Most deer hunters understand that venison is one of the leanest meats you can cook, so drying it out on the grill or frying pan is a real problem. When it comes to ground venison burgers, the solution is adding fat, but the question remains: which type of fat is best?
In the 15-minute YouTube video below, Outdoors Allie tests five different fat additions to venison burgers. She makes six patties total with the following additions: pork fat, bacon, butter, mayonnaise and egg.
A 100% venison patty serves as her control, and she cooks all the patties with the same grill, same temp and same cooking time. Finally, she judges each of the burgers on sear, moisture and flavor.
Personally, I was happy to learn that the addition of pork fat resulted in Outdoor Allie’s best grilled venison burger because each year I ask my local meat market to add it to my ground venison. I’ve had them add 10-30% pork fat in the past with excellent results. Going forward, I think I’ll ask for 20%, the ratio she tests in this video.
