Venison Burger Recipe….!!!

Maple-Bacon Cheddar Venison Burger with Pickled Green Tomatoes and Caramelized Mango

(we made a variation of  this recipe for a semi-finalist choice in the Rachel Ray and Bobby Flay National Burger Cook-off in 2014)

For the Burgers:

1.5 lb, venison or ground turkey

2 table spoons canola oil

3 mango slices approx, 1/8 – ¼ inch thick — slightly firm and not completely ripe preferably.

6 slices of pickled green tomatoes (or 3 if they are large) cut approximately 1/8 – ¼ inch thick.

1 tablespoon seasoned salt.

1 clove minced garlic

2 chipotle peppers (in adobe) minced (any supermarket has these in a can)

2 slices of a thickly-cut premium bacon.

1 garlic clove (minced)

5 slices cheddar cheese (either yellow or white is fine)

Other Ingredients:

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

8 slices thickly-cut premium bacon (optional)

(Makes 5 Burgers)

For the seasoned salt (you can substitute regular kosher salt for this and they’ll still be great!)

Seasoned salt (1/2 cup Kosher salt, 1/8 cup cracked black pepper,1 table spoon ground white pepper, ½ tablespoon cayenne pepper, ¼ tablespoon sugar, mixed and combined)

Procedure: 

Brush both sides of the mango’s lightly with canola oil, season both sides lightly with the seasoned salt, and grill both sides of the mango until they soften some but still retain a slight firmness (I use a stove-top cast iron grill or cast iron skillet). Cook over moderate heat and baste both sides with maple syrup the last minute or two of grilling with a pastry brush and set aside.

(optional – if you want to add bacon to the tops of your burger)   Cook all but 2 slices of the bacon on a sheet pan in the oven at 425F until crispy. Before the bacon is finished, however, mix 3 tablespoons of the maple syrup with a dash of the mustard, and brush onto the bacon with a pastry brush during the last minute or so of cooking. Sprinkle moderately with some of the seasoned salt.

Take one of the minced chipotle peppers and mix it into the burger meat in a medium stainless steel bowl with your hands (don’t over-mix – combine until just incorporated).

Form five approximately 1/3 pound patties from the meat mixture – keeping each somewhat loose and not overly mixed or pressed. Season both side liberally with the seasoned salt. Cut the remaining two slices of the uncooked bacon into 1 inch long sections – push three of the 1 inch long bacon pieces into the bottom of each of the patties so that the bacon becomes slightly integrated into the patty itself. (Try to arrange in a symmetrical fashion into each patty).

Take the two tablespoons of canola oil and place into a med-large cast-iron skillet and heat the oil on medium high heat until almost smoking. Place each of the patties into the pan – bacon side down and depress your thumb into the center of each patty making a deep depression. Keep on medium high heat for about two minutes, then turn down to medium heat for approximately two more minutes . Flip the burgers and cook on low heat for approximately 2 more minutes – bast the tops of the burgers while cooking with some of the maple-syrup before placing the cheddar cheese slices on the burgers during the last two minutes of cooking (drape loose foil over the top of the burgers during this last portion of cooking time to help melt the cheese). Take off the heat. Keep the foil over the meat burgers and let rest in the pan and off the heat for 2 more minutes. After two minutes – remove from the still-hot pan and let rest on a plate covered with foil for 2 more minutes.

While the burgers are cooking or after you take them off the heat, make the aioli:

Take the ½ cup mayonnaise and add the minced garlic and approximately ½ – 1 ½ tablespoon of the mustard (I prefer the higher amount of mustard). Also, add ½ – 1 of the minced chipotle peppers, in adobe (depending upon how much heat you like!). Add a pinch of the seasoned salt. Wisk and set aside.

While the burgers are resting, brush both the crown and the heel of the buns lightly with melted butter and toast until brown under the broiler on a sheet pan.

Assemble the burgers:

Brush both the crown and the heel moderately with the aioli– as desired . Take 1 large piece of lettuce and lay on heel, top with two slices of the bacon, layer on 2 slices of pickled green tomato, place the burger on the tomatoes, and place a slice or two of the grilled mango’s on top of the cheese of the burger.

Enjoy!