Looking for a great venison sausage recipe (or three)

20stone

We are doing some experimenting with venison sausage this weekend, and are looking for recipes to start from.  I think we are going to make four different versions, with one recipe already locked down (Argentinian chorizo).

I saw this thread - https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1149747/venison-jalapeno-cheese-sausage and it looks awesome.  @Griffin, if you have made it since and updated the recipe, please DM me the updates.

We have some awesome pork to blend in - A ham from a mangalitsa cross from Yonder Way Farms (https://yonderwayfarm.com/ - I can't recommend these folks highly enough), which weighed 43# and turned into about 20# of lean and 10# of high quality fat (some trash trim, skin and bones in the mix -- bones will be stock soon).

Hit me up -- I want this to be awesome

(Legs up!)



(Not a Costco ham)

Griffin

Not really. I did go to doing a double grind. Once with the medium plate and once with a fine plate, but that just depends on the texture you want. I do like to sautee the jalapenos a bit to soften them up. 

lkapigian

Watching this one @20stone

20stone

lkapigian said:

Watching this one @20stone

Dammit.  I was hoping you would contribute

lkapigian

20stone said:

lkapigian said:

Watching this one @20stone

Dammit.  I was hoping you would contribute

Ha, I follow your lead! best I can say I do 50/50 and up to 80(pork)/20 on game meat.....after that , your favorite recipe .... I've been on a spanish chorizo kick lately and that converts from salami to sausage very well

Foghorn

Venison merguez. Seems like a natural merge.  Just sayin'

Also, my son and I should have some tasting notes to you about @The Cen-Tex Smokers Argentinian chorizo by the end of the day.  We pulled it out of the freezer last night to cook this evening.

caliking

I don't have a recipe, but i'm thinking that fennel would be great in a venison sausage.

Also, there was the hunter sausage recipe that  Andrew V made so long ago. It was delicious. Wonder if that would be good for venison.

Foghorn

lkapigian said:

20stone said:

lkapigian said:

Watching this one @20stone

Dammit.  I was hoping you would contribute

Ha, I follow your lead! best I can say I do 50/50 and up to 80(pork)/20 on game meat.....after that , your favorite recipe .... I've been on a spanish chorizo kick lately and that converts from salami to sausage very well

I am hoping that the result of this is some great recipes that can use at least 75% venison.  I'm putting this group together with some ranch owners and hunters that can provide nearly unlimited venison (white tail and axis).  Turning it into great sausage is highly desirable.  Fat content seems to be one consideration as most folks I know mix lean venison with pork shoulder which is about 30% fat - resulting in a sausage with 15% fat.  Using mangalitsa fat to mix with lean venison up to a higher fat content - plus adding a flavorful spice mix - MAY be a winning combination.


@caliking, are you thinking that a venison Italian sausage might be a good offering?

caliking

Foghorn said:

@caliking, are you thinking that a venison Italian sausage might be a good offering?

Wasn't thinking Italian specifically, but why not?

Just spitballing here, but I'd like to try something with paprika (lots), coarse ground coriander, fennel, and garlic (also lots). No, I don't have a recipe

I'm not sure how whole or rough chopped garlic would do in sausage after freezing. Its on my list  to try out. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Foghorn said:

Venison merguez. Seems like a natural merge.  Just sayin'

Also, my son and I should have some tasting notes to you about @The Cen-Tex Smokers Argentinian chorizo by the end of the day.  We pulled it out of the freezer last night to cook this evening.

That is actually @20stones recipe made with my equipment. Flavor is amazing- needs a little help with the texture (more fat). The recipe called for beef, pork, and pork belly. I think it needs beef, pork, and pork fat. It's still really good but it's a little rustic for my liking. Kind of crumbly.

20stone

caliking said:

I don't have a recipe, but i'm thinking that fennel would be great in a venison sausage....

Super helpful there.

caliking said:

Just spitballing here, but I'd like to try something with paprika (lots), coarse ground coriander, fennel, and garlic (also lots). No, I don't have a recipe

Better

caliking said:

I'm not sure how whole or rough chopped garlic would do in sausage after freezing. Its on my list  to try out. 

It turns out chopped garlic does fine

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

That is actually @20stones recipe made with my equipment. Flavor is amazing- needs a little help with the texture (more fat). The recipe called for beef, pork, and pork belly. I think it needs beef, pork, and pork fat. It's still really good but it's a little rustic for my liking. Kind of crumbly.

More fat + more work getting it nice and sticky this time

caliking

20stone said:

caliking said:

I don't have a recipe, but i'm thinking that fennel would be great in a venison sausage....

Super helpful there.

caliking said:

Just spitballing here, but I'd like to try something with paprika (lots), coarse ground coriander, fennel, and garlic (also lots). No, I don't have a recipe

Better

caliking said:

I'm not sure how whole or rough chopped garlic would do in sausage after freezing. Its on my list  to try out. 

It turns out chopped garlic does fine

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

That is actually @20stones recipe made with my equipment. Flavor is amazing- needs a little help with the texture (more fat). The recipe called for beef, pork, and pork belly. I think it needs beef, pork, and pork fat. It's still really good but it's a little rustic for my liking. Kind of crumbly.

More fat + more work getting it nice and sticky this time

Worldview-changing ideas don’t just happen. They’re built upon, layer by layer. 

Foghorn

So, the Argentine chorizo is basically the opposite of our last batch of Masalawurst - which was "spice forward".

It's spice backward.  Kinda bland up front with a heat the kicks in on the back end.  And I never thought I would say this but it needs some more salt (along with other spices).  My son and I both thought this and we added a little salt to it and it got better.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Foghorn said:

So, the Argentine chorizo is basically the opposite of our last batch of Masalawurst - which was "spice forward".

It's spice backward.  Kinda bland up front with a heat the kicks in on the back end.  And I never thought I would say this but it needs some more salt (along with other spices).  My son and I both thought this and we added a little salt to it and it got better.

agreed on the salt but I like a lot of salt and just add later. Also, it's made to eat with Chimi which can have a lot of salt as well.

20stone

pThe Cen-Tex Smoker said:

Foghorn said:

So, the Argentine chorizo is basically the opposite of our last batch of Masalawurst - which was "spice forward".

It's spice backward.  Kinda bland up front with a heat the kicks in on the back end.  And I never thought I would say this but it needs some more salt (along with other spices).  My son and I both thought this and we added a little salt to it and it got better.

agreed on the salt but I like a lot of salt and just add later. Also, it's made to eat with Chimi which can have a lot of salt as well.

Also agreed on the salt. The spreadsheet has been modified accordingly. 

Moleman

20stone, question, I believe in one of these threads it said that the jalapeños was bumped up to 1 per pound but I currently can’t find it. Is my recollection wrong? And if I am correct I assume it’s for the total of the recipe,correct? Tomorrow I’ll be attempting this. Thank you. 

CornfedMA

I’m a huge fan of Hank Shaw’s recipes for all things wild game. I’ve probably made 4 or 5 of the varieties listed in the link below, with the Italian, sage & juniper, and kielbasa varieties all being part of my repeat rotation. Especially the kielbasa. I make it with both venison (or elk) and goose (both snows and canadas). 

https://honest-food.net/cured-meat/fresh-sausages/

20stone

Moleman said:

20stone, question, I believe in one of these threads it said that the jalapeños was bumped up to 1 per pound but I currently can’t find it. Is my recollection wrong? And if I am correct I assume it’s for the total of the recipe,correct? Tomorrow I’ll be attempting this. Thank you. 

That sounds about right.  I attached a PDF of the recipe in my spreadsheet format (note, on the meat portion, we combine lean pork, venison and pork fat to get a 30% fat mix).  You can use the percentages by weight (which is how we do it).

20stone

CornfedMA said:

I’m a huge fan of Hank Shaw’s recipes for all things wild game. I’ve probably made 4 or 5 of the varieties listed in the link below, with the Italian, sage & juniper, and kielbasa varieties all being part of my repeat rotation. Especially the kielbasa. I make it with both venison (or elk) and goose (both snows and canadas). 

https://honest-food.net/cured-meat/fresh-sausages/

Those look great.  Thanks

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Moleman said:

20stone, question, I believe in one of these threads it said that the jalapeños was bumped up to 1 per pound but I currently can’t find it. Is my recollection wrong? And if I am correct I assume it’s for the total of the recipe,correct? Tomorrow I’ll be attempting this. Thank you. 

That is the way we did it. and it turned out nicely.