5 ways to use game mince on the BBQ

A few years ago, I was given a meat grinder for Christmas. It cost only £20 (my sister left the label on), but it was one of the best gifts I have ever received. For the rest of that game season and well into the spring I was cranking the handle of that thing. I minced pheasant breasts and partridge breasts, pigeon and venison, and thus was opened unto me a whole new world of game cooking opportunities. “Hunter’s” Pie, chilli con carne, spag bol. I was in seventh heaven. 

However, just as it is impossible to cook too many roast potatoes, I have learned that no matter how much game you eat in the season, and no matter how much mince you make, you’ll always have a few packs of both left in the freezer by the time summer rolls around. But, as I discussed with Dan Cooper, Weber’s head Grill Master, when it comes to barbecue, there’s a whole world of possibilities when it comes to barbecuing with game mince. What’s more, these make a great way to introduce muggles to the delights of eating game. Here’s just a few of the things Dan recommends you try.

Game Burgers

Let’s start with the big guns: burgers and barbecues go hand in hand. A few herbs, maybe some diced onion, a bit of salt and pepper - hey presto: a gourmet burger that even the trendiest of burger joints in Shoreditch would be proud of. Dan notes that, as in this Venison Burger recipe, because of game’s generally lean nature, it can be a good idea to add a bit of fat in the form of bacon, pancetta or pork fat to help keep things juicy.

Game Kofta Kebabs

“Although these Middle Eastern spiced kebabs are typically made with lamb,” says Dan, “there’s no reason you couldn’t make them with, well any kind of game mince, really.” Turmeric, chilli, cumin, paprika all ensure that they’ll pack a punch. “Again, just make sure your game isn’t too lean,” he adds. Since these are cooked over direct heat, using metal skewers means you can forgo all the tedious soaking of wooden or bamboo alternatives.

Game Meatballs

What, meatballs on the barbecue?! No, I haven’t gone mad. Whether you’re talking Spanish-style albondigas, Italian-style polpette, or scandi-style köttbullar, cooking them in a dutch oven on your grill will give them a wonderful smokey depth of flavour. You could also grill your meatballs on skewers to make a meatball kebab.

Game Chili 

As above, using a dutch oven on the barbie will take your game chili con carne to the next level, adding an authentic smokiness that you just can’t get when you’re cooking indoors, no matter how much chipotle paste you employ! Just replace the beef mince in your favourite chili recipe with game mince and away you go.

Game Sausages

It was only a matter of time before my experiements with game mince ended up here, and just this last week I dipped my toe into the world of sausage making. I ordered a mountain of spice mixes and sausage casings online, and turned my kitchen into a riot of dirty mixing bowls, chopping boards and other kitchenware, generally aggravating my wife. 

The results were one hell of a clean-up job, and about five kilos of extremely tasty sausages. All the business with the casings and such seems a bit daunting at first, but once you’ve started you’re pretty well committed, and it is worth persevering.

I think it is fair to say that making sausages for the first time is a learning curve. However, even if, like me, you don’t quite get the hang of filling the bangers evenly, and they end up looking like a snake that’s swallowed a number of tennis balls, if you make sure to fry off a small amount of your mixture before you start stuffing you can be sure that no matter how mishapen they look, they’ll taste great.

Top tips for mincing game

• Hand mincers are perfectly servicable, but slow. Lots of kitchen mixers have mincer attachments that you can buy. I recently upgraded to one of these, halving the time it takes to process my game mince. If you're going to mince big quantities, you may want to buy a dedicated machine, which can be had for surprisingly little - you won't regret the investment!
• Ensure that everything is clean before you begin
• Even if you’re after a fairly fine grind, start with a larger grinder plate, and then do a second pass through a smaller plate.
• Although mincing is a great way to use up off-cuts and less tender cuts, do make sure to remove as much sinew and tendon from the meat as possible before you begin, or it can clog the grinder.
• Chill the meat down to the point where it is almost frozen before you put it through the grinder. This will make things far less messy but most importantly it results in a better grind.
• Take the chance to add fat at this stage - include up to 30% pork belly by weight in your grind mixture
• Similarly, adding seasonings anf flavours at this stage can also help the flavours to permeate the meat.

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