft Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2001 Location: Pueblo, CO, Home of Heroes Posts: 251	Southla1, sounds like the same thing, but we do it the other way. As soon as somebody draws a pronghorn tag, we start looking for pork on sale, then freeze it. We've got one market here that always has it pretty cheap.

December 7, 2001, 05:56 AM	#13
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	That's rare, Yankytrash. My cholesterol levels are good, despite irregular exercise and fast food, because of lots of venison, prepared w/o much added fat. For steaks and chops, try a marinade made from olive oil with fresh rosemary simmered in it, and poured over the meat when cool. Let it set an hour and then grill it.

December 8, 2001, 10:15 AM	#14
Southla1 Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 19, 2000 Location: Jeanerette, La. Near the Posts: 1,999	Hey TrophyShop...................passed the local supermarket last night and on their sign our front they were advertizing "Boston Butt" Pork roasts for .79C per pound.....................now Bambi needs to show his face in my sights

December 8, 2001, 10:47 AM	#15
Bottom Gun Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 1998 Location: Arizona Territory Posts: 1,092	I'll sometimes add a pound or two of uncooked bacon to the meat I grind.