I make my elk burgers and sliders (ideal if you're stingy with company!
) by thawing and spreading the ground elk out into a thin layer on a cutting board. I season with salt, pepper, a bit of worcestershire (not much - I add more while cooking), and onion powder. Spreading it all out gives me a very even seasoning. If my meat doesn't have beef fat added by the processor, I also use a cheese grater to grate frozen butter (unsalted) all around. I use about 1 stick per 2lbs of meat.
I then mix this up with my hands, and spread it back down to a single layer again, this time to my desired thickness. If I'm making sliders I make this a rectangle, then use a sharp knife to cut into small squares. If I'm making burgers I use a big cookie cutter, then remix/spread the meat and cut more, just like making cookies. (My wife says she's getting me a burger press for Christmas but this way actually works super well and is way faster than shaping by hand!)
I lightly spray a cookie sheet with canola oil and lay the patties on this. That goes into my deep freeze for a couple hours. Then I repack all the patties into a tightly sealed ziploc for long term storage. They last a long time (if I forget they're there - otherwise figure 48 hours til they're gone!)
These pan-fry just as well as they grill! I cook them straight from frozen just like some commercial burger brands recommend. They cook fast -I prefer a thin burger so just a few minutes a side is usually good even from frozen.