# Adding fat to elk grind



## prumpf (Apr 8, 2016)

How much if any do you guys add? Where do you get it?


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

You add what you want. Most ground beef is around 85% or 15lbs of fat to 100lbs of beef. I like my elk to have around 5% fat to meat ratio. 

As to where to get it, lots of luck. Talk to the butcher at your local grocery store and see if they will save you some. The last elk that I butchered I had to go to 2 different stores to come up with 5lbs of fat. Now days most of the meat is prepackaged at a processing plant and I am not sure if you could put in a special order to get some fat or not. They also charge you for it.


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## 3arabians (Dec 9, 2014)

If you are from Davis county you can go to Don's meats and they will hook you up. Any of the custom meats shops should be able to get you some though. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk


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## kodoz (Nov 4, 2016)

Critter said:


> As to where to get it, lots of luck.


This is true...everything comes pre-trimmed. Harmon's told me occasionally they'd have pork trimmings, but it was a matter of timing to get it. Ended up going to a butcher...they only had beef fat. I've also heard of using a fatty cut of pork instead of pure fat, and of course, we use bacon for burgers.


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

This time of year a meat shop should carry suet (kidney fat). Its used in holiday recipes. Be prepared to pay though-as they have to special order it in.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

I add pork sausage or plain ground port to my ground wild game meat. Around 25% cooks and eats good.


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## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

The Harmon’s here in West Valley always gets me beef fat. Sometimes you have to wait a day or two.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I usually buy 60lb of beef fat in September. Use some and then grind the rest thru a kidney plate and freeze it in 5lb vacuum bags. Do another 30lb to 60lb mid-winter. It's trim, 49¢/lb at Smith's. Have to wait 3 or 4 days to get 60lbs, longer if it's the start of antelope, deer or elk rifle season.

Fat percentage? Depends what I'm doing. 10% to 25% for me, usually 15% for burgers, 25% for sausage.

*If you add 10 lbs of fat to 100 lbs of meat the fat percentage is 9%.*

I try to get beef fat when there's a big sale on T-bones or sirloins. I like the trim off the back the best for burgers.

Usually once a year I'll get some kidney fat and render it. Rendered beef fat is called "tallow". Super for deep fat frying, although high in cholesterol. Any old outdated fat in the freezer gets rendered for bird suet cakes at the same time. 
.


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## Brookie (Oct 26, 2008)

I eat it without adding anything. It's good just plain


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

I don't add beef to elk (or any other animal) grind anymore. I use pork, and particularly, I will get the 3# pkgs of bacon ends and pieces to throw in - one pkg per 30 lbs of grind, or roughly 10%. Not all of it is fat, so it works out to probably an 8% fat mix. Every green chili cheeseburger is a bacon green chili cheeseburger. Tastes great in spaghetti as well.

As far as availability when I need a little extra fat for sausage or something, I cheat and get it from the family owned business and whack and stack my own on weekends when the usual guys are on days off.


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## Cheater (Feb 8, 2012)

I don't add any fat to my grind, I don't think it's needed for tacos, soup, etc. If you're doing burgers, you'll want a little fat to keep them together.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

I don't add fat to ground wild game. I will use a tablespoon or two of olive oil when cooking it, which adds a "fat" component. Or I will add some egg for grilling burgers. I just see no reason to add steriods, medicines, and vaccines into my wild game meat. 

That said, you can usually get grass fed beef fat from Carson's Meat in American Fork/Lehi. (next to Costco)

Disclaimer- I have a herd of beef cows so I'm not anti-beef. (Just steroid/med free feed)

..


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## Steve G (Nov 29, 2016)

Brookie said:


> I eat it without adding anything. It's good just plain


I go with and without and enjoy it both ways but having some fat does make it easier to prepare in my opinion. So if no fat is added I usually give a light coat of olive oil and that helps a lot.


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## Pzn801 (Mar 15, 2016)

I do the bacon ends, but i am going to try and do a couple grind with no fat for tacos and soups to see how I like it.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

I used to like it straight up lean, but nowadays I like about 10% beef or pork fat added to my elk burger. Or if I'm lucky and the elk was well prepared for winter I'll use the clean white fat on the hindquarters as much as possible and add beef/pork to make up the rest if needed to reach 10%. 

As a 5-foot-not-quite-8-inches tall individual, I am all for getting more growth hormones and steroids in my food :mrgreen: With luck, my son might hit 5'9 one day.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Face facts Johnnycake, you are going to start shrinking any day now and you will never make it to 5'9" without 1" heals on your boots.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Critter said:


> Face facts Johnnycake, you are going to start shrinking any day now and you will never make it to 5'9" without 1" heals on your boots.


I'm doing it for the children. THE CHILDREN!

And as if I didn't have a pair of boots with greater than 1" heels... I may or may not have some 6" platforms in my closet that make a debut from time to time.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

You could try this.

If I remember right it worked for Barney.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I use pork. I'll get a Pork shoulder roast, or bottom round roast and grind it up. It works better if you freeze the pork before grinding.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

*keep it frosty*



taxidermist said:


> I use pork. I'll get a Pork shoulder roast, or bottom round roast and grind it up. It works better if you freeze the pork before grinding.


https://utahwildlife.net/forum/26-recipes/72330-sausage-keeping-meat-frosty.html

.


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

taxidermist said:


> I use pork. I'll get a Pork shoulder roast, or bottom round roast and grind it up.


I'll do this for breakfast sausage or summer sausage... I generally just have the wife keep an eye out for manager's special stuff at the local grocery store.

I'll be mixing that with venison for maple and chorizo flavored breakfast sausage and jalapeno summer sausage. I got everything prepped and ready to go to start making goodies this week... 51lbs deer, 18lbs pronghorn, and 18lbs pork will turn into breakfast sausage, jerky, snack sticks, and summer sausage. I enjoy this part as much as the hunting part.








For other preparations (taco meat, burgers, jerky, snack sticks) I don't add anything.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

For game burger, I don't add any fat and we add some small amount of oil in when we brown it. For most uses, like tacos and spaghetti, that works great. 

When I make game (breakfast) sausage, I buy a pork butt roast and grind that with the game before seasoning. Works great, with plenty of fat, and the cuts are usually available at the store. Even my fussy kids will eat it. I use Goobs recipe for breakfast sausage. (available in the recipe section)


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## StillAboveGround (Aug 20, 2011)

prumpf said:


> How much if any do you guys add? Where do you get it?


I add 15% to meat that is to be browned in the pan and 20% for burgers to be cooked on the grill...

And as much as 40% sometimes for sausages.

Every grocery store I have asked will save beef fat for you if you ask.

Back in the south, pork fat is easy to find, but harder to get here... Had to go to Springville to get once...

Can also grind bacon with elk for a bacon burger...


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## BearLakeFishGuy (Apr 15, 2013)

For good, lean burger I use 8-10% fat. I use beef fat and get it from Maceys'. They cater to hunters. It cost me less than $1 per pound of fat. For salami, I use 25% fat and will use either beef or pork fat.


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## muddydogs (Oct 7, 2007)

Any good butcher shop should have beef tallow and pork trim. Here in Ogden Mountain West Meats and Oscar's Wholesale Meats both sell them.

For elk burger I add 5 to 10 percent beef tallow, I kind of eyeball it until it looks right. My wife isn't real found of deer and antelope burger but I find if I mix a strong 10 percent beef tallow into these two species the wife thinks its great. For breakfast sausage I do 10 percent pork, usually a nice cheap fatty butt then add a couple pounds of pork trim, I do the same for most sausages but add pork and pork trim to get to around 20 percent.

I started out with smaller batches of stuff and adjusted my ratio's until I got what I wanted. Everyone's taste is different so some experimenting is in order to find what you like.


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