Venison Burgers

4-5 pounds ground venison
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon
1/8 to 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Canola oil

Place meat in bowl, using a microplane to grate garlic into meat. Zest one lemon over meat, and add Worcestershire, eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Knead with your hands until all ingredients are incorporated

. Take a small amount, form a patty and cook in a pan to desired temperature (rare, medium, well), cool and taste to check seasoning. Make any necessary adjustments to your meat mixture and form into large, 1/2-inch or thinner patties. Oil pan and sear patties over medium heat until nicely caramelized on each side. Remove from heat and transfer to

Tomato, Mushroom and Cipollini Relishgrill, tuning an eighth-turn for grill marks. Flip and repeat cooking to desired doneness.

1 1/2 cups heirloom grape tomatoes
2 cups button mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
1 cup cipollini onions

2 tablespoons sherry

1 sprig fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh chives

Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Canola oil

Halve tomatoes, quarter cipollini onions and slice mushrooms. Remove thyme leaves from stem and mince chives. Oil pan and saute mushrooms on high heat until tender and beginning to caramelize. Microplane garlic into mushrooms. Reduce heat and add cipolinni onions. As they begin to cook down and break apart, add sherry and tomatoes. When the tomato skins begin to blister, add thyme and chives. Remove from flame and season with salt and pepper.

Chipotle Mayonnaise
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic
1/3 to 1/4 prepared (canned) chipotle pepper

Add mayonnaise to bowl with juice of lemon. Microplane garlic into mixture. Chop desired amount of chipotle pepper finely, scraping across cutting board to form paste. Add to mixture and whisk together until all ingredients are incorporated.

Brush buns with clarified butter and grill or toast in pan to crisp.

Build burgers, and enjoy!

Serves 8

Recipe courtesy of Drew Anderson, executive chef at Brush Creek Ranch

Originally published in “Bring On The Meat Games … And The Game Meat”