Venison Sausage

[David Unnerstall]

I got my venison sausage made last weekend. I am happy with the results.

Step One: Grinding the meat

Step Two: Stuffing the sheep casings

Step Three: Smoking

Step Four: Drying

[Smallieguy87]

Very nice! If you need someone to taste test it be sure and let me know!

[ness]

Wow -- that sure looks good. I would like to hear more about the process. Seasonings? Fat ratio? Hot or cold smoke? (it looks like your smoker's big enough for cold).Was there a cure? I'm assuming this doesn't need to be refrigerated?

I've made jerky and summer sausage before, nothing like this though.

[David Unnerstall]

Wow -- that sure looks good. I would like to hear more about the process. Seasonings? Fat ratio? Hot or cold smoke? (it looks like your smoker's big enough for cold).Was there a cure? I'm assuming this doesn't need to be refrigerated?

I've made jerky and summer sausage before, nothing like this though.

Ness,

A guy that lives in this area, Fred Marquardt, taught me how to do this. Seasonings are black pepper, salt, garlic and red pepper. I mix in half pork. It is a hot smoke, too hot actually. It is a gas smoker and in order to keep the hickory chips burning the burner has to run too often. I really need to develop a better system at keeping the temperature down and the smoke up. Some of the links got too dry. I did use a cure. I get the pork, casings and cure from G & W meat in St. Louis. I believe it is safe at room temperature like landjaegger is. But it is 45 degrees in my basement.

When I was single I used my oven for this. I filled the bottom of the oven with hickory chips. That system was perfect at keeping a constant temperature with the thermostat. The house smelled like a smokehouse for about six months but I thought that was a good thing.

[ness]

Thanks for the detailed response. That sounds excellent. I'm sure the pork adds a little fat/flavor.

45 degrees in the basement -- nice! Oh, the things I could do!

Have you ever seen the Alton Brown videos on smoking in a cardboard box or flower pot? He uses an electric hot plate as the heat source, then an aluminum foil pan with wood chips/sawdust on top. I've never tried either, but it looks like it would maybe give you an option if your gas heat gets it too hot.

[David Unnerstall]

Very nice! If you need someone to taste test it be sure and let me know!

SmallieGuy,

No grindin' no eatin'. I ground 50 lbs of venison and 18 lbs of pork by hand in three days.

[David Unnerstall]

Ness,

I did look that guy up. He knows how to do a lot with a little. You know he actually puts a steak right on the coals.

What I need to do is rip out the components of this smoker and dig a hole in the hill behind my house for a walk-in smoker. If I triple the size the heat won't get away from me and I can smoke all the sausage at one time.

[ness]

Ness,

I did look that guy up. He knows how to do a lot with a little. You know he actually puts a steak right on the coals.

What I need to do is rip out the components of this smoker and dig a hole in the hill behind my house for a walk-in smoker. If I triple the size the heat won't get away from me and I can smoke all the sausage at one time.

Yeah, Alton Brown has some ingenious ideas. His show was the best thing on Food Network IMO. Now it's all contests and crap.

I keep thinking how primitive the old smoke houses were. Something enclosed to keep the smoke in contact with the meat and keep the dirt and bugs off of it.