Venison is lean, dense and laced with silverskin. It grinds best when it's well trimmed, very cold and mixed with added fat.
Trim hard
Remove silverskin, tendons, bloodshot meat and any hair. Many hunters also trim off deer fat, which can taste waxy, and add pork or beef fat instead. Sinew is what clogs grinders and wraps knives.
Add fat
For sausage, Mississippi State University Extension recommends about two parts lean to one part fat. For burger, many hunters add pork or beef fat at a lower ratio. Weigh both on a kitchen scale.
Mississippi State University Extension says to chill meat to about 32°F before grinding and keep it at 40°F or below while you grind and mix. USDA notes bacteria multiply rapidly between 40 and 140°F.
Grind
- Cube venison and fat, mix them, and chill to about 32°F.
- Grind through a coarse plate.
- Mix, chill again if needed, and grind through a 3/16-inch plate for sausage.
- Portion and freeze within a day or two.
Safety
Mississippi State Extension notes raw or undercooked wild game still carries some trichinosis risk. Cook ground venison to 160°F. If you hunt in an area with chronic wasting disease, follow your state wildlife agency's testing advice before processing.
Gear
A #8 handles a deer a year; a #12 is better for more. See the best grinders for deer. For storage, see the best vacuum sealers for hunters; for jerky, venison jerky safety on The Dehydrator Report.
