The Best Meat Grinder for Deer – Burgers Anyone?

I hope reading this article makes you hungry because it made me hungry just writing it. That’s because I love a good hamburger like most people out there, and it’s made even better with fresh venison you’ve harvested yourself. Plus, once you’ve ground up a whole cut, you’ll have enough for meatballs, lasagna, chili and whatever other dishes you want to make delicious with your own ground meat.

Meat grinders are a great kitchen appliance for anyone, but they can really save a hunter time and money. If you love venison and love using it in as many recipes as you can, check out these seven grinders. They’re all great options for hunters who want to grind their own meat, and they each have specific features that make them ideal for different situations. Below you can read up on the features to look for, then the specifics of each model. We’ve also compiled a list of the best meat grinders for deer for home and commercial use.

Before you grind you’ll need to process the meat, which means a good blade or blade, checkout out this guide to the best knife for butchering deer if you want help with that.

Why grind venison?

One of the biggest benefits is the taste. Venison tastes good anyway, and grinding it at home means it’s as fresh as possible. You can also use the cuts and quality of meat you want.

It’s also cheaper. If you take your harvested deer to your local butcher, he’s just going to put it through an electric meat grinder himself, and you’ll have to pay him for it. It’ll definitely be cheaper than buying your own ground beef or pork.

Plus, ground venison is a lot healthier than the ground meat you’d get at the supermarket. It’s all natural and grass fed. You know exactly where it came from. No weird chemicals or antibiotics involved.

Finally, grinding venison makes it great for all different kinds of dishes. It stores easily, and it brings out the flavor. You can make everything from hamburgers to chili.

The nutritional benefits of venison

These days everyone is looking more carefully at what they eat. We’ve learned a lot more about nutritional science and what’s good and bad for our bodies. Luckily for us hunters, venison isn’t just the delicious reward from a successful hunt. It’s a healthy and nutritious alternative to most of the other red meats on the market like beef and pork. Here’s why.

Lean protein

Venison is rich in protein and low in fat. Unlike domesticated farm animals, deer spend their lives in the wild running, jumping and eating wild plants. As a result, they have a lot less fat stored in their bodies and a lot more muscle. That means a lean cut for you.

Low calories

Venison is mostly protein. With no carbs and little fat, it also has very little calories. This means your venison burgers are packed with nutrients but won’t fatten you up.

Low sodium

Most red meats have a lot of sodium, part of what makes them bad for your heart. Venison, however, has very little.

Vitamins and minerals

Wild deer also eat a considerably more variable diet than farm animals. Plus, the venison you make is all-natural and untreated. Together, these make for a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Venison is especially high in B vitamins, zinc, phosphorus and iron.

Top Tips for Venison Grinding

What cuts?

Use the quarters for grinding as these will make the best ground meat. You want to save the loins and tenderloins for your grill.

Meat only

Try to remove everything you can that isn’t raw muscle before sending it through the grinder. Of course, this means bone, but you also need to get as much of the silver skin and fat out as possible too. These usually add strange flavors and textures to your meat.

Grind it cold

Before you send the venison through the grinder, stick it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This firms up the meat and makes it easier for the ginder to handle. Plus, it will prevent bacteria growth in the meat as you grind.

Add fat

It might seem silly. You just took the fat out. However, if you do it afterwards, you have a lot more control over the amount of fat and the consistency of the ground venison. In fact, you don’t even have to add back in deer fat. For better taste, you can add pork fat or beef tallow. For hamburgers or similar dishes, you’ll want that extra fat to add juice and flavor.

Grind it fresh

For best results, grind your meat right before you use it. When you grind meat, it creates a lot more surface area, which means a lot more room for bacteria. It’s better to freeze steaks, thaw them out and grind as needed. 

If that’s not feasible, make sure you store your ground venison really well. Go vacuum sealed to preserve your meat for as long as possible.

Grinders vs food processors

Like with most things, specialization makes food processing machines better.

You can definitely use a food processor to grind your venison. Many even come with meat grinding attachments, but these are designed for small batches. They’re not made to handle the big cuts you pull off your trophy buck.

It won’t just take longer. Most food processor motors are not equipped to handle that much, and the gears don’t have the oil capacity to work effectively at that capacity.

They might work for grinding up a small cut of beef you get at the supermarket, but when it comes to venison, dedicated meat grinders are going to save you time and money.

Maintenance – Cleaning and sharpening the blades

Good meat grinders should be easy to take apart and put together. This is because you’ll regularly need to open it up and clean and sharpen the blades, as well as other parts.

You want to sharpen your blades on tough sandpaper. Start with 500 grit and then move up to 1200. Move the blades over the paper in a circular motion.

A couple of tips. First, put a little water on the sandpaper. This helps remove the fine metal residue that you’re shaving off. Second, mark all the blades with a Sharpie to make sure you sharpen them evenly.

Once you’ve sharpened the blades, you need to wash and sterilize them before using them again.

What to look for

A lot of the specs of meat grinders come down to your personal preferences and needs.

For example, the capacity you should look for depends on how much meat you plan on grinding. If you only plan on grinding one cut a season to make some burgers, meat grinders capable of processing hundreds of pounds per hour are overkill. On the other hand, if you use all your tags every season and grind most of the meat, a small, compact grinder is going to take forever, if it can even handle it.

Similarly, check the wattage. Higher wattage grinders have more power and can push through tougher cuts and potentially even the spare bone. Of course, they also use more electricity and are often louder. They can be unnecessary if you don’t grind a lot.

You should also pay attention to how easy the grinder is to use and assemble. Some are so simple, you operate them with just a single switch. If you can take it apart easily, that also means you can clean and maintain it easily. Plus, you can store it away or move it without a problem.

A circuit breaker is also common on all quality grinders. These will cut the power to an overloaded (or stuck) motor to prevent it being damaged.

Finally, check the warranty. A long warranty lets you buy with confidence. More importantly, it means the manufacturer stands behind their product. They wouldn’t back it if they weren’t sure they’d built it with quality.

Commercial-grade grinders

Commercial-grade grinders are made for professional butchers and restaurant kitchens. They’re designed to handle a lot of meat, and they’re reliable. Consequently, they cost a lot more, and they’re loud. If you process an industrial level of meat each year, it could be worth the investment.

Can you grind without a grinder?

You can actually make ground meat with as little as just a knife. Take lightly frozen meat and cut it into thin strips. Then just turn them the other way and cut them into even smaller cubes. Ideally, you want to cut it into as small as pieces as possible.

Of course, grinding your meat by hand takes a lot longer. It’s also a lot more work. If you need to process a lot of meat, it’s a daunting task.

Grinders with Multiple Grades

LEM Products Stainless Steel Big Bite

Home Kitchen Grinder Reviews