Elk Burger Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What kind of fat to mix with elk burger? ›

I actually fold cold, grated butter into my ground elk meat. Before you freak out – it's less than a tablespoon per patty. And I always use grass fed butter, or you could use ghee for a dairy free version. What this trick does is distribute fat all over the meat making each bite succulent and juicy.

Elk burgers are best when cooked to medium at an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees Fahrenheit. If you've added pork fat to your ground elk meat, it's essential to cook it to at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit as that is the safe internal cooking temperature for pork.

Elk is very lean, and as such is best enjoyed rare to medium-rare. When cooking elk steaks, a short duration, high-temperature sear is ideal, locking in the elk's natural juices without drying it out. An internal temperature of 120-125 degrees is best, with a resting period of at least 5 minutes.

Jarlsberg has a nice earthy taste that pairs well with the nutty taste of elk. This excellent jerky and cheese pairing is less about contrast and more about a celebration of similar flavors.

The fat content of elk meat is 1.45 grams per 100 grams, the lowest among the meats commonly consumed.

To make more healthful burgers—but ones that are still pretty juicy and tasty—choose ground beef that is 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat. Ground beef that contains less than 15 percent fat makes dry and somewhat tasteless burgers. To see what the lean-to-fat ratio is on ground beef packages, look on the label.

Steaks, roasts and even ground elk can be served a little pink. Consider cooking it to between 130 and 140 degrees. Elk is less fatty than beef.

Is Elk Meat Good For You? Yes, elk meat is good for your health. With its high protein content and low levels of fat, it makes a nutritious alternative to other red meats.

For the best results, aim for an internal temperature of about 130 degrees, but don't go over 140 degrees. Cooking with elk can be as simple as bringing up your favorite ground beef or bison recipe and replacing the ground beef or bison with ground elk.

Whisk together canola oil, onion, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, and pepper in a small bowl until combined. Place elk steak in a large resealable plastic bag and pour in Worcestershire mixture. Coat steak with marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag.

How to cook elk so it isn't tough? ›

Because the meat has very little natural fat, it's important not to overcook, or else it will toughen and dry. Aim to cook your roasts and steaks to medium-rare or medium for best texture.

To make elk more tender, marinate the meat overnight. If desired, you can also physically tenderize the meat by using a meat mallet or piercing the meat with a fork to help break down the connective tissue. For the most tender meat, I recommend cooking elk to medium-rare/medium.

The Mayonnaise will add moisture and fat to the meat as substitute for pork or beef fat. You can add up to ½ c Mayonnaise to 1 lb game meat. Keep your hands cold when mixing to prevent sticking, if too moist add some flour to your hands to prevent sticking.

Mushrooms and swiss cheese, onions and roasted red bell peppers, or roasted chile, bacon, and cheese; there are endless flavor combos for your elk meat.

Elk meat is often compared to venison or bison, but it tastes different from both of them. Elk meat is tender and often described as slightly sweet, not at all tough or gamey. Elk meat also differs from beef in both texture and flavor, since it has less fat, or marbling.

I firmly believe the best type of fat to use is pork fatback (pure white fat from the back of a pig). Its flavor doesn't overpower wild game and it has a soft texture. The downside is that it's typically only sold in butcher shops, so you might have to call around and hunt it down.

Depending on what you're planning to cook, you may want to add fat to your ground venison. This added fat can be bacon, pork shoulder, pork belly, beef tallow, etc. It's purely personal preference. I always add about 15-20 percent fat if I'm making hamburger or kebabs, which makes the meat juicier and more flavorful.

Before you begin grinding, consider adding some sort of fat to your elk meat to hold it together on the grill—and add great flavor. Some hunters swear they will never taint their healthy, free-range organic meat with pork or beef fat. Fine, and if you're new to this, try it both ways.

If you really are not down for the mayo, it is not the only option at your disposal to make your lean ground meat just a little less lean. The obvious choice is to use a little bit of fat — this could be in the form of oil, lard, beef tallow, bacon grease, or even grated butter.