Venison Smash Burger Sliders
I don’t need to introduce smash burgers here; everyone knows what they are. What I do want to do is tell you about venison smash burgers.
Like any other smash burger, venison smash burgers are fast, tasty, and simple.
The Meat

You can use any cut of venison you like; I generally use some of the hind quarter for burger mix. I don’t use pork belly for smash burgers as I do with normal burgers.
This cooks fast, and I don’t want to overcook the venison while waiting for the port to cook.
For this reason, I use only pork fat. I used 30 percent pork fat in this recipe, and I don’t think I would change this. You could go as low as 20 percent, but any lower than that, and I think the burger would be very dry.
Smash burgers are very thin and cooked at very high heat, which may dry out, so I keep the fat around 20-30 percent.
The Toppings

Like any burger, there are no hard and fast rules t dressing a smash burger. All the classic burger toppings will work here.
Given that there is not much effort to make or cook these burgers, I use the extra time to caramelize some onions to go on top.
You can use red, white, or yellow onions for this. I like to use red onions because they are a little sweeter to start with and caramelize a little faster.
If you are in a rush, you can add a little brown sugar to speed up the process.
Cooking

The beauty of the smash burgers is in the cooking. I love how fast these cook; this is the perfect way to cook venison burgers.
Form the meat mixture into balls about 2 oz in weight. Get a cast iron pan screaming hot with a drop of high-temperature oil like avocado or grapeseed.
Drop the ball into the pan and quickly flatten it out. I use the back of a spatula to flatten it, which can be a little tricky if it has holes.
You can use anything you have handy, like another pan, parchment paper, etc.; just ensure you grease it a little first to prevent it from sticking.
The burger will take approximately two minutes per side and about 1-minute of resting.

Venison Smash Burger Slider
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds of venison
- 7 oz pork fat
- smoked salt to season
- Black pepper to season
Dressing the Smash Burger
- Slider burger buns
- American Cheese
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 3 tablespoons Mayo
- 1 tablespoon tabasco
- cherry tomatoes
- pickles
- arugula
- 1 pound red onions
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar optional
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Slice the onion thinly and set over a low heat in a heavy bottom pan with a drizzle of oil for about 20-30 minutes. Halfway through, add vinegar and sugar if using.
- Ensure the meat is very cold before grinding. Use a medium or large plate and grind the meat and fat evenly.
- Heat a cast iron pan on high heat with a teaspoon of high temp oil.
- Form the meat into balls approximately 2 oz in weight. Drop the ball onto the hot pan and, using the back of a spatula, flatten it until it's thin. Keep pressing down for about 10 seconds.
- Season with salt and pepper, and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Flip the patty over to the other side and press down again. Cook for another two minutes, then add the chees and remove to rest for about 1 minute.
- Toast the buns
- Mix the mayo, ketchup, and tabasco in a small bowl.
- Top with your favorite toppings or the ones in the recipe