Grinding burger??

[whiskeydog]

We use beef Beef suet
7% to burger and breakfast sausage
10% for pepper sticks and salami
20% for brats

 

[TheJason]

I do about 10% beef fat in my burger. I like to grind it while it's partial frozen still. I grind with the fine plate, mix in fat then grind with the coarse plate to mix it.

 

[Northwoods Labs]

I use to add some beef suet but have been going straight lean venison for many years now and we don't miss the fat at all. When I make burgers I dice up a little bacon and blend in with the burger and they stick together well and taste great.

Yea this is exactly what I do. They turn out great

 

[duckhunt]

0% for me.

 

[el unit]

0% for me too.

 

[LWC55]

0% for me too on ground meat. I add fat for sausage and what not but straight meat for my burger.

 

[npaden]

I usually just buy some of the cheapest hamburger you can buy in the store - I think it is 27% fat. I mix 2 pounds of that with 10 pounds of ground so I end up with 93% lean meat.

I'm thinking about adding ground bacon instead on a few batches next time and labeling that for hamburger patties only.

 

[sbhooper]

We grind most of ours with no fat added. It makes fantastic meat loaf, spaghetti, etc. The only fat-added meat that we process is when we make bacon burger.

12 pounds wild
3 pounds bacon ends
5 pounds of the cheapest beef-only to help keep the burger together on the grill

We usually add jalapenos and sometimes high-temp cheese to this mix. Best burgers ever.

 

[Gr8bawana]

I use bacon ends and pieces in my burger grind. I grind small batches so I ususally add 3 lbs to about 14-15 lbs of meat. There's actually quite a bit of meat in the bacon so I figure I end up with about 15-20% fat content. It doesn't make it taste like bacon either, you just get a hint of bacon flavor in the back of your nose.
As for thawing out your grind meat then refreezing it after grinding, I have never had a problem.

 

[mtmiller]

I usually just buy some of the cheapest hamburger you can buy in the store - I think it is 27% fat. I mix 2 pounds of that with 10 pounds of ground so I end up with 93% lean meat.

Same here. I think mine is 20% fat. Suet was a pain in the butt for me.

 

[zachthebowhunter]

I used to use 15-20% beef sirloin fat. It was free & good quality.
Been using 5-10% pork belly or bacon fat last few years. Go leaner says the Doc...lol

Eh what does the doc know! Make it taste good!

 

[HSi-ESi]

I prefer doing a straight grind. I'll add in fat (bacon ends or pork usually) if I am going to make sausage or when I am making burgers.

Having just straight grind in the freezer gives me more options down the road. I've run the gamut of beef fat, beef trim, pork fat, "lean" pork shoulder, bacon, etc. No matter what you choose, it's still way better than store bought.

 

[Nikos]

only beef)

 

[LMD423]

10 to 15 percent beef trim for us ground twice

 

[shoots-straight]

5% pork fat is my favorite mix.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

5%-10% pork shoulder

In terms for freezing, thaw, freeze you just need to be sure you are doing it safely and wrapping it correctly.

If you defrost your meat in the kitchen sink all day you should probably cook it and eat it asap. That said I have come home from a hunt, tightly wrapped a boned out quarter and tossed it in a freezer. A couple weeks later I defrosted the meat in the fridge cut steaks and wrapped them and put the trimmings in a vacuum sealed bag. I defrosted the trimmings a couple weeks later to grind. By the time my ground got to the table it have been frozen and thawed 3 times and probably sat in the freezer 8-12 months. The meat tasted great and was completely safe.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

I'm 0% straight grind.

I also grid with no fat (moose, caribou, sheep).
If I grill burgers, I do coat the grill and burgers with olive oil.
Much of our burger goes to tacos, spaghetti,chili, etc...no need for fat in grind for those meals.

I do add pork shoulder when I grind for italian sausage...typically about 25 pounds of pork shoulder, 60 pounds of moose.

 

[skifunk2]

Bacon all the way, but not from the grocery store. Go full on butcher shop smoked, thick, bacon and you'll never go back. I now go through my burger faster than anything else. Kids love it, wife loves it, and that's all the neighbors want to eat when they comeover... (which on a side note is heartbreaking, cause I've done some pretty kick ass stuff with my large muscle cuts!)

 

[buckbull]

I mix 20% beef suet for my burger. I personally like it leaner but the kids like it alot more with that mix. If i only used the burger for sloppy joes, spaghetti sauce, chili etc I'd probably go 10% or even less.

For sausages, brats, ground bacon, salami, and other things where pork is used; I do 40% venison, 40% pork loin, and 20% pork fat.

 

[archer wapiti]

I grind and freeze in 2 pound vacuum-sealed packages. I crease or make a furrow down the center of about half of those packages in case I want to only thaw a pound, I can usually break the package on the crease over the edge of the counter. I don't add any fat at this point. I add pork fat when I'm making sausage, about 20%
If I want an elk burger I'll mix in some egg, dry milk, and cracker crumbs to hold it together. I've not tried adding pork for that.