It’s a culinary marriage made for Minnesota deer hunters — and if you can make a hamburger, you can make a venison Juicy Lucy.

Venison is a healthy, tasty, low-fat substitute for beef. Combining it with a little pork helps bind the meat and adds a little extra flavor.

Obviously, cheese puts the “juicy” in Juicy Lucy. I prefer to use real cheese. American cheese, typically the main cheese used in Juicy Lucys, cannot even legally be called “cheese.”

This “processed cheese” contains more than one type of cheese and other additives, milk fats and oils. Real cheese shouldn’t list much more than four ingredients.

If you are eating organic, incredibly healthy venison, might as well continue the trend with authentic cheese from grass-fed cows.

Another reason to avoid American cheese: its low melting point, the reason it comes running out of the burger, burning your fingers. I would rather have my cheese remain deliciously gooey and idle inside my burger, rather than leak out and form Minnesota’s 11,843rd lake atop my plate.

Normally it would be considered sacrilege to cook a venison burger past medium. However, a longer cooking time is required for any Juicy Lucy in order to melt the cheese at the center. Don’t worry: the addition of pork and its fats will make certain the burger retains a moist texture and tastes delicious.

HALF-POUND WHITETAIL JUICY LUCY



Makes 2 servings.

Burger:

12 ounces ground venison

4 ounces ground pork

4 ounces Kerrygold reserve cheddar cheese

3 tablespoons butter

Bun toppings:

Mayonnaise

Pickle chips

Ketchup

To shape burger: In large bowl, mix ground venison and pork. Roll into 4-ounce balls. Form balls into patties. (Pro tip: To form patties, cut wax paper or aluminum foil to 6-by-6-inch squares and place meat balls atop. Curve your dominant hand around edge of patty and use other hand to flatten patty and push meat evenly to edge. Continue flattening and shaping while curved hand traces outer edge, creating rampart of meat along edges. Repeat several times until nice, round shape is achieved.)

To stuff burger: Cut cheddar into 1-ounce squares. Place 2 ounces cheese atop each formed patty. Place blank patty atop each cheese-covered patty. Thoroughly seal edges so cheese doesn’t seep out during cooking.

To cook burger: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Microwave butter for 40 seconds or until melted. Lightly salt and pepper and brush butter across both sides of burger. Place in skillet. Cook each side for 5 minutes. Place skillet in oven for 5 minutes.

To serve: Smear bun bottoms with mayo. Layer on pickles. Top with burger. Drizzle to bun tops with ketchup. Cap burger. Cut in half if necessary.