Venison Sausage
Venison is very lean, with virtually no fat marbled in the meat. If present, the fat is external. All external fat should be removed because venison fat solidifies unless the food is eaten very hot and it adds a gamey flavor to the meat, hence venison fat is not very palatable. Pork fat is usually added to the venison meat to add fat.
Fresh Venison Sausage
Len Poli, Sonoma Mountain Sausage Company (recipes)
3 pounds venison
1 pound pork butt
3/4 pound pork back fat
1/2 pound bacon
1/2 cup dry red wine
5 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. onion, minced
2 tsp. garlic, minced
4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary
1 1/2 tsp. juniper berries
Cut the meat, fat and bacon into chunks and partially freeze. Grind the mixture through a 1/4 inch plate.
Mix with the remaining ingredients and blend together.
Stuff into hog casings and tie off into 6 inch links. Dry the sausage at room temperature; hold 24 hours for the flavors to develop before eating.
Store the sausage for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or freeze.
Makes 5 1/2 pounds
Perfect Venison Sausage, Chef Sixto's Recipe
From Field and Stream magazine
2 pounds venison (large tough cuts, like those from the shoulder, flank, or neck)
1 pound pork loin and/or shoulder
1 pound fatback and/or pork jowl
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon powdered garlic
1 tablespoon powdered onion
3 tablespoons ground ginger (or 11/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground juniper berries
1 cup egg whites
1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch
fresh hog casings, soaked in water for 10 minutes and rinsed
Coarsely chop the venison and then the pork and fat, keeping the venison separate. In a bowl, combine the pork and fat and 1 tablespoon of the salt. Using a meat grinder or food processor, process the pork mixture to the size of lentils, then set aside.
In another bowl, mix the venison with 2 tablespoons of salt and the pepper, garlic, onion, ginger, and juniper berries. Process two-thirds of this mixture in the meat grinder or food processor to the size of lentils, and set aside.
Combine the remaining one-third with half of the pork mixture, along with the egg whites and arrowroot, and pulverize in a food processor until it forms a smooth paste.
Stir all the elements together, then form a small patty and fry it to check the seasonings. Stuff the casings, then twist them at 6-inch intervals to form sausage links. Using a skewer, puncture each link 4 or 5 times.
To cook, poach the sausages in barely simmering water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 150 degrees. You can freeze them at this point.
Just prior to eating, grill them over a medium fire until heated through and nicely browned. You may also skip the poaching and grill the sausages immediately after stuffing for about 15 minutes over a medium-low fire.
