Venison burgers.

One shot on kill

Quick question boys.

Doing burgers at the min. My first ones.

There cooked like a normal burger on the outside. But still a bit red and juiced on the inside. How much should they be cooked.

IRLConor

One shot on kill wrote: »

Quick question boys.

Doing burgers at the min. My first ones.

There cooked like a normal burger on the outside. But still a bit red and juiced on the inside. How much should they be cooked.

Until the juices run clear if you're being as safe as possible. If you're willing to take on a bit of risk then cook until it's properly hot all the way through.

I prefer venison rare, but I'd be very wary of it in mince form. It's the same deal with beef mince. I'll happily cook myself a rare steak but for beef burgers I go well done unless I'm in a reputable restaurant where I trust the kitchen.

cookimonster

From a food safety point of view the juices must run clear to indicate that the centre has reached a sufficient temperature to kill any harmfull bacteria and make it safe to eat.

Two points for making cooking home made burgers:

Very important go for a large diameter rather than thickness when making burgers, this allows quicker more even cooking without burning the outside. Commercial frozen burgers are specially designed (see the holes) to cook fast and even.

Most of us cook at too high a temperature, burning the out side and leaving the inside raw, reduce the heat and only turn once. Press the burger if the juices are slightly pink remove from heat, cover allowing the burger to rest for a few minutes. This allows the juices to distribute back around the burger making it juicy and tender. The pink juices will magicly disappear.

Enjoy......

Catmologen

70 - 75 degrees c

One shot on kill

Cheers guys. There well
Down the hatch at this stage. I left them in till they were brown right trough and as you say till the juice ran clear. They were a little over done on the outside but lovely all the same.


And sure any more tips on doing burgers sausages and roasts ANC steaks keep them coming please. Much appriated.

cookimonster

Nice one,

What meat did you use because its important not to have meat that is too lean?

Use the flanks, neck, and shoulder meat for burgers and sausages. This meat will ensure the right proportion of fat to lean meat which inturn provides a lot of flavor and keeps the product tender and juicy.

Contrary to popular belief the addition of bread crumbs or better still rusk is not an economy thing rather it insures retention of juices and melted fat as well as reducing shrinkage. Use a 6% mix of rusk to meat for burgers and 7-10% for sausage.

Use a dry pan to cook the burgers, heat it up till its very hot, arrange the burgers in the pan carefully as you don't want to move them until time comes to turn them. Don't worry if you think they are sticking this is part of the sealing process. Turn down the heat to medium. When they are half cooked flip em and repeat the process. Cooking time is dependent on your recipe so practice eat and practice more.

pedroeibar1

+1 on Cooki's comment above (except for use of word 'sealing';)). I add pork fat to give some fat content.

I fail to understand how/why most shooters will spend hundreds of euro on gun gadgets, gear, (and other rarely-used stuff like power tools) and FAIL to buy a meat thermometer that can be bought for just a few quid.

Until you buy one, a trick is to touch your thumb with your forefinger. Now touch the flesh where they meet at the base. That is what a rare steak feels like. Separate the thumb/finger by two inches - touch again, that is medium cooked. Hold them far apart and that is well done.

For joints, whole game, etc, you NEED a thermometer to get it right, otherwise it is educated guesswork and unless you are 100% in field-to-table hygene, at risk of food poisoning . (And if you are really too mean to buy yourself one, buy the wife one for Xmas.)

IRLConor

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Until you buy one, a trick is to touch your thumb with your forefinger. Now touch the flesh where they meet at the base. That is what a rare steak feels like. Separate the thumb/finger by two inches - touch again, that is medium cooked. Hold them far apart and that is well done.

Pictures: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/the_finger_test_to_check_the_doneness_of_meat/

cookimonster

My bad on the word 'sealing' I use this to refer to the period when meat proteins coagulate and seize to a hot metal surface. As the meat browns and the surface is sealed the sticking ceases.

One one point ref the thermometers they are handy for judging internal temps of joints but from a safety point are only required for use on game meat that is reconstructed such as pate, mince products and rolled or boned out joints. Solid cuts of meat such as chops, steaks and whole joints do not require cooking to 74C to make them safe. External cooking temps found in frying pans, grills and oven are sufficient to kill all surface bacteria. Bacteria do not exsisting in solid tissue only on the surface.

pedroeibar1

cookimonster wrote: »

My bad on the word 'sealing' I use this to refer to the period when meat proteins coagulate and seize to a hot metal surface. As the meat browns and the surface is sealed the sticking ceases.

I was being a bit pedantic really, but 'sealing' carries the wrong connotations as the meat cannot be 'sealed'. The process is carmelisation, when the proteins are burned and form a crust, which then makes it hard for the meat to stick to the cooking surface. That crust is the very tasty part and the main reason why BBQ'd meat usually tastes better. 'Sealing' meat has no basis in science, it dates to a book by Aristotle (written c350 BC) and repeated so often down the ages that some people still believe it today.

cookimonster

To be precise, the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction between amino acids and a sugar in the presence of heat:rolleyes:........... but let's not split molecules and acids between forum members:).

Just finished my own batch of 5oz burgers, 7lb of sausage and I am about to put on 2.5kg of venison terrine to cook ( will post a recipe later if any ones interested.

Mezamo

had some venison burgers last night for dinner.... delicious! feel free to post up as many recipes as you want cookie

Defender11

I found when you make the burgers by hand they can be too thick in the centre, so I recommend buying a burger press they are only a few euros and you get lovely evenly sized burger. make sure to buy enough wax papers they are the bizz when freezing the burgers.

cookimonster

Big plus 1 with Defender11 on the use of a burger press.

They guarantee evenness in size and shape (stops squabbling at the dinner table) and therefore even cooking. We used one in work for years until it was spirted away, great bit of kit. I bought a plastic one off eBay and would be lost with out it, knocks out 5oz burgers nice and compact.

I don't use the papers myself. I pack em in 4's in the Lidal freezer bags using a Lidal vacuum packer (ideal for your home larder work).