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Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers?

Posted By: pertnear

Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/06/20 03:47 PM

I bought a huge untrimmed brisket to cook for Super Bowl. I trimmed about 3 lbs of fat off the brisket before cooking. Instead of throwing it away, I put the trimmings in the freezer. Has anyone ever mixed brisket fat with venison & ground it into hamburger? If so, was it any good or just a waste of good venison? If it was worth doing, what mix ratio is recommended?

TIA for your comments
Posted By: unclebubba

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/06/20 03:53 PM

Short answer, yes, brisket fat is excellent for mixing with venison. I have processed my own venison for years. I also cook a lot of Brisket. I trim and save fat from all of my briskets all year long. The brisket fat is what I use to process my deer with...this past year it ended up being around 100 lbs of ground meat. I mix my brisket fat at 85/15. Sometimes I do 90/10. How lean do you like your burgers?
Posted By: QuitShootinYoungBucks

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/06/20 04:12 PM

We used to find that beef tallow didn't freeze/age well when mixed with venison. Therefore we've always just done straight venison. However, if you're eating it up in 6 mos. that might be a different story. Also, today's storage methods could likely extend that some. I agree with Bubba, I wouldn't go more than 10-15%.
Posted By: Herbie Hancock

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/06/20 04:31 PM

Yep I do it, there is no problem with it.
Posted By: Cast

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/06/20 04:33 PM

Why not use some bacon ends and pieces in there too?
Posted By: snake oil

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/06/20 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by Cast
Why not use some bacon ends and pieces in there too?


That's what my processor in Archer uses and it's very good. up
Posted By: PMK

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/06/20 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by Cast
Why not use some bacon ends and pieces in there too?

yep, we used to do either 90/10 with trimmings off brisket or bacon ends ... just seems the bacon ends had a funny flavor if left in the freezer over a longer time period. That was before vacuum sealing was a viable option though.
Posted By: SnakeWrangler

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/06/20 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by PMK
Originally Posted by Cast
Why not use some bacon ends and pieces in there too?

yep, we used to do either 90/10 with trimmings off brisket or bacon ends ... just seems the bacon ends had a funny flavor if left in the freezer over a longer time period. That was before vacuum sealing was a viable option though.

Yup...90/10 or 85/15....we use bacon ends and pieces.....I also use it in my venison chili
Posted By: stxranchman

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/07/20 02:52 AM

I do my venison burger with 10% added beef fat. I like this ratio. My parents used to buy fat briskets to mix with ground venison. They did a 50/50 mix of brisket to venison. It was always really good.
Posted By: krmitchell

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/07/20 03:08 AM

Yes. My processor does this for their hamburger so I started buying brisket trimming from them to do my own venison hamburger.
Posted By: skinnerback

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/07/20 03:29 AM

I've done it, and personally don't like using the hard fat off a brisket in my sausage. Hard fat doesn't render very well. If I need fat I like using the fat from bacon ends and pieces. It renders better and has better flavor IMO.

Posted By: krmitchell

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/07/20 03:36 AM

Originally Posted by skinnerback
I've done it, and personally don't like using the hard fat off a brisket in my sausage. Hard fat doesn't render very well. If I need fat I like using the fat from bacon ends and pieces. It renders better and has better flavor IMO.



It can’t be straight fat from the brisket, it needs to be trimmings. Bacon ends are also a good option but give a completely different flavor.
Posted By: skinnerback

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/07/20 03:53 AM

Originally Posted by krmitchell
Originally Posted by skinnerback
I've done it, and personally don't like using the hard fat off a brisket in my sausage. Hard fat doesn't render very well. If I need fat I like using the fat from bacon ends and pieces. It renders better and has better flavor IMO.



It can’t be straight fat from the brisket, it needs to be trimmings. Bacon ends are also a good option but give a completely different flavor.



Most of what I trim from a brisket is hard fat (cap/deckle). The soft fat gets trimmed down to 3/16" - 1/4" and there's never much of that to grind.

Yes the bacon fat does give it a lil' different flavor, and I love it. grin
Posted By: krmitchell

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/07/20 04:37 AM

Originally Posted by skinnerback
Originally Posted by krmitchell
Originally Posted by skinnerback
I've done it, and personally don't like using the hard fat off a brisket in my sausage. Hard fat doesn't render very well. If I need fat I like using the fat from bacon ends and pieces. It renders better and has better flavor IMO.



It can’t be straight fat from the brisket, it needs to be trimmings. Bacon ends are also a good option but give a completely different flavor.



Most of what I trim from a brisket is hard fat (cap/deckle). The soft fat gets trimmed down to 3/16" - 1/4" and there's never much of that to grind.

Yes the bacon fat does give it a lil' different flavor, and I love it. grin


We do the bacon end blend for burgers, usually 70/30 and the brisket 80/20 or 90/10 for all other ground products. I always make a 1 lb test batch before doing an entire deer to make sure we are on the mark.
Posted By: skinnerback

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/07/20 04:40 AM

Originally Posted by krmitchell
Originally Posted by skinnerback
Originally Posted by krmitchell
Originally Posted by skinnerback
I've done it, and personally don't like using the hard fat off a brisket in my sausage. Hard fat doesn't render very well. If I need fat I like using the fat from bacon ends and pieces. It renders better and has better flavor IMO.



It can’t be straight fat from the brisket, it needs to be trimmings. Bacon ends are also a good option but give a completely different flavor.



Most of what I trim from a brisket is hard fat (cap/deckle). The soft fat gets trimmed down to 3/16" - 1/4" and there's never much of that to grind.

Yes the bacon fat does give it a lil' different flavor, and I love it. grin


We do the bacon end blend for burgers, usually 70/30 and the brisket 80/20 or 90/10 for all other ground products. I always make a 1 lb test batch before doing an entire deer to make sure we are on the mark.



Man you're making me hungry LOL.
Posted By: HWY_MAN

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/07/20 10:22 AM

Venison, bacon and jalapeno's.
Posted By: skinnerback

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/07/20 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by HWY_MAN
Venison, bacon and jalapeno's.



Sure wish I had some of that right now Sir....
Posted By: BOLT GUY

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/07/20 03:37 PM

I buy a whole brisket and Wright thick cut bacon. Cube the brisket in 1 inch cubes and cut bacon in 2" pieces. Mix in as I grind the venison. I also lightly season with a mix of spices and dehydrated onion flakes. I like to use Rubbed sage, chili powder, Cumin, paprika, Garlic powder and onion powder. also added prior to grind. turns out awesome and keeps for years, if vacuum sealed properly.
Typically only use 1/2 the brisket for 2 deer.
Posted By: BayouGuy

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/07/20 05:15 PM

I buy Ribeye beef fat trimmings from my local market (25¢ lb.) and mix it 80% venison 20% fat for burgers. Wrap the burger patties individually in plastic wrap. Pack the number of patties you usually use for a meal in a vacuum packer and they are good in the freezer for at least a year. Probably longer, but mine are always gone within a year.
Posted By: dogcatcher

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/07/20 05:26 PM

We don't add any fat when processing, we add what we want when ready to cook it. Sometimes we add bacon, other times we add a pack of ground beef, sometimes just a couple of spoons of bacon grease.
Posted By: 68rustbucket

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/08/20 01:58 AM

What about using pork belly as a mixture?
Posted By: SnakeWrangler

Re: Mix Brisket Fat with Venison to Make Burgers? - 02/08/20 02:13 AM

I use wild pig in my chili meat...be uncured bacon so you wouldn’t have the bacon flavor but I think it would be a good source of fat...
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