step-by-step grinding meat into burger

I grind about 3-4 deer per year, which doesn't make me an expert, but here is my protocol.

I add suet, but probably less that 5%.  I am able to purchase it at the local grocery store for .50/pound.  I use beef, but have heard pork will also work.  I think I read somewhere that beef will store frozen longer than pork, but I don't think it would be a big deal either way.

I trim all the fat from the deer and and toss chunks in the grinder.  Between every three or four chuncks, I will toss in a 1/2" x 1/2 piece of suet.  When I have filled up a plastic bin I do an additional quick mix with my hands and then roll them into ~1.5 pound balls.  Then the wrapping starts.

TasunkaWitko,

I'll go to Sam's Club and buy Boston Butt(pork) for $.89-$1.19/lb and mix it w/the game meat.  For moist sausage, I grind 80% game meat to 20% BB.......for burger I mix 90% game meat to 10% BB.  I like the Boston Butt because it's cheap and it's not all fat.  I'm really anal about the trimming of the game meat......I "think" it removes any chance of strong flavors the waste could impart on the final product.....then, again, the mind is a wonderful thing.

This sheep season, we had some meat that had to be processed and due to logistics, we sent it out to a processor and had sausage made out of it.....he added 15% pork and the sausage is moist but hardly any grease is in the pan when finished cooking......really good stuff.

When I make sausage, I cut both meats in strips and grind them two strips of each at a time, grinding it fine, not coarse.....once it's all ground, I mix my spices together in ice water and then combine w/the ground meat mixing well.....my family likes the sausage in patties......the sheep sausage I had made is in links.....I don't care, it's all good.

Hope this is some help.

Joe

I have the $99 Northern Tool grinder , and it has done quite a few elk with no problems and is still like new.

Adding beef suet to your burger, will give you pasty feeling in your mouth when you eat it. Years ago I added steak trimmings, because all the rest of the guys in the group wanted to. Now I don't add anything. I am VERY VERY picky what goes into my ground meat. More so than my stealks. A lot of folks say that if you don't add some kind of fat, the burgers won't cook on the grill as they will fall apart. Not true. All you need to do is not to turn them as quickly. Let it sear good on one side , before turning. I only flip my burgers twice.

Straight meat without fat gives you better chili, spaghetti or what ever recipe you want to make. A spray of olive oil on the burge rwhile cooking willl add enough oil for most tastes.