Grilled Game Burgers with Condiment Bar by Karen Eagle
These game burgers are sensational and easy to make. Buy good-quality bakery buns or an assortment of breads and buns. Have all of the goodies on the side as the condiment bar. Sides to serve include Layered Spinach Salad (page 246), Herbed German-Style Potato Salad (page 267), and Texas-Style Baked Pinto Beans (page 269).
Form meat into 8 to 10 ¾-inch-thick patties. Place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt and cracked pepper to taste. Turn patties over and repeat the seasoning. Refrigerate for an hour so the meat will hold together on the grill. (Variation: For pan searing, burgers do not need to be refrigerated.)
Place breads and buns in a basket.
Arrange lettuce, onion, tomatoes, avocados, olives, sliced cheeses, and bacon on a platter. Place crumbled and shaved cheeses in bowls. Set spreads out in the bottles for a casual get-together or transfer to serving bowls for a fancier party.
Prepare a hot fire in the grill. Sear burgers over high heat for about 2 or 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Cook longer for more well-done. Place on a platter and serve with all the fixings.
Wild Ground Meat
Ground venison and other big game fills a hunter's freezer. Thankfully, it is delicious. It is also very lean, depending on how much fat is added during the butchering process. Meatloaf, hamburgers, soups, and chilies are all the better when made with ground game.
Serves 8
2 pounds ground game meat (venison, bear, antelope)
Coarse kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
8 or 10 buns, buttered and toasted
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and torn
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 beefsteak tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 avocados, peeled and sliced
1 cup Kalamata olives, chopped
Assorted cheeses, crumbled, sliced, or shaved (Boursin, Cheddar, blue, pecorino, goat, Monterey jack, etc.)
1 pound bacon, fried crisp
Assorted spreads: mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, barbecue sauce, etc.
