Am going to butcher my deer this year and need some advice. What kind of grinder do you use to make burger and do you add any pork fat or beef fat?? Cabelas wants over $400 dollars for their small grinder and don't know if I want to invest that much. Where do you get the freezer paper to wrap up the meat??

I paid about 200$ for one from Gander Mtn. It takes about 10-15 minutes to one deers worth of grind meat. I do not add anything to the venison and I use ziploc bags instead of freezer wrap. It isn't going to be in the freezer that long! Tim

I have a vintage Rival Grind o Matic I've owned since the late 60s. It takes longer but gets the job done. I add about 50% ground chuck to mine, that way my wife will eat it. Buy paper in the supermarket.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=VINTAGE%20RIVAL%202100M%201%202100M%201%20GRIND%20O%20MATIC%20MEAT%20GRINDER%20Sausage%20Maker&_itemId=181113764550

Take min to a guy up the road and he puts it up in nice little vacuum packages in a big box

I use a hand crank meat grinder powered my my kid. works great and usually by bed time she is exhausted and there is no argument. I think I paid $10 at a flea market

If you are on a budget hand grander at harbor freight for a few bucks, vacuum seal it.

Paid $75.00 for mine years ago and got my money's worth. I don't add anything to it. Just cook is slower than beef.

Steve

My wife and I eat venison burger in lieu of beef. We add no fat, as that seems to defeat the health value of the venison.

If you can find a way, get if vacuum packed. Lasts way longer and less freezer burn.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_5?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=meat%20grinder&sprefix=meat+%2Caps%2C271

That link will give you all sorts of options. Just cut and paste.

You can get a grinder at Cabelas for $120.

I add some suet to it since it is so dry/lean. If you are on a no- fat program, don't use anything. Any grinder will work and you don't need to spend $400.00.

If your wife has a "Kitchen-aid" brand mixer, there is a very good meat grinder attachment that goes for less than $100.

My local butcher will grind deer for free,yes free! If you want to add beef or pork for sausage you pay only for the cost of the adds. He knows when you get in the store the smell coming from the smokehouse and all the other goodies he has for sale always seem to end up in my order.

x2 on the Kitchen Aid attachment

But Wally world has this one for around $60

No need to pay over $100 unless you need to do commercial work.

Elite Platinum Meat Grinder 550-Watt: •Aluminum die-cast grinder head •Feed-screw shaft has rubber seal that blocks liquid backup into motor drive •Reverse switch eliminates jamming •Rubber feet to ensure stability •550 watts to ensure maximum grinding power •Includes: •Removable food tray •2 cast iron cutting discs (coarse and fine) •Food pusher •Kebbe attachment for stuffing sausages •Dimensions: 12"L x 11.5"W x 7.5"H •1-year warranty •Electric Meat Grinder model# HA-3433A

Beef..

I slice all of my deer when it is mostly frozen, whats left that wont slice very good (when it is too soft to slice) i chop up and freeze for about an hour then handcrank grind for ground meat jerky.

Handcranking is actually kinda fun in my opinion. Its alot more fun knowing it was a freebee hand me down grinder. instead of a couple hundread dollar grinder. However if i were to grind more than about 20# of meat at a time i would probably invest in a grinder that attatches to my wifes kitchen aid.

The wife bought me one @ Wallyworld I think it was $60 or $70,been using it for four or five years.It does what I need it to! Bill.

We always add 5% beef suet to ours. Still leaner than ground chuck and everyone likes the taste

Yep,Kitchenaid! Was given one a few years back, bought a grinder attatchment for $30. Add 5% beef suet and put plastic bag and freezer paper. Make 10-15#s at time. Seems to not dry out that way.

I have never tried this before but I heard that adding bacon to the grinder with venison is a good way to go. In the past I have just used ground up venison on its own. It is lean but that's what keeps it healthy. I might try adding some bacon to a bit this year just for fun. Mmmmmm, bacon!

Tell you what, that Walmart grinder for $89 looks pretty good. A full 3/4 HP and comes with some attachments. The reviews on it are stellar.

freezer paper any grocery store but don't like it any other way than vac. wrapped. If your making your own you can do many differant things with seasonings as well as add other meats to her you are good to go.

Funny you said $89 bucks, that is what the deer processor is going to charge to cut up one deer this year. Looks like I break even just doing one deer.lol

I add 3-4 lbs bacon ends and pieces to 10lbs of ground deer. I like it a lot. Seems everybody else that eats it does too. Hadn't had any complaints yet.

We grind just the meat once then add pork fat or cheap bacon at 1 pound to 9 pounds of meat then grind a second time it gives a good consistency and the burger doesn't fall apart in the frying pan like grinding straight meat has done for us in the past. A lot of these other recipes sound good though.

A bigger grinder will grind much faster, and grind bigger chunks. That's a bonified fact.

You can get by with a smaller grinder if you don't butcher a lot just don't overload it to fast.

I use a #22 hand grinder that i converted to use an electric, motor.

I would just look up butchering supply's on the internet, you'll get all the info you need.

As far as adding beef or pork? personal taste determine. You certainly don't have to. For chili, meatloaf, spaghetti we use straight ground venison, since it is mixed with other ingredients you don't need the fat, you also will not be able to tell the difference from beef.

we add pork for sausage and beef for hamburgers which we shape in a press and freeze with wax paper between the patties. We store in ziplock, not freezer paper.

let me give you some good advice. Remove all tendons, tallow ect..use only good red meat and use good sharp knives on your grinder and stick with the course plate ESPECIALLY!! if you use a small grinder, or the dog-gone thing will clog up easily, which is a bit of a hassle. Also partially frozen meat will grind nicer.

I'll add one more thing yet...a small cheap grinder, would do ok if your only grinding 10 or 20 lbs...if you plan on butchering a number of deer and you have a lot to grind. I can assure you you'll wish you had a bigger grinder.

Once you find a grinder I would suggest grinding one burger plain Jane and see how you and your family like it.

It's too dry for me taste and they fall a part.

I always had them add 10% beef fat or port fat or a combination of the two....bacon end pieces are cheap also.

Like any other tool how often are you going to use it? A larger grinder makes the job so much easier than a small one. First off when you process you have to trim off all of the sinew, tendons, silver skin, and grind just the meat muscle. This takes a lot of time to do right. But you eliminate clogging up the grinder plate. I buy beef fat from the butcher. I call in my order an pick it up for a dollar a pound. Bacon makes a great hamburger if you like bacon burgers but not good for other uses. Tacos spaghetti sauce etc. I weigh the amount of venison to grind and use a 25% beef fat to 75% venison ratio. I first grind using a 3/8 plate alternating the beef and fat to grind together. Next I change over to the 3/16 plate and grind the mixture again. Try to keep the mixture with the fat dispersed throughout the mix. I then vac seal according to need. I use a burger press and wax sheets for the burgers. I weigh 1 pound for tacos, 3 lbs for meatballs etc. It take time but it is part of the hobby

I use a hand crank. Nothing added to it.

I use a hand crank. Nothing added to it.

Agree w/ above about 5% beef tenderloin suet as it helps bind the meat . I love venison meatballs and meat pies w/ the ground . Hand crank or electric your preference . All good.

What ever grinder you use you need to clean your meat very well removing all connective tissue and silver skin. I use a very old but still great hand crank grinder with the 4 blade attachment instead of a plate with holes. I find it does not plug as the plate can.

I use an OLD commercial grinder that is actually my Mother-in-Laws. Thing must weigh 150lbs! It is very powerful... if you can poke it in the hole... it will grind it! I run the meat through a 2nd time without the cutting screen to stuff into LEM freezer bags... 1.5lbs to 2 lbs tubes. No fat added. I use the bags and taping machine from LEM. Meat is in tubes like buying ground sausage... works very well and beats how we use to put it in zip lok bags for sure.

My set-up is covered right now with some wal-mart bags to keep out dust and such... currently on a shelf in my garage.

CD

I added ground bacon to my deer a couple of years, was great for making into a patty and grilling for hamburgers but I didn't like it for casseroles and what not. Now I just get pork butt roasts and grind them about 80+90% deer to 10-20% pork butt. Then it's good for everything! The bacon gave it way too smoky of a flavor for stuff other than burgers.

i bought a three quarter horse power at gander mt last winter . it was on sale for around 250.00

cabelas sells hand grinder for less than 75.00

Hand crank, nothing added to it would be my choice...never could see adding domestic livestock meat that is likely full of additives to perfectly good additive free meat...I suppose if I had some wild hog fat I might try adding that...but then I really like lean game meat and as long as you handle the ground meat wisely it should be safe to eat rather rare, the preferred cooking method for any game meat

DDave

Do you eat alot of ground meat? We don't so I grind as needed. Grind meat just goes into zip locks and I can grind it later, make stew, sausage as needed or can. Never seen the need to do it all at once. Less gets wasted to I think. Seems like I know a lot of guys trying to give ground deer from last years deer away every season.

Hand crank, one strip of bacon to 1 lb venison.

Finnally invested in a big grinder that is capable of grinding chicken bones. I don't need to grind bones, but saw a youtube video of someone doing it. I figured grissle and sinew would be no problem, and it isn't. When I butcher my deer I put all scrap meat in vacuum sealed bags and label it "burger". than when I need it, I thaw it out, soaking it a couple days in salt water, changing water at least twice a day, than grind it with some cheap bacon ends, or whatever is on sale. I part pork, to 4 parts venison. This helps the burger stay together, stay moist, and it is delicious. adding the pork is unnecessary for chili or the likes. My $400 investment was a good one. this grinder will never wear out.

I don't add anything to my ground venison.

We have a cabelas grinder. Not sure how much it was but it works great. We mix a certain amount of beef fat per every 5 pounds of venison I think but I can't quite remember the ratio. Tastes great! -BH

Doing it yourself you need to go to the store who only has grass feed meats and get those to add in other wise you can run the rise and proablitys of getting whatever garbage they ground into it.

Be smart about this and keep things clean.

There You go Ryman - Beat me to it I add very little grass feed beef to some and keep some with nothing added. A little beef just enough for cooking. But young tender deer with nothing MAN that is the best. Making the last of mine right now. Salisbury steak. Trim it good remove the sliver skin. Used a hand grinder for years got a small electric now. 400 $ no wonder I don't go to that place...

All I know is add some Lipton's dried onion soup mix Knead it up and drill it! Mighty tasty.

Unless you are doing lots at once, a smaller grinder will work fine. I killed a bull elk calf a couple winters ago and my small cabelas grinder that my wife gave me several years ago did fine. I usually only run 20 lbs or so at a time when I grind trim off a deer. Don't think you can go wrong with a smaller one for doing a deer or two at a time. Try the course grind for some great chili meat. I quit adding fat for the same reasons others mentioned. Good huntin' and eatin'!!

we grind venison with wild pork 1x1 with an old electric grinder, then vacuum pack. it's really good.

I use a $200 gander mountain grinder and also use the kitchen aid attachments. Both work well and very quick. I add bacon ends to mine. Paper from the grocery store.

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