Grandpa's Venison Burgers

photo by Jodi Richards

“This is a new spin on my grandpa’s recipe for venison burgers. As an avid fisher and hunter, he often served these delicious burgers to my dad, aunt and uncle when they were growing up. Grandpa uses the sausage to give the lean venison some extra fat to hold the patties together on the grill. I’ve added the spices and peppers to give it a little extra heat!” – Megan Moore, dietetic intern with Seneca County Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Grandpa David’s Venison Burgers

Makes 6 burgers.

1 lb ground venison

2 Italian sausages

1 small onion

½ cup mushrooms

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon dried thyme

For extra heat, 1-2 Tablespoons diced jalapeno or poblano pepper (about 1whole jalapeno or 1/3 of a whole poblano)

Hamburger buns

Peel and dice half of the onion into ¼” pieces. Wipe the mushrooms with a damp paper towel then dice into ¼” pieces. If using jalapeno or poblano, rinse the pepper and dice to ¼” pieces. (For less heat, remove the seeds and sauté the peppers in oil before adding into the meat. For more heat, add the seeds and uncooked peppers.)

Remove sausage from casing if necessary. Mix ground venison, sausage, onion, mushrooms, peppers if using, and spices by hand. Divide into 6 even portions, about 3 ounces each. Shape the patties into thick rounds with a slight impression in the middle of each.

Grill patties on preheated flattop griddle or two sided grill. The patties will be very lean so it is best not to cook them on a grated grill as they may fall apart. Cook until a thermometer inserted into the center of a patty reads at least 160° F.

Top with your favorite hamburger toppings (suggested: lettuce, tomato, onion and barbeque sauce) and enjoy!

Italian Venison Burgers

It is time to start thinking about the outdoor adventure of grilling! Venison steaks are excellent on the grill, but they are best if the meat has time to tenderize in a marinade for a few days. If you want to grill tonight, try these Italian flavored burgers....

Italian Venison Burgers

1 pound ground venison, thawed
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup green olives, chopped
1-2 T. olive oil
1-2 t. Italian seasoning
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together and form into 4 hamburger patties. Grill until desired temperature. USDA recommends to cook the meat to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. To test the temperature, insert a meat thermometer sideways into the burger.

Snow Geese

Hunting is encouraged for snow geese in New York state with the season extended until April 15, a bag limit of 25 per day, and no possession limit! According the the NYS DEC, there is an overabundance of Snow Geese on the Atlantic Flyway, increasing from about 50,000 birds in the 1960's to over a million birds in recent years. The overabundance of snow geese is detrimental to fragile habitats. Thousands of geese can be found in Seneca County fields. So, stock up the larder and help with conservation efforts!
(photo courtesy of Keith Tidball)

BBQ Goose

breast meat from 1 goose, about 2 lbs, boneless and skinless
1-2 T. of olive oil or butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2-4 cups apple juice or chicken stock
favorite barbecue sauce

Heat olive oil in a large skillet and brown the goose breasts for a few minutes on each side. Transfer to a slow cooker and add the onion, garlic, and enough juice or stock to cover the meat. Simmer on low heat for 6-8 hours. This can also be done in a dutch oven or braising pan placed in the oven at 300 degrees for 3+ hours (make sure the liquid does not cook off). The meat should be tender and easily shredded when done. Remove the goose meat from the pan and shred the meat. Discard the cooking liquid. Mix the goose meat with your favorite BBQ sauce and heat through. Great for sandwiches. Should serve about 8.

Red, White, and Blue 4th of July Venison Burgers!

In celebration of the 4th of July, try this "Red, White, and Blue" burger...sure to be a crowd pleaser. The "red" is from sun dried tomatoes, the "blue" is blue cheese and the "white" is white tailed deer. Hopefully you have some ground venison in your freezer, but if not, you can get some from a local butcher or substitute with grass-fed beef.

Recipe was developed by Cagey T.
















Red, White, and Blue Venison Burger

1.5 lbs. ground venison meat
1/2 cup diced sweet onion, such as vidalia, red, or shallot
1/2 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 egg or just egg white
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (or 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp parsley flakes)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and form into 6 hamburger patties. Grill patties until cooked through. You can top patties with additional blue cheese and chives. It is important to not over cook venison or it will dry out due to it's lack of fat, which also makes it a healthy choice of meat! Serves 6.

Bullheads!

Bullhead fishing is in full swing, as are Bullhead dinners at local clubs and restaurants. The bullheads for the purchased dinners are primarily farm raised in Canada, but there is great bullhead fishing here in Seneca County. If you are fishing for local bullheads, seek out muddy flats near vegetation (the top of Cayuga lake is a good place to look), fish the bottom with worms, and go at night when they feed. DEC has a publication on fishing for panfish, including bullhead and how to clean them.

Here is a recipe to try, besides the traditional bullhead fish fry (it also works great for left-over fried bullheads)...

Bullhead Patties

2 lbs. filleted bullheads or other fish (can use previously cooked fish)
1 large raw potato
1 small onion
1 large egg
2 tbsp flour

1-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or dill (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp olive oil

Directions
Coarsely grind uncooked fillets (if using cooked bullheads, simply flake the meat from the bones), grate potato and onion. This can be done in a food processor, blender, or by hand. Mix with remaining ingredients and form into ½” thick patties. You can form small patties (1” rounds) to serve with tarter sauce as an appetizer or larger patties (3”) to serve on a bun as a sandwich. Heat olive oil in a fry pan and drop patties into hot oil. For a crispier patty, you may coat the patties lightly in fish fry batter or seasoned panko breadcrumbs before frying. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Serve with tarter or cocktail sauce, or lemon wedges.