venison burger
 

So we harvested two deer today and they are cleaned and ready to grind... do you add pork fat, ground beef, bacon ends??/ anything to yours or do you grind it into burger and package and freeze it without adding anything to it? I haven't ground it before and this time we have a nice amount to work wit so I am looking for your input or advice. Thanks

I prefer pork fat but bacon ends sound good too.

[QUOTE=clkeiper;516271]So we harvested two deer today and they are cleaned and ready to grind... do you add pork fat, ground beef, bacon ends??/ anything to yours or do you grind it into burger and package and freeze it without adding anything to it? I haven't ground it before and this time we have a nice amount to work wit so I am looking for your input or advice. Thanks[/QUOTE]

Try to find some beef suet or fat at the store or wherever you can.
Beef suet is the kidney fat the king of beef fats.
Mix it to 20% fat and 80% lean.
If you cant find the beef use pork leaf lard fat or last fat back.
The beef fat wont go rancid as fast.

Most folks I know grind in a bit of suet. Helps hold it together during grilling or frying. I grind 50 plus lbs. a year in one pound packages. I don't add anything, just deer. A good amount of our burger is used in pasta dishes and chilli. It won't fall apart on the grill if you're carefull in turning it. Regardless of the cut of meat, it's a quick sear a turn and it's done.

I guess we do it differently. We've always added the 70/30 hamburger for the finicky taste buds we seem to have an excess of. Venison is so lean, it needs something to hold it together when you make patties for burgers.

Most grocery stores that have a meat department with a butcher will have cheap fat. They can also recommend other fat meat to add for tweaking the overall taste. Around here, it's almost a religion. I've seen fights break out over whose recipe is the best. For my finicky eaters, I mix 3 parts 70/30 beef and 2 parts venison.

Mixing venison with fatty lamb is very good, as is adding in some groundhog or black bear.

[QUOTE=bjbebs;516275]Most folks I know grind in a bit of suet. Helps hold it together during grilling or frying. I grind 50 plus lbs. a year in one pound packages. I don't add anything, just deer. A good amount of our burger is used in pasta dishes and chilli. It won't fall apart on the grill if you're carefull in turning it. Regardless of the cut of meat, it's a quick sear a turn and it's done.[/QUOTE]

Dead on right too many people over cook deer.
Remember you ground it the grinder and meat were clean.
You have nothing to worry about.

Worth

Okay, thanks. Grinder is new so I have no worries on contamination. I think I will do some with and some without. some for ground meat casseroles or chili and some to make patties out of.
Has anyone canned theirs? or made chili and canned that?

[QUOTE=clkeiper;516315]Okay, thanks. Grinder is new so I have no worries on contamination. I think I will do some with and some without. some for ground meat casseroles or chili and some to make patties out of.
Has anyone canned theirs? or made chili and canned that?[/QUOTE]

We did growing up.
What kind of grinder did you get?
I always get excited when someone gets a meat grinder.:lol:

I just want to add for making chili you want to use the biggest grinder plate you have.
The pressure cooker will do all of your cooking tenderizing work.
I have several pints of chili I made in my pantry now.


Worth

I just went to Dunhams sporting goods and bought a #12 heavy duty grinder. 500watts/ 6#'s per minute grind. On sale for 150.00. Since I need it now I couldn't really shop around much... not much to choose from around here without driving at least an hour.
[url]http://www.dunhamssports.com/products/chard-12-heavy-duty-grinder/[/url]

So tomorrow after I go for parts for a machine and drop my MIL off at the nursinghome/rehab place to sit with my FIL for the day I will be working on meat. Slicing grinding and canning.
Thanks for the chili meat tip. I wouldn't have thought of that.

[QUOTE=clkeiper;516323]I just went to Dunhams sporting goods and bought a #12 heavy duty grinder. 500watts/ 6#'s per minute grind. On sale for 150.00. Since I need it now I couldn't really shop around much... not much to choose from around here without driving at least an hour.
[URL]http://www.dunhamssports.com/products/chard-12-heavy-duty-grinder/[/URL]

So tomorrow after I go for parts for a machine and drop my MIL off at the nursinghome/rehab place to sit with my FIL for the day I will be working on meat. Slicing grinding and canning.
Thanks for the chili meat tip. I wouldn't have thought of that.[/QUOTE]

That is a good grinder it wont swallow whole hogs but it will work fine.
Many grinders dont have reverse yours does.
Reverse on a grinder is a very good thing to have.
If the grinder stops you can hit reverse and slam it froward again unless it is a bone.

Here is a tip.
If you dont wait for the grinder to click before you change directions it will continue to run the way it was running.
As least mine does because it has a capacitor starter on it.


Worth

venison burger
 

If it's going to be used for chili, which most of it is, nothing gets added. If it'll become burgers, a little beef or pork fat goes in. For sausages, a good amount of pork fat is added--until the "marbling" looks right.

I use an old 2 phase Hobart grinder that will eat up anything you throw at it. It had many thousand pounds under its belt before I at bought it at auction years ago. Store bought grinders work well if fed slowly with meat that has been trimmed properly. For instance, if a shoulder has been boned out without removing all connective tissue, your grinder will struggle.

I was grinding meat many years ago when my boys were young. I walked away but did not turn the machine off. When I returned, they were feeding broken asphalt shingles into the hopper. Yea I was mad but it sure brings a smile when I think about it now.

[QUOTE=bjbebs;516404]I use an old 2 phase Hobart grinder that will eat up anything you throw at it. It had many thousand pounds under its belt before I at bought it at auction years ago. Store bought grinders work well if fed slowly with meat that has been trimmed properly. For instance, if a shoulder has been boned out without removing all connective tissue, your grinder will struggle.

I was grinding meat many years ago when my boys were young. I walked away but did not turn the machine off. When I returned, they were feeding broken asphalt shingles into the hopper. Yea I was mad but it sure brings a smile when I think about it now.[/QUOTE]

I bought a 1 1/2 horsepower #22 grinder a while back, it took me forever to decide on which one I wanted and how big.
From the kind responses here it helped me make up my mind.

I know people here and elsewhere have the LEM grinder but they put me off with their advertising.
This has to do with their so called BIG BITE technology.
They took the absolute worst auger and put it up against there grinder so theirs would look great.
I have never seen an auger like that on any grinder I have ever seen.
They make it look like theirs is the only grinder you can buy that you can let the meat feed its self.
Hog wash I almost never use the meat pusher.
Just sell a darn grinder dont make up lies.

Plus I dont think they have reverse and the cord doesn't unplug from the grinder.
The only complaint I have with my grinder is it is too fast and I cant have as much fun grinding as I would like to.:lol:

Carolyn.
With your grinder when you have time do it yourself or get someone in the house to do it.
Get some black wet dry sand paper 240 400 600 grit and polish the knife and plates on a flat surface.
This will match your cutting knife to your plates and they will work a heck of a lot better.
Another hint dont run the locking nut up too tight it is not necessary.

Worth

Thanks Worth. I just came in from the garage where it is pretty cool... my fingers aren't numb but they are cold. I will polish up the blades, too. I already am finished with the grinder for today. I did about 25 pounds of burger and I left the rest to make roasts or jerky out of. I am making a meatloaf for supper... It smells ... like meat. Nothing to put you off. My friend grew up on harvesting deer and she helped me clean them yesterday and get them ready to grind today. I put the meat in my frezer and went to do my errands and most of it was just about "right" to grind... I think, anyway. My metal parts grew condensation when I brought them in to wash up. now I am off to make a meat loaf out of it. I'll see if my family notices it isn't beef.

Unless you bought some crazy off brand and there are a few you should have a square drive cutting knife and plates with a hole and a notch at the side.
You can order whole sets that are stainless steel that wont rust.

Plus you dont have to think of it as just a meat grinder that set on the shelf most of the time.
You can grind up cucumbers to make relish and all sorts of stuff.
With the right plate you can almost juice an onion with one.

Worth