Venison Burgers
Venison burgers are a staple in many a game cook’s repertoire, but I actually rarely make burgers. But when I do, I tend to sex them up with herbs and spices. This recipe is sorta vaguely Hungarian style, but it tastes really, really good.
Most venison is too lean to make into a burger by itself: In these cases, mix with the fattiest ground pork you can find – or better still, ground pork fat. I don’t much care for mixing my venison with beef fat because it is worse for your health than pork fat — plus, pork fat tastes more neutral than beef suet.
vension burgers
Use this recipe as a guide, not a crutch: You can vary the spices any way you want, and even vary the amounts once you know how much is going to do what. Develop a taste memory for the way spices and herbs interact and you can whip these delicious burgers up with whatever you have handy.
Makes eight 1/4 pound burgers.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
- 2 pounds ground venison (from any animal)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika (I like Spanish smoked paprika)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel pollen or ground fennel seeds
- Mix everything together well, then make patties about the size of the palm of your hand. Don’t work them too hard or they will become tough. Push the center of each burger in a little to make an indentation — this helps keep the burgers flat.
- Grill, fry or broil them to your liking, about 10-15 minutes. Flip only once, and do not press down on the burgers while cooking — this lets out juices and will make your burger tougher and drier. Steady, medium heat is important.
- As accompaniments, I like crumbled blue cheese and arugula. A hearty slice of tomato still warm from the sun is fantastic, as are fried onions. Go with whatever you like.
