Lightly Seasoned Elk Burgers

Home-made dry bread crumbs done in a food processor, or Japanese Panko style bread crumbs work best for this recipe. If you are making your own bread crumbs, be careful not to process the bread crumb down to powder like consistency. Best results are achieved when the bread crumbs are about the same size as coarse grains of salt.



Ingredients

1/2 cup very finely chopped shallots or sweet onion
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 lbs ground elk
6 tbsp dry bread crumbs, Japanese (panko style) bread crumbs preferred
Vegetable oil

Method

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the very finely chopped shallots or sweet onion with the Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, sea salt and black pepper. Add the ground elk and work in by hand until seasonings and meat are well combined. Sprinkle in dry bread crumbs a couple of tablespoons at a time. Work the bread crumbs into the meat mixture until evenly combined.

Shape the meat into 5 or 6 burgers. Place the burgers on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Pre-heat the barbecue to medium-high temperature. Remove the burgers from the refrigerator and brush some vegetable oil on the top side of each. Also lightly oil the barbecue grill to prevent the burgers from sticking.

Place the burgers on the grill, top side down, and sear for a little more than a minute. Flip burgers and sear the opposite side for the same amount of time. Reduce heat slightly, flip burgers and continue to cook each side for 7 to 8 minutes for well done.