What to Know When Adding Fat to Your Ground Venison | Wild Game Cook

Published on January 8, 2025
Duration: 19:02

This guide details how to add fat to ground venison for improved flavor and texture. It covers selecting fat sources like pork or beef, calculating the correct fat-to-meat ratio (typically 20%), inspecting fat for quality, and the grinding and packaging process. The video emphasizes using cold ingredients and offers insights into different packaging methods like vacuum sealing for long-term storage.

Quick Summary

To add fat to ground venison, aim for a 20% fat ratio, using sources like pork or beef fat. Ensure both meat and fat are very cold, ideally semi-frozen, before grinding. Inspect fat for quality and remove any undesirable elements. Package using vacuum sealing for optimal storage longevity or traditional ground meat bags.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Introduction to Grinding Venison
  2. 00:12Adding Fat vs. Straight Meat
  3. 00:30Fat Options for Burgers & Chili
  4. 01:03Sourcing Beef or Pork Fat
  5. 01:35Cutting Taste with Pork Fat
  6. 02:02Packaging Methods: Packing System vs. Chamber Vac
  7. 03:03Importance of a Scale for Grinding
  8. 03:56Fat Percentage: Volume vs. Weight
  9. 05:05Ideal Fat Percentages for Venison
  10. 05:34Fat for Breakfast Sausage
  11. 05:50Inspecting Fat Quality
  12. 06:11Suet vs. Back Fat
  13. 06:39Checking Fat for Undesirable Bits
  14. 07:15Cutting Fat for Grinding
  15. 07:31Identifying Lymph Nodes
  16. 08:20Keeping Meat and Fat Cold
  17. 08:52Removing a Lymph Node
  18. 09:27Why Lymph Nodes Get a Bad Rap
  19. 10:08Achieving Target Fat Weight
  20. 10:36Distributing Fat Over Meat
  21. 10:56Loading Meat into the Hopper
  22. 11:02Grinding Plate Selection
  23. 11:32Coarse vs. Fine Grinding
  24. 11:57Loading the Hopper for Grinding
  25. 12:05Drain Tray in Meat Lug
  26. 12:22Switching Tubs for Ground Meat
  27. 12:30Ready to Start Grinding
  28. 12:32Packaging Decisions: Vac Sealer vs. Ground Meat Bag
  29. 12:51Using Chamber Vac for Flat Packages
  30. 13:03Starting the Grinding Process
  31. 13:26Incorporated Fat in Ground Meat
  32. 13:35Second Pass Grinding
  33. 14:04Four Passes with Dual Grinder
  34. 14:33Continuing to Grind
  35. 14:38Tip: Cutting Meat into Thinner Strips
  36. 15:08Packaging a Pound of Ground Meat
  37. 15:17Using a Vac Seal Bag
  38. 15:28Package Size Considerations
  39. 15:40Sealing the Bag
  40. 16:15Airtight Package Achieved
  41. 16:23Flattening Meat in the Bag
  42. 16:49Labeling the Package
  43. 17:09Ground Meat Bag Packaging Method
  44. 17:12Wild Game Bags Demonstration
  45. 17:16Stuffing Tube Setup
  46. 17:25Meat Coming Out of Chute
  47. 17:29Sliding Bag Over Chute
  48. 17:44Keeping Bag Tight
  49. 18:00Assistance for Quicker Filling
  50. 18:12Bag Sizes Available
  51. 18:22Twisting and Taping Bags
  52. 18:32Conclusion: Grinding Venison
  53. 18:34Packaging Options: Wild Game Bags vs. Vac Seal
  54. 18:41Storage Longevity Comparison
  55. 18:53Outro and Further Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the recommended fat percentage for ground venison?

A common rule of thumb for adding fat to ground venison is around 20%. However, this can be adjusted based on personal preference and the intended use of the meat. For juicier burgers or dishes like meatloaf, you might go up to 25% or slightly higher. For a very fatty breakfast sausage, up to 30-33% is also viable.

What types of fat can be added to ground venison?

You can add beef fat or pork fat to ground venison. Pork shoulder or pork butt are also excellent options due to their high fat content, which can also help mellow the gamey flavor of the venison, making it more palatable for those new to wild game.

How should meat and fat be prepared before grinding venison?

For optimal grinding, both the venison and the added fat should be kept very cold, ideally semi-frozen. This prevents overworking the grinder and ensures a cleaner cut. Inspect the fat for any undesirable elements like lymph nodes or cartilage before cutting it into manageable chunks for the grinder.

What are the best methods for packaging ground venison?

Two effective methods for packaging ground venison are using traditional ground meat bags (like wild game bags) or vacuum sealing. Vacuum sealing, especially in a chamber vac, allows you to flatten the meat for efficient freezer storage and offers longer shelf life, typically 8 months to 1.5 years, compared to ground meat bags which last 8 months to a year.

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