Venison Burger Patties with Pimento Spread
Ground venison cooked over a grate, topped with a shelf-stable pimento spread mixed at camp.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 10 oz
- cal / oz
- 62
- protein
- 42 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 12 min
- total time
- 22 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Grill grate
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Ground venison | 2 lb | deer or elk; keep it cold until it hits the grate |
|---|---|---|
| Kosher salt | 2 tsp | |
| Black pepper | 1 tsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | |
| Ground cayenne pepper | 1/4 tsp | |
| Shredded sharp cheddar | 1 cup | vacuum-sealed block grated at home holds better than pre-shredded |
| Diced pimentos | 1 small jar, drained | drain hard or the spread goes loose |
| Mayonnaise | 1/3 cup | single-serve packets skip the cooler question |
| Hamburger buns | 4 | |
| Cooking oil | 1 tbsp | for the grate |
Method
- Mix the cheddar, drained pimentos, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and cayenne in a cup or a zip bag. Set it in the shade while the fire burns down.
- Work the salt and pepper into the venison and form four patties about 3/4 inch thick. Press a dent in the center of each so they do not dome up.
- Oil the grate and set it over coals, not flame. Venison is lean and it sticks.
- Cook 5 to 6 minutes a side. Pull them at medium. Past that the fat that is not there stops covering for you.
- Split the buns and lay them cut side down on the grate for a minute.
- Spoon the pimento spread over the hot patties so it slumps, then close the bun.
Venison is lean enough that a burger made from it goes dry fast. The pimento spread is the fix. It is fat, salt, and acid landing on the patty right as it comes off the heat, which is roughly what a fattier grind would have done from the inside.
The original called for fried green tomatoes and a quart of brine, which is a lot of oil and a lot of dishes for a fire pit. Those are gone. What is left is one grate, one mixing bag, and a spread that goes together cold. The mayo and cheese still want a cooler, so this is a first- or second-night car camp meal, not a pack-in dinner.
Packing
Patties go in the cooler pre-formed with parchment between them. Cheese, pimentos, and mayo packets ride in one bag; mix that bag at camp so the cheese does not sweat all day.
Variations
- Skip the buns and eat the patty and spread over instant potatoes for a gluten-free plate.
- A drained can of diced green chiles in place of the pimentos changes the heat without adding weight.
- No cooler, one night out: swap fresh venison for a foil pouch of cooked ground meat and treat this as an assembly job.
https://realtree.com/timber-2-table-wild-game-recipes/venison-burgers-with-pimento-cheese-and-fried-green-tomato