venison sausage problems

[basal_area]

I've made everything from bratwurst, breakfast sausage, Italian, german, and chorizo. Some I stuff in casings, some I freeze in bulk for Italian meatballs, breakfast patties, etc. There's nothing wrong with the pre-mixed spices, but typically you will have everything you need in your spice rack to make it yourself. There are plenty of recipes online.

Typically, I use 5lbs of game meat and 1 lb of beef suet or a pound of fatty bacon which equates to a 17% fat content. Grind the meet and fat together once through a coarse plate and then mix in the seasonings by hand.

 

[Z Barebow]

As far as seasonings, I have several recipes. But I would start w/premix until you get consistency dialed in.

I to have found coarse plate only for most stuff. A double grind through big plate is usually enough. And I keep the meat outside in between grinds or stuff. (Right now it is below zero)

One of the best things I have done is once I mix venison/pork/seasonings/water, I will put the mixture into Kitchen Aid mixer and mix for 75-90 secs. Until it is tacky. Again the meat is very cold throughout processing. The tackiness binds the meat mixture and aids in product texture. (You can do this by hand also, but frozen hands suck.

 

[O C Hunter]

Also, beware of preservatives in some store-bought meats. They can interfere with the curing agents in sausage and jerky. You might end up with rotten beef in the mixture even after cooking/drying.

 

[JohnCushman]

Also, beware of preservatives in some store-bought meats. They can interfere with the curing agents in sausage and jerky. You might end up with rotten beef in the mixture even after cooking/drying.

Exactly!! This is why I only use pork that I butcher myself from hogs I get from a friend of mine. I would suggest going to a butcher for pork and not getting shoulder roasts from the grocery store. Sometimes if you can get in good with a butcher, they will either give you fat and scraps or sell them to you for really cheap. I also don't recommend using beef fat in your sausage. I have found that beef fat doesn't freeze as well for longer periods of time and doesn't give as good of a flavor in sausage as pork does.

 

[charliebravo77]

I would suggest going to a butcher for pork and not getting shoulder roasts from the grocery store. Sometimes if you can get in good with a butcher, they will either give you fat and scraps or sell them to you for really cheap.

I've noticed that pork fat/trimmings/etc can vary wildly from city to city. Some people seem to be able to get it for $.50/lb and some $9+/lb. I was briefly able to get trimmings from a small independent grocery store for $.50/lb but that source dried up when they started making their own sausages. The most consistent 'reasonable' price I've found in the greater Chicagoland area was from Costco at $3.49/lb for pork belly.

 

[JohnCushman]

I wish all of you guys lived closer and you could all make your sausages with my with my fresh pork and I could help you and show you the ropes I've learned over the years with my trial and error and what I've learned in culinary school (between stints in the military). I love sharing my knowledge and helping guys out with butchering. If shipping didn't cost so much, I would ship you guys some fresh (frozen) butchered pork to use.

 

[charliebravo77]

Here's some encouragement to not give up on making your own sausages:

 

[JohnCushman]

Nice sausage...no homo

 

[schmalts]

If your snack sticks are crumbly it is most likely your smoking that is the cause. DO buy a good digital thermometer for both your smoker and your meat. If you go well over the 155 degree mark for the internal temp you start to run the risk of lower quality. You are supposed to take it to 155 to kill anything that can cause you to get sick but make sure you stop there. I know many who do not go that high including myself at times as I know my meat is always taken care of and I should not have food poisoning problems, and never have. But that being said, Up to 155 and DO NOT GO HIGHER.