Recipe: Bacon-Rolled Elk Burgers

Grilling wild-game burgers can be challenging, as the lean proteins can crumble as they heat. Many experienced chefs recommend incorporating ground pork into venison burgers to enhance moisture retention and ensure the patties remain tender and cohesive throughout the cooking process.  

Cooked bacon is often added to burgers when served, so why not make it part of the burger or a roll? Bacon provides the moisture, binder, and some flavor for the lean ground venison. The bacon renders fat while cooking and runs through the venison to add flavor and moisture.

The burger roll's finish looks and smells fantastic, sure to impress family and friends. You can cook the burger rolls to medium-well, as the bacon fat will keep the unit moist. The extra heat and time will ensure the bacon inside the roll is also cooked.

The recipe is simple and easy to alter to suit specific tastes. Don’t use barbecue sauce, or consider seasoning with your favorite burger spices, herbs, or seasoned salt.

This recipe works well with any venison or wild game.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs. ground elk
• 6 slices of bacon (preferably thin)
• ½ cup barbecue sauce (BeardedButchers.com)
• Pepper
• Hi Mountain Hickory Burger Seasoning

Directions

1. Lay out strips of bacon on a cutting board and brush with barbecue sauce.
2. Take ¼ pound of ground elk and spread it evenly over a strip of bacon. Season with pepper and Hickory Burger Seasoning or your preferred seasoning salt.
3. Roll the bacon and ground meat together, pressing from the outer edges to form a tight roll with the meat to the outer edges of the bacon. Set the roll flat on a cutting board and apply slight pressure to create a dense burger roll.
4. Preheat the grill to 400°F. Place the elk rolls on the hot grill for 2 minutes, then rotate ¼ turn to create crossed grill marks on one side and leave for 2 minutes. Repeat the process for the second side of the burger to be medium-rare. If guests prefer medium-well, leave the roll on the grill for another 2 minutes.
5. Serve on a bun with your favorite condiments, and consider options like red onion slices, pickles, cheese, lettuce, and tomato.