30-MINUTE
If you are from the Midwest, then you know what a butter burger is. If you’re not, you are about to fall in love with this Midwestern favorite. I believe the butter burger gets its name from buttering the buns, but I take it to another level by adding grated frozen butter to the ground meat for extra buttery goodness. If you’re planning to make this recipe, throw a stick of butter in the freezer ahead of time.
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
10 minutes
Serves:
4
1 pound ground venison
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 slices American cheese
4 hamburger buns
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Dill pickles, sliced tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, and/or mustard, for serving
1.
Preheat an outdoor grill to 400°F.
2.
In a large bowl, combine the venison, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the frozen butter into the ground meat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir to combine. Divide the mixture into 4 patties.
3.
Brush the oil on the grill grates. Place the patties on the grates over direct heat, close the lid, and grill for 4 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature of the burgers reaches 145°F (for medium), or cook the burgers to your desired degree of doneness. Top each burger with a slice of cheese, let the cheese melt, and then transfer the burgers to a plate.
4.
While the burgers are cooking, spread the cut sides of the buns with the softened butter. Place the buttered side of the buns over indirect heat, and cook for 1 minute or until toasted. Remove the buns from the grill.
5.
To assemble, place each bottom bun on a plate, top with a patty and any desired toppings, and cap with the top bun. Serve immediately.
Grilling is one of my favorite ways to cook venison. Here are a few pointers:
When you grill, you will either be cooking right over the fire (direct heat) or away from the flames (indirect heat).
If cooking entirely over direct heat, pour the charcoal in and light it up. For a gas grill, fire up all the burners with the lid closed for 15 minutes to preheat before cooking.
If you need an indirect fire for all or some of your cook
time, for a charcoal fire, get your coals burning, then push them to one side so you have a portion of the grill that is free of flames—that is where your meat will go when the recipe says to use indirect heat. For a gas grill, preheat it with all the burners on and the lid closed. When you are ready to cook, turn off half of the burners; that side of the grill will be your indirect-heat spot.
As for smoking, all of my recipes are written for an electric smoker, since that is what I use at home. If you don’t have an electric smoker, you can use a charcoal grill with an indirect setup instead. Once you’ve got your fire going, add wood chunks and close the lid until the grill is filled with smoke, then place the venison in the indirect-heat spot away from the coals. I like to put an aluminum tray filled with water underneath the meat to help regulate the temperature.
If you’re smoking meat low and slow for a number of hours, you will need to replenish the coals. The best way is to add unlit charcoal, briquettes, or wood chunks to your grill or smoker when the temperature starts dropping. The lit coals will light the fresh fuel and keep the fire going. If the temperature in the grill gets too high, close the vents to reduce the amount of oxygen, which will lower the temperature.