The Best Venison Burger With Bleu Cheese Crumble Recipe

Burgers are truly glorious. Whether you prefer a classic beef burger, a crispy chicken burger, or a vegan burger, you can never go wrong with a succulent, piping-hot patty that is smothered with sauce and sandwiched between two buns. Most people will agree that burger toppings like cheese, bacon, lettuce, or pickles, only serve to make a great burger even better. If you are a gourmet burger lover, you'll love this venison burger with bleu cheese crumble, from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye.

Switching out ground beef for ground venison takes this burger recipe up a notch or two, with the venison adding a deeply savory and distinctively gamey flavor. Venison is known to be a particularly lean meat, so Rye makes sure this burger stays wonderfully juicy and succulent with the addition of beef fat, as well as breadcrumbs and egg to keep the patty well formed. the venison patties are topped with a bleu cheese crumble, adding a strong pungent and earthy flavor that pairs dreamily with the gamey venison. Served up simply in a soft white bun with tomatoes and arugula, this truly is a burger gone gourmet. Read on to find out how you can make the best venison burger with bleu cheese crumble in the comfort of your own kitchen.

To begin this the best venison burger with bleu cheese crumble recipe, first you will need to gather the ingredients. For the venison patties, you will want ground venison, breadcrumbs, beef fat, an egg, onion granules, garlic granules, dried rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, sea salt, black pepper, and olive oil. To complete the burgers you will additionally need bleu cheese, mayonnaise, burger buns, a tomato, and arugula.

In a bowl, add the ground venison, breadcrumbs, beef fat, egg, onion granules, garlic granules dried rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.

Mix well with your hands to combine the ingredients.

Roughly divide the mixture and form the venison into two or three burger patties.

Cover and place the venison patties in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a frying pan containing the olive oil to a medium-high heat.

Add the venison patties to the pan and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on one side.

Flip and cook for another 2 minutes on the other side.

Divide the crumbled bleu cheese between the venison patties and cook for another minute or two.

Remove from the pan.

To assemble the burgers, spread a little mayonnaise on the top and bottom of each bun.

Layer the tomato and arugula on the bottom bun.

Finish with the bleu cheese-topped venison patties.

Add the top of the bun and then serve.

There is plenty of potential for adapting a burger recipe to suit your own preferences, or to simply try something new, and this recipe is no different. As venison has a strong and distinctive flavor, it pairs well with the similarly powerful flavor of bleu cheese. However, if you aren't a fan of bleu cheese you can always substitute in a different type of cheese. Cheddar and Gruyère work well, as does Manchego. Or, to make your burger a little more "fine dining" appropriate, a truffle cheese works wonderfully with the other flavors in the recipe.

Switching up the type of bread you use is a simple way to change a burger; a deliciously soft brioche bun always works well, or a more rustic roll that has a crusty top will pair nicely with the rich flavors of the venison and the cheese. Another area that's easy to adapt is in the burger toppings, and here the world really is your oyster. Crisp bacon rashers, or alternatively a dollop or two of bacon jam, would both make great additions to this venison burger. For more gourmet burger-topping finesse, why not cook up some caramelized onions to add a delicious sweetness that will balance out the deeply savory flavors of the venison and bleu cheese? Finally, you can never go wrong with a pickle or two, or a spoonful of slaw to add freshness and crunch.

If you've not cooked with venison before, it is important to know a few things about this type of red meat to help you make the absolute best venison burgers. While your supermarket may well stock ground venison, if it doesn't you can always grind the meat at home or alternatively, you can ask your local butcher to do so. If this is the direction you take, look for either shoulder, neck, or flank cuts, as these are ideal for making into burgers.

Venison is well known for being an incredibly lean meat, meaning that it has very little fat marbling through it. When forming burger patties, you will want to work with meat that has a particular ratio of protein to fat to make sure that the patties hold together and stay wonderfully succulent when cooked. With ground beef, we recommend using a ratio of 90/10 for stovetop patties, and when making venison burgers you will want to try to replicate this. To do this, Rye has added two tablespoons of grated beef fat to the ground venison, and this is infused through the patty as it is mixed with the other ingredients. This small step is very important for creating super juicy burgers. As well as this, it is important to chill your venison patties before frying them, as this helps them to keep their form when cooked, and will keep the insides succulent and moist whilst the outside has time to get lovely and brown.