Close-up of a venison patty with bacon in a soft burger bun

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Venison Bacon Burgers

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About

Venison is one of the leanest meats you can put in a burger, which is its problem: without fat it dries out and crumbles on the grill. This recipe fixes that with bacon, and not just as a topping.

Six slices of bacon are minced and fried until crisp, then tipped into a bowl together with all their fat and left to cool. Shallots and garlic are softened in a little oil and added to it, and the mixture goes into two pounds of ground venison with Worcestershire sauce, fresh parsley, salt, pepper and a beaten egg to bind. Twenty minutes in the fridge firms it up before shaping six patties. The bacon fat keeps the lean meat moist and carries the smoky flavour right through it. Grill over medium-high heat to the doneness you like and serve on toasted buns.

Ingredients

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Bacon6 slices bacon, minced
Olive oil2 tablespoons olive oil
Shallot2 shallots, minced
Garlic1 teaspoon minced garlic
Ground venison2 pounds ground venison
Worcestershire sauce1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Parsley1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Black peppersalt and pepper to taste
Egg1 large egg, beaten to mix
Burger bun6 hamburger buns

Recipe

1
Set out the bacon, oil, shallots, garlic, venison, Worcestershire, parsley, egg and buns.
2
Fry the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp.
3
Tip the bacon and its fat into a heatproof bowl and let it cool.
4
Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the shallots and garlic, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until soft.
5
Add them to the bowl with the bacon.
6
Mix the venison into the cooled bacon mixture and season with the Worcestershire, parsley, salt and pepper. Work in the egg until everything is evenly combined, then chill for 20 minutes. Venison is very lean, and the bacon fat is what keeps these burgers moist.
7
Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high.
8
Shape the venison mixture into 6 patties.
9
Grill to the doneness you like and serve on toasted buns with your choice of toppings.