I literally just finished eating this meal five minutes ago and had to share it; it was that delicious! I have the luxury of being married to a hunter who shot a deer down in Texas this winter, meaning I have a freezer stocked full of venison. Unfortunately, we wound up with way more ground venison than I know what to do with. I can only stomach so much chili, so it was time to find some new ways to use ground venison. This venison burger recipe, adapted from allrecipes.com, thoroughly hit the spot. The measurements may seem a little odd; the recipe originally makes eight servings, but I altered it to serve four.
2 TBSP + 2 tsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp grated lime zest
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
2 TBSP + 2 tsp green onions, chopped
1 TBSP + 1 1/2 tsp plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt which I think accentuated the gamey venison flavor, but I could be making that up)
1 TBSP jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (didn't have one, didn't really need one. But if you like a bit of heat I bet it works really well here)
2-3 splashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb. ground venison
4 whole wheat kaiser rolls
4 slices sharp Vermont white cheddar or pepper jack cheese
-in a small bowl combine the mayo, lime zest, lime juice and dijon mustard. Cover and keep in fridge until ready to use.
-Combine onions, yogurt, jalapeno, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Mix in venison with your hands, just until all flavors are mixed together. Too much mixing can make the meat tough. Shape into patties, and grill, pan-fry, or broil until meat is no longer pink. Allow cheese slices to melt on meat before serving.
-Baste insides of rolls with olive oil and grill until slightly toasted. Spread a bit of the lime-dijon-mayo on a roll, then construct your burgers.
Serve with oven baked potato wedges, seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and parsley.
I am sure these would be good with lean ground beef. But if you can get your hands on some ground venison (those who know me personally, ask me for some!), use the venison. Not only is venison a leaner and healthier meat (talk about free-range!) it adds a special gourmet touch to a traditional burger meal. Enjoy!
