Venison Banh Mi Burgers and a Book Review of Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club #LitHappens

I just finished reading our Lit Happens Selection for September.  This book did, of course, inspire a recipe but more than that it inspired me to be grateful for the relationship that I had with my mother and left me wishing that I could spend another day with her.

This novel was chosen by Debra of Eliot's Eats.  Unlike other book clubs to which I belong, Lit Happens does not require that a recipe be made or that you be a blogger to belong.  It simply invites you to read a book each month and participate in an online discussion about the book if you wish.  I look forward to this month's discussion as I wonder if the other readers will have the same reaction to this novel that I had.

As the title suggests the novel centers around the Lakeside Supper Club and follows 3 generations of ownership.  More than ownership of this Supper Club this novel was about relationships.  Two generations of very dysfunctional mother/daughter relationships followed by a daughter who was raised without a mother.  We also see relationships between fathers and children, siblings, friends, and couples who don't quite fit into the time or place where these relationships are taking place.

The Supper Club is more of a backdrop for all of these relationship stories.  I don't know if it was the fact that I read this as I was recuperating from a bout of COVID but I spent most of this book crying.  Heck, I'm bawling just trying to write this post.

That's not to say that it was a bad book.  I read it in a couple of days. Mostly, I guess, this book is about parents and children.  Parents learning and accepting that their dreams and their children's dreams do not always sync.  Parents learning to let their children find their own happiness and children learning to forgive their parents for trying to make them happy.

As I said, recipes are not required in this book club, but C'mon it is set in a restaurant after all so, of course, I am sharing a recipe.  These Venison Banh Mi Burgers were made before I had ever even heard of this novel but I soon realized that they were perfect to share with this book.

Mariel inherits the Supper Club from her grandparents, Betty and Floyd, upon Floyd's death.  She is driving one day to pick her estranged mother up and hits a deer.  A passerby stops and tells Mariel to wait while she gets her son to butcher the deer while the meat is still fresh.  Her son, Kevin, is of Korean descent, having been adopted as a baby.  He processes the deer and Mariel returns with 3 coolers of meat for her kitchen staff.  

While Bahn Mi is Vietnamese and not Korean, it is still Asian but the real reason I thought it would work was because before it was even revealed in the novel that Kevin was Korean, one of the chefs said that he would save the venison until the fall because venison and fall vegetables were a natural together.  I thought that I agreed with that statement, however, I remembered how delicious these venison burgers were with pickled summer vegetables.  

Heather of Based on a True Story, hosts a group called Foodies Read.  Regular readers of this blog are very familiar with Foodies Read as I link up to it several times a month.  Many of my friends from Lit Happens also belong to this group that does not require a recipe but does require a blog and a book that is Foodcentric.

Heather decided to try a new theme for our group by making a Bingo board for us to fill out.  I have been having fun with this challenge.  Thus far I have shared an audio library book with a recipe for Bisquick Cookies, a recipe for Lemon Pepper Potato Wedges from a new Cookbook that I got for my birthday, and a Navajo Green Chile Stew from a book about the historical Code Talkers from WWII.  

This novel fit the challenge for Linked up to Foodies Read, Author is a Different Gender than I, and Restaurant Life.  I chose to go with Restaurant Life.  I hope to do a coverall before this challenge is finished.

The recipe for these Banh Mi Burgers came from the American Lamb Board, however, I substituted venison for the lamb.  I also omitted the cilantro leaves and added some cheese.  This is a delicious recipe and I'm sure that lamb would be excellent as well if that is your preference.

Entrees, Grilling, Burgers, Venison, Game, Asian

Entrees

Asian Fusion

Yield: 4 servings

Author: Wendy Klik

Venison Banh Mi Burgers

Venison seasoned with the warm flavors of Vietnam, grilled to perfection and topped with quick pickled vegetables.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 8 MinTotal time: 18 Min

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. seasoned rice vinegar
• 2 T. sugar
• 2 carrots, shaved into ribbons
• 1 seedless cucumber, shaved into ribbons
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1 lb. ground venison
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t. ginger paste
• 2 scallions, white and light green parts, chopped
• 1 T. fish sauce
• 1 T. honey
• 3 t. siracha
• 1/4 c. Miracle Whip
• 4 hamburger buns
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 slices American cheese, if desired

Instructions

1. Whisk together the vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add the carrots, cucumber and jalapeno. Toss to coat and set aside.
2. Mix together the venison, garlic, ginger, scallions, fish sauce, honey, salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the siracha. Divide into 4 equal patties.
3. Grill over high heat for about 4 minutes per side until an internal temperature of 140-145*, adding cheese during the last minute of cooking, if desired.
4. Allow burgers to rest for a couple of minutes while you mix together the remaining 2 teaspoons of siracha with the Miracle Whip.
5. Spread a Tablespoon of the Siracha Mayo between 4 hamburger buns and top with a burger and some of the pickled vegetables.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe by the American Lamb Board

Nutrition Facts

Calories

462.97

Fat (grams)

17.09 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

8.1 g

Carbs (grams)

42.12 g

Fiber (grams)

2.62 g

Net carbs

39.52 g

Sugar (grams)

18.77 g

Protein (grams)

34.01 g

Sodium (milligrams)

1295.7 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

113.16 mg

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