Meat processing Question

[cantkillathing]

Okay those of you that grind your elk, or deer into hamburger, do you ad fat, if so pork or beef? And where do you buy the fat from?

I have usually used beef fat and use to buy fat from our local meat plant but the no longer sale it. So just trying to find a new source, I hear some like pork fat, so might try it on some hamburger this year.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[IdahoSmitty]

I mix with pork fat. I have bought it from many grocery stores. Also try some bacon ends, this adds a great flavor to your meat. Smitty

 

[predator]

I used regular beef fat until I talked with an actual butcher who said that kidney fat was better because it grinds into powder. He was right. I have found that any store that has in-store butchering can get you some. It costs me like 5 bucks for 20 pounds.

 

[GotBowAz]

I used pork butts. I bought them whole from Fry?s and I was lucky because at the time they sold them you could buy one get one free. I ended up with 15 pounds of pork butts and ground them up first. I added 3 pounds of pork to 12 pounds of elk and it worked out perfectly. It was enough to keep the burger together, and I was able to make my own summer sausage and Italian sausage and the jerky turned out great too. I will do it this way from now on. My only mistake was grinding it too fine as it came out more like a paste. It is still awesome tasting though. Lessons learned.

GBA

 

[SneakAttack]

I wouldn't add a drop if it were me. I like the flavor better without. You can butter or olive oil to it when you cook it. I like the ground better without it added during processing. Why take natures best, most lean meat and nasty it up with hog grease? eew, I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

 

[npaden]

I buy the cheapest fattiest hamburger and mix that in.

Generally you can find some 73/27 hamburger (27% fat) and I'll mix in 5 lbs of store hamburger to 15 lbs of ground elk or deer.

Ends up with about the right amount of fat for us. Usually around 90 - 93% lean. We use it for everything.

One thing I heard on a similar post on a different forum was adding bacon to it specifically for meat that you were going to make into hamburgers and grill. Mixed in a pound of bacon per 5 pounds of meat. Said it tasted just like a bacon burger when done. I'm thinking about making a few batches like that on my next animal.

 

[tailchasers]

30% pork sausage or cheapest pork we can find/# of big game meat. Works well for us.

 

[nripepi]

Only add fat to your burger or sausage would be my recommendation. Leave the rest plain.

 

[brymoore]

I've been processing my own animals for almost 20 years. I've played with pork fat, beef fat, salt pork, etc. My family likes our venison w/o any additives for most meals.

I will add 20% beef hamburger (1 pound beef for every 5 pounds venison)to a small amount for hamburgers for the grill. Without the beef, the burgers would not hold together. We'll also add ground pork as the fat substitute for any sausage we make.

 

[Waygoner]

I've been adding bacon into my ground elk for the past few years. It's cheap, easy to find and tastes great.

 

[mevertsen]

Why ruin good meat with pork or beef?

The only reason I could see adding pork or beef fat would be for if a person wanted burgers for the grill. If I want that, I'll just get some burger.

The burger I grind is used for spaghetti, tacos, chili, etc. I cook it with a little olive oil to keep from burning, and thats it.

Can't imagine adding beef or pork to elk, YUK.

Later,

Marcial

 

[NMPaul]

Pork trimmings are the way to go.

Beef fat goes rancid quicker, turns hard before pork fat when it cools, and pork fat has better flavor.

 

[mmwb]

I add pork fat or bacon ends for sausage. Burger I don't add anything to. Like others, I'll buy some burger for the grill.

 

[Longun]

I use strictly beef fat...1 lb to 10 lbs of Elk Burger...we love it for Tacos,Spaghetti,Lasagna,burgers ect ect, and I get beef fat free from the local butcher..for a couple packages of Elk Burger.

 

[lightw8]

I have been using pork shoulders from costco. works great!!!

 

[elk_horn]

We use Bacon like about 10 lbs of Bacon to 50 pounds of Elk.works great!

 

[trophyhunter]

We use about 40 percent pork and fat, sometimes plain ground pork because the venison or elk meat is so lean. Seems to allow the burger to be cooked medium and not get hard as a rock after cooking. Our local game processing butcher does the same when making links and burger. 40 percent pork/fat to your game meat.

 

[Bullelk1]

40%? My arteries would shut off! We normally mix it at 5-7%.

 

[longshooter338]

DEFINETELY PORK BUTTS !!!

 

[Triple_BB]

Back in my college days I took several meat cutting/processing classes. One of them was strictly wild game. We did a blind taste study cooking ground deer and elk with both pork and beef suet. Pork won the blind taste test in our class and it wasn't even close. I usually buy pork meat on sale and grind it. Pork fat is almost running the same price as shoulder or trimmings when on sale.