What to Mix with Venison When Grinding? [5 Ingredients]

It’s pretty confusing to pick the right ingredient to mix with venison when grinding. But you still have to come up with an ingredient.

So, what to mix with venison when grinding?

Well, you can pick an ingredient according to your grind type and recipe. For example, you can use meat tallow if you go for a coarsely ground burger or chili. You can even add bacon. And if you want fine ground venison for sausages. You can try out either pork/beef meat or meat fat. You can add baked potatoes too.

Now, how much of the ingredients you need is important. For that reason, we’ve discussed the mixing process and ingredients in detail.

Therefore, don’t miss out on the important facts-

Why Do You Have to Mix Extra Ingredients?

Venison is basically lean meat. This type of meat is known to be healthier than any other meat. Because it carries less fat. Hence, it’s redder in color than any other meat.

So, it’s easy to say that good-quality venison is good for you.

However, there are two negative things about venison. And for that reason, it’s important to mix something with the meat when grinding.

Now, let’s see the two downsides of venison-

Less Juicier Than Other Meat

As venison is pretty lean so it contains 50% less fat than beef. And for that, it lacks a little bit of juiciness. Therefore, when grinding or cooking, it can turn dry which will ruin the texture of your recipe.

Source: nevadafoodies.com

But we’ve got a piece of good news-

Mixing certain ingredients can bring back that juiciness easily. And don’t worry! Venison will still be healthy after adding these ingredients. So, you can get both juicy and healthy meat!

Annoying Gamey Taste & Smell

Another downside is the gamey taste and smell venison carries.

Well, this taste and smell are quite expected. Because at the end of the day venison is the meat of a wild animal.

However, this side is pretty frustrating for some people.

But, fear not, my friend!

This taste and smell can be removed in no time. And that’s by using some extra ingredients with the venison.

Now, are you curious about these extra elements?

If you are, take a look at the next segment.

What Can You Mix with Venison When Grinding?

So now you know the importance of mixing extra ingredients with venison when grinding. However, the ingredients can vary from grinding type and recipes.

Thus, to make things easier, we’ve discussed the elements based on these two factors-

Grinding Type

Recipe

Ingredients

Coarse

Venison chili, burger, meatloaf.

Meat tallow, bacon.

Fine

Venison sausages, meatball, burger, chorizo, tacos.

Meat fat, pork, or beef meat.

Now that you know which ingredients to use, let’s check them out one at a time-

Mixing Ingredients for Coarsely Ground Venison Recipes

As we know there are two types of grinding when it comes to meat. And coarse grinding is the easiest one.

You can have coarsely ground meat even without a grinder. How can you coarse ground without a grinder?

Well, just rapidly chop the meat with a sharp knife. And if that’s too time-consuming, use a blender. You’ll get a coarsely ground venison in no time!

Anyway, coarse ground meat can be used in many recipes.

For venison, some of the examples are venison chili, meatloaf, and burger patties.

Source: gameandfishmag.com

To help you out, we’ve gathered some extra mixing elements-

I want to Get a Better Texture

Now, the first element is meat tallow. Now, for people new to this, if you didn’t know, meat tallow is one kind of meat fat.

This meat fat especially comes from beef and goat. But for venison, we recommend using beef tallow. Because it’ll not only improve the texture. But also it can balance out the gamey smell.

Source: theprairiehomestead.com

Now, how much of the tallow should you use?

Well, the amount depends on the type of venison you’ll be grinding. For that reason, we’ve mentioned the amount of tallow according to the meat type-

Meat Name

Meat Amount (Percentage)

Meat Amount (lbs)

Beef Tallow Amount (Percentage)

Beef Tallow Amount (lbs)

Whitetail Venison

86%

1 lb

14%

0.14 lbs

Mule Deer Venison

80%

1 lb

20%

0.2 lbs

Also, if you didn’t get the calculation, no worries! We’ve broken down the calculation below-

For 1 lb whitetail venison,

(1×14)/100= 0.14 beef tallow

And if you’ve 5 lbs whitetail venison with you then you’ll need

(5×14)/100)= 0.7 lbs beef tallow

The formula for mule deer is the same!

See? It’s not that hard. Just calculate then measure the weight of the tallow and mix!

Now, where to find beef tallow?

To be honest, it’s not that hard to find beef tallow.

But there’s a catch-

It’s better to use beef tallow from grass-fed cows. Because that type of tallow carries lots of vitamins. For example, vitamin A, D, E, B1, and so on.

So, on the note, here are some of the good-quality beef tallows-

Essential Depot Store Beef Tallow

EPIC Beef Tallow Grass-Fed

Therefore, just grab the good-quality tallow and mix it with the venison when grinding.

I Want to Have More Flavor

Some people love to eat burgers that have coarse ground patties. And if you’re one of them, it’s your lucky day!

Because we’ve come up with a delicious mixing element. And that is- bacon.

Source: thesmokeypoet.com

However, you’ve to add bacon ends or pieces when grinding venison. Otherwise, the grinding process can get tough.

Plus how much bacon you should mix is another important factor. Well, we suggest adding 20% bacon with 80% venison. So, simply put, it’s 0.2 lbs bacon ends for 1 lb venison.

Still kinda confusing?

Well, it’s fine. Here’s the calculation for 1 lb venison-

(1×20)/100= 0.2 lbs bacon ends

And if you’ve 5 lbs venison, you’ve to mix-

(5×20)/100 = 1 lb bacon end

So yeah the formula is the same as the beef tallow one. And similar to the tallow, you’ll need a weight measuring scale to measure bacon ends.

Mixing bacon ends according to this ratio will make your burger patties tastier than ever.

Therefore, stop wasting time and start adding those bacon with the venison in the grinder.

Mixing Ingredients for Fine Ground Venison Recipes

Now, it’s time for the ingredients when fine grinding your venison. You can call it double grinding as well. Because double grinding refers to grinding coarsely ground venison to fine ground.

This type of grinding is the best when it comes to venison. Because there are lots of recipes out there for fine ground venison. You can make sausages, chorizo, burger patties, and even taco filling with it.

Source: honest-food.net

But you need a good-quality grinder if you want finely ground venison. So, on that note, here are some of our favorites-

STX Turboforce II”Platinum” w/Foot Pedal Heavy Duty Electric Meat Grinder & Sausage Stuffer

Gourmia GMG525 meat grinder

Anyway, are you ready now?

We hope you are. Because we’ve mentioned the two most easy to work with mixing elements-

I Need to Make the Venison Juicier

The first and foremost mixing ingredient is meat fat. You can use both beef and pork fat. However, the amount and type of meat fat depend on different recipes.

But don’t get restless. Because we’ve covered it all-

Recipe

Meat Fat Type

Meat Amount (Percentage)

Fat Amount (Percentage)

Venison Amount (lbs)

Fat Amount (lbs)

Burger patties and taco fillings

Beef Fat

85%

15%

1 lb

0.15 lbs

Sausages and chorizo

Pork Fat

85-75%

15-25%

1 lb

0.15-0.25 lbs

Now, if you’re still a bit clueless about the amount, you’re ready with the calculations-

So, for grinding 1 lb venison to make burger patties/taco fillings, you’ll need-

(1×15)/100= 0.15 lbs beef meat

And for grinding 1 lb venison to make sausages/chorizo, you’ll need-

(1×15)/100= 0.15 lbs pork meat or

(1×25)/100= 0.25 lbs pork meat

Now, just follow this formula. And you’ll easily understand how much fat you need according to the amount of venison.

Also, if you didn’t know meat fats are different as well. For fine grinding, it’s better to use some specific meat fats-

Source: nutritionadvance.com

For sausages and chorizo, we suggest using pork shoulder fat or pork lard. And for burger patties and tacos filling, go for beef tallow.

I Want to Go for a Meatier Texture

You might want your venison to have a bit meatier texture. So, if that’s the case, try adding extra meat when grinding venison.

But which type of meat is better?

Well, we prefer using the meat according to the recipes. Because different recipes require different tastes and textures.

So, let’s see what type of meat you can use along with the usage percentage-

Recipe

Meat Type

Venison Amount (percentage)

Meat Amount (Percentage)

Venison Amount (lbs)

Meat Amount (lbs)

Total Amount After Mixing (lbs)

Burger patties, taco fillings

Beef

65-50%

35-50%

1 lb

0.35-0.5 lbs

1.35-1.5 lbs

Sausages, chorizo

Pork or beef

60-50%

40-50%

1 lb

0.4-0.5 lbs

1.4-1.5 lbs

The calculation in this segment is the same as the meat fat one. Just multiply the venison amount (lbs) by the beef/pork meat percentage. And divide the result by 100. Piece of cake!

Now, which part of the beef or pork should you choose for the venison?

To be honest, it’s better to go for a part that has at least 20% fat in it.

Source: allrecipes.com

For example, if you want to use pork, choose the butt or shoulder. You can even add spare rib trimmings when grinding venison.

Source: farmison.com

And for beef, it’s best if you grab the sirloin. It’ll ensure both a juicy and meaty texture.

Now, just get the right cut and the right amount of meat. And you’re all set!

I want a Unique Taste with Creamy Texture

Source: yournutrition.com

Now, if you want a healthier option, you can always rely on boiled potatoes. Because boiled potatoes are a great binding agent.

Boiled potatoes will give your venison a creamy texture. But make sure to use boiled potatoes without skin.

You can easily make venison potato burger patties like this. Sounds kind of fun, right?

Well, this option will make your meal delicious as well.

How many boiled potatoes do you have to add?

For you, we’ve mentioned our simple rule of thumb-

Meat Amount (lbs)

Boiled Potato Number

1 lb

Half of 1 boiled potato

2 lbs

1 boiled potato

3 lbs

1 and a half-boiled potato

4-5 lbs

2 boiled potato

So, just follow this rule of thumb and you’ll get creamy and delicious ground venison.

Tips for Grinding Venison with Extra Ingredients

After choosing the ingredient, you should lookout for a few things. Otherwise, you’ll be far away from having the perfect ground venison.

Thus, to help you out, we’ve managed to come up with some important tips-

• You should always try to grind venison while it’s fresh. Because it’s much easier that way.
• You can’t use big chunks for grinding. Cut the meat into small but long chunks. And then place them for grinding.
• If you choose meat as an extra mixing ingredient, make sure to cut them into small chunks. Or else the grinder can get clogged.
• You’ve to maintain a good fat and venison ratio. If you don’t use enough fat, you’ll get dry and tough venison. And tough meat is hard to fix. Whether it be tough smoked brisket or venison.
• You can use fat and meat together while grinding venison too. This will give both the meatier and juicier texture.

So, these are some of the necessary facts that you should never forget. If you maintain these when grinding venison, you’ll be able to enjoy any recipe.

FAQs

Question: How many times is it okay to grind venison?

Answer: we recommend grinding venison twice. It’ll help you get finer ground venison. This type of ground venison can be used to make several recipes.

Question: What can I mix when coarse grinding?

Answer: Even though fine ground venison is more desirable, people do use coarse ground venison. And you mix extra meat fat or bacon to this type of grinding.

Question: How much fat should be added to venison when grinding?

Answer: We suggest using 10-20% fat in 90-80% venison. The grinding process will be much easier this way. And the taste and texture will be good too.

Question: Is beef tallow good for health?

Answer: Yup, it is. Even though fat is kinda unhealthy, beef tallow is actually rich in vitamins. And you’ll only get this vitamin-rich beef tallow from grass-fed cows. So yeah beef tallow isn’t harmful to your health.

Endnote

Hopefully, by now you’ve got what you wanted on what to mix with venison when grinding. By the way, you can even use tofu when coarse or fine grinding venison.

So, what did you mix with venison when grinding?

Do let us know your precious answers. Also, don’t forget to share your own experience with us. Thank you in advance!