Juicy Venison Burger

Friends frequently ask me how I make venison burgers juicy. Ground venison is dry and when I grind it myself (using my Kitchenaid) I don't add any fat to it. I add ingredients when I actually use it.  My favorite thing to do is to use my food processor and finely chop about 4 pieces of raw bacon for each pound of ground venison. Mix it with the ground meat and use your favorite seasonings.  The bacon fat will add moisture and flavor.

I tried a new recipe this weekend, though.  I added 2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1 Tablespoon of orange Teriyaki sauce, an egg, 1/4 cup of finely chopped raw onion ... and a slice of bread finely chopped (I put it in the processor with the onion).  Don't worry that this is going to taste more like meatloaf than a burger ... it doesn't. It reminded me of the old-fashioned Maid Rite loose meat burgers that were popular when I was kid!  The juices oozed from the sandwich and the bun got a little soggy on bottom!  Lick your fingers good!

I grilled my burgers and cooked them slowly, so most of the liquid would cook out.  They were slightly crumbly, so I had to be careful turning them and lifting them off the grill ..... but they were delicious!  While they grilled, I also grilled a foil packet filled with sliced mushrooms and butter to use as topping.  When they were finished cooking, each burger got a slice of smoked Gouda cheese.  YUMMY!  Pass more napkins, please!

I'll be posting this with a couple parties listed on my sidebar, so make sure you click through. Right now my home page is filled with venison recipes, so browse around before you move on!