Venison Smash Burger Recipe
I think I finally found a good deer smash burger recipe that isn’t too “gamey.”
This started as a Moultrie recipe, but I tweaked it with some ChatGPT suggestions and my own ideas. Judging by the response at our family shindig earlier today, it turned out pretty well. Even Gabby approved—and she usually doesn’t like venison.
I used 4 pounds of venison to 1 pound of pork shoulder/stew meat. That’s an 80% deer to 20% pork ratio.
Seasoning mix (this is for 1 pound of venison; I quadrupled it for my 5-pound batch):
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions:
- Put the meat and grinder parts in the freezer for 15–30 minutes. Cold fat grinds more easily than warm fat.
- First grind: Use a coarse plate.
- Gently mix the venison and pork so they’re evenly distributed.
- Second grind: Use a medium plate for a better burger texture.
- Gently mix again, adding the seasoning mix—but don’t overwork it.
- Heat your griddle to medium-high and add butter or olive oil.
- For smash burgers, form palm-sized meatballs that aren’t tightly packed.
- Place on the griddle, cover with parchment paper, and smash aggressively (about ¼” thick).
- Leave it alone for about 2 minutes, flip, and cook another 2–4 minutes (or to your preferred doneness).
- Eat Bambi’s dad.