Venison-Bacon Burgers

You know you want one.  The weather's perfect, the grill is calling, and you've got one last little bit of venison in the freezer.  And did I mention the bacon?  Why waste perfectly good bacon by covering it in chocolate or deep-frying it to death, when you can turn it into a deliciously juicy burger?

Venison-Bacon Burgers (from this recipe)
Time:  1 hour or less
Serves 6

6 slices bacon
2 minced shallots (I used green onions)
2 lbs. ground venison
1 tsp. minced garlic (about 1 clove)
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil as needed

Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until brown and crispy.  Crumble bacon (chop or use food processor) and place in large mixing bowl to cool.  Add bacon grease from pan, leaving 1-2 tsp. to cook aromatics.

Saute garlic and shallots in reserved bacon grease over medium heat until softened (add a little olive oil if you don't have enough grease).  Add to bacon.  Once cooled, add venison, Worcestershire, parsley, egg, and salt and pepper.  Work mixture together with hands until evenly combined.  Add a little olive oil if it seems too dry (venison is very lean, so you need to add a little fat in the form of bacon grease or olive oil to keep it moist).

Cover and refrigerate the whole mixture for about 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat grill to medium-high heat.  Shape chilled meat into 6 patties and grill until desired doneness (in other words, I have no idea how long my husband grilled them--but he did an excellent job).