For some reason, I’ve been craving red meat like crazy lately.
I think I’ve eaten more red meat in the past few months than I have in the last 3 years!
Before that, I used to eat TONS of meat. I was a big time carnivore and I remember saying that I could NEVER EVER be a vegetarian: I loved my meat way too much for that!
Hmptf… People change, I guess!
I have since DRASTICALLY reduced my consumption of meat, especially red meat, mainly for environmental reasons and because I can’t stand the way the animals are being treated.
And well, because of health concerns, also.
While red meat is not your optimal choice when it comes to picking a healthy, lean protein, there are a few cuts that remain a very good option, such as beef tenderloin, top sirloin or better yet, the inside round, which is the leanest of them all. It also happens to be one of the most affordable cuts, so no doubt it would be my meat of choice when I get a craving for red meat.
UNLESS…
Unless I would be lucky enough for one of my very good friends to give me a nice chunk of beautiful, oh so lean, ground venison meat!
Talk about AWESOME!
Now I have to admit that it was my very first time cooking deer meat, so I wasn’t too sure what to expect. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin it or waste it in some unworthy dish…
I figured hamburgers, served with a very unintrusive zucchini carpaccio, were the best way to let that beautiful meat truly shine and be the star of the show!
I was VERY impressed with how incredibly juicy, tasty and lean this venison meat was!
I mean, I always make my own ground beef using inside round so trust me, I know what lean ground meat is all about. But this venison felt even leaner! And it was so much darker too. Even in its raw state, it was super beautiful, that meat.
But after it was cooked?
OMG, it was G.L.O.R.I.O.U.S! Unbelievably tasty! Best burger I’ve had in a long time! Alright, technically, I hadn’t had a burger PERIOD in a very long time but still, this was one of the best I remember ever having.
No way I would’ve put blue cheese on top of that, or even goat cheese, for that matter. I didn’t even bother putting my pattie in a bun. I wanted nothing to interfere with the flavor of the meat (plus, well, I thought I could do without the added calories, thank you very much!)
A dollop of plain Greek yogurt and few sprigs of fresh dill is all it took.
I really LOVED that new source of protein and seriously wish I could get my hands on it more often.
Guess I’ll have to try and find a source!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 650g ground venison meat (or extra lean ground beef)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp organic no salt seasoning
- 1 tsp capers
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ cup hazelnut meal (or almond meal)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 whole egg, beaten
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix with clean hands until all the bits and pieces are nice and uniformly distributed.
- Divide the meat into 4 servings and shape into patties.
- Preheat your outdoor grill to high. Or, if you are making these indoors, preheat a non-stick pan sprayed with olive oil over high heat.
- Lower the heat to medium and place the patties on the grill (or in the pan) and cook for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until the patties are cooked through.
- Serve immediately, over a bun if desired.
So tell me which would you go for? No bun?
Or would you rather have yours on a bun?
I know exactly what you mean when you saw you have been craving red meat! I too rarely if ever in the last 6 months have eaten it but lately its been calling my name. But can you imagine my anger/frustration/utter childish temper tantrum I threw yesterday when I attempted to make turkey chili with spicy turkey sausage in crockpot and it was HORRIBLE!! Inam apparently crockpot challenged and need to stick with manual version. Or maybe now I will make your recipe for instant gratification
I bet I wouldn’t be able to get anything done in a crockpot either. I’m not too keen on the idea of cooking food for so long anyway. For that reason alone, I don’t think I will ever own one. You need to try making a turkey chili the conventional way.
Great, now you got me wanting to eat turkey chili! Good thing the Superbowl is coming up and chili on Superbowl day is a tradition in our household. I guess this year’s will be turkey, thanks to you!
Bambi? Really?
As a vegetarian, I’m more interested in what’s on the plate behind the venison burger.
Venison is virtually impossible to get in Australia, but in most health ways our kangaroo fits the same bill of an extre lean red meat which has been produced in a sustainable way. [Anyway all beef in Oz is produced free range!] Personally I have never eaten such in a bun: I simply fail to see the need for a usually white ‘pap’ bread! This is an interesting recipe for me because of the inclusion of the hazelnut meal: shall try! I have never been a vegetarian and usually divide my main meals into two red meat days, two fish, two poultry and one pure vegetarian, chopping and changing as time and ‘desires’ dicate! Actually very healthy and balanced
!
Kangaroo! Now that sounds really exotic. While I always feel bad eating animals, this is one meat that I would really like to try. And really? ALL your beef is produced free range? And grass fed too, I guess? I am so envious! I so wish it were the case here! Love your regimen, too! Well balanced indeed!
So is your gardening all done now?
Yes, we do not, thank God, have ‘feedlots’: don’t think I could stomach meat produced in such a horrible way either! Yes, methinks all/very much most beef/lamb & certainly e’thing else free range: same sized country as US, 1/10 the people, but then, most is desert also! Kangaroo is not THAT freely available: everyone does not eat it every week! Somewhat gamey, very nice. Compared to the US [cannot speak for Canada] we use a lot less preprepared food and are learning from the ‘mistakes’ of N America in appreciating ‘from scratch’ cooking! All my first seedlings planted as of this morning: am returning to the nursery Friday for a topup!!!!! Hoping you are well . . .
Wow, they do look YUMMY! I just found an exotic meats store nearby, they sell venison. I will have to try this recipe sometime soon.
Thanks for sharing…I also enjoy venison when easily available, which is not very often