Adding Fat to Wild Game Products

Tom from Greenfield, Ma. asked:

When making burgers from venison, what's the best fat and ratio to mix in?

Tom,

The type of fat I mix with my product depends on the product I'm making. If I'm making hamburger, which is generally an all-beef product, I will add beef fat. If I'm making sausage, which is a pork-based product, I will add pork fat. This keeps the flavor and texture more inline with the product you are used to eating. If I'm making a smoked product, I follow the same theory. If I'm making brats, I will add pork because they are a pork-based product, if I am making snack sticks or ring bologna, I will use beef because these are generally a beef-based product.

I prefer to add 50/50 beef or pork trim to my products rather than 100% back fat. The reason I do this is to lessen the degree of error. When you use a product that is 100% fat, if you add a little too much, it can be WAY to much. If you don't add enough, you won't even know it's in there. With a 50/50 product you can be off on your ratio a little and the product is still going to be fine. When I say 50/50, I mean a blend of 50% lean beef or pork mix rather than a 100% fat mix. Some hunters will mix in straight pork butt which is very lean, up to 80% lean. In my opinion, this takes away from the aspect of actually eating game meat - it now becomes pork with a little deer mixed in. I hope this helps and below I will list some ratios for you.

50/50 trim: I add 6lbs of venison and 4lbs of 50/50 to make a 10lb batch of product
100% fat: I add 8lbs of venison and 2lbs of fat for a 10lb batch of product

Good luck Tom and thanks for the question!

"The Meat Man"
Brad Lockwood