Venison Summer Sausage Recipe

Venison: A lean game meat that provides a unique, rich flavor to the sausage.

Pork fat: Adds moisture and richness, balancing the leanness of the venison.

Salt: Enhances the overall flavor and helps in the curing process.

Cracked black pepper: Adds a bit of heat and a robust, earthy flavor.

Garlic powder: Provides a savory, aromatic element to the sausage.

Mustard seed: Adds a subtle tang and texture to the sausage.

Cure #1: A curing salt that helps preserve the sausage and gives it a distinctive pink color.

Ice water: Helps in mixing the ingredients thoroughly and keeps the mixture cold during preparation.

When grinding the venison and pork fat together, ensure that both meats are extremely cold, almost partially frozen. This helps in achieving a finer grind and prevents the fat from smearing, which can affect the texture of the sausage. Additionally, use a coarse grind first, then regrind with a finer plate for a more uniform mixture.

• ground venison - Substitute with ground beef: Ground beef provides a similar texture and flavor profile, making it a suitable substitute for venison in sausage recipes.

• ground pork fat - Substitute with ground pork shoulder: Ground pork shoulder contains a good amount of fat and can replace pork fat while maintaining the necessary moisture and richness.

• salt - Substitute with kosher salt: Kosher salt has a similar flavor and can be used in the same quantity as regular salt.

• cracked black pepper - Substitute with white pepper: White pepper offers a slightly different but still robust flavor, making it a good alternative to black pepper.

• garlic powder - Substitute with onion powder: Onion powder provides a different but complementary flavor to garlic, adding depth to the sausage.

• mustard seed - Substitute with celery seed: Celery seed offers a similar texture and a slightly different but still savory flavor, making it a suitable replacement for mustard seed.

• cure #1 - Substitute with celery juice powder: Celery juice powder is a natural curing agent that can replace cure #1, providing similar preservation qualities.

• ice water - Substitute with chilled broth: Chilled broth can add additional flavor while maintaining the necessary moisture content in the sausage mixture.

• Allow the venison summer sausage to cool completely after smoking. This helps to prevent condensation inside the packaging, which can lead to spoilage.

• Wrap each sausage tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This ensures that the sausage remains airtight and protected from freezer burn.

• Place the wrapped sausages in a resealable freezer bag or vacuum-sealed bag. Removing as much air as possible will help maintain the sausage's quality.

• Label each package with the date of preparation. This helps you keep track of how long the sausage has been stored and ensures you use the oldest ones first.

• Store the sausages in the coldest part of your freezer, ideally at 0°F or lower. This will keep the venison summer sausage in optimal condition for up to 6 months.

• For short-term storage, refrigerate the sausages. They can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Ensure they are wrapped tightly to prevent them from drying out.

• When ready to use, thaw the sausages in the refrigerator. This slow thawing process helps maintain the texture and flavor of the sausage.

• Once thawed, consume the venison summer sausage within a week. This ensures the best taste and safety.

• If you plan to use the sausage in recipes, slice or dice it while still slightly frozen. This makes it easier to handle and ensures even pieces for your dishes.

• Avoid refreezing thawed venison summer sausage. This can compromise the texture and flavor, making it less enjoyable to eat.

• Stovetop Sizzle: Slice the venison summer sausage into thin rounds. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add a splash of olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sausage slices and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until they are heated through and slightly crispy.

• Oven Warm-Up: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the whole sausage or slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with aluminum foil to prevent drying out. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the sausage is warmed through.

• Microwave Quick Fix: Place slices of the venison summer sausage on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a damp paper towel to retain moisture. Microwave on medium power for 1-2 minutes, checking halfway through to ensure even heating.

• Grill Reheat: Preheat your grill to medium heat. Place the sausage slices directly on the grill grates. Grill for about 1-2 minutes per side, just until they are heated through and have those beautiful grill marks.

• Sous Vide Perfection: Seal the venison summer sausage in a vacuum bag or a resealable plastic bag using the water displacement method. Heat a pot of water to 140°F using a sous vide precision cooker. Submerge the bag in the water bath and let it heat for about 30 minutes. This method ensures the sausage remains juicy and flavorful.

• Air Fryer Crisp: Preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Place the sausage slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Heat for 3-5 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through to ensure even heating and a slight crisp on the edges.

• Meat grinder: Essential for grinding the venison and pork fat together to achieve a consistent texture.

• Mixing bowl: Used to combine the ground meat with the spices, cure, and ice water.

• Measuring spoons: Necessary for accurately measuring out the salt, pepper, garlic powder, mustard seed, and cure #1.

• Ice water: Helps to keep the meat mixture cold and aids in the mixing process.

• Sausage stuffer: Used to stuff the meat mixture into sausage casings evenly and efficiently.

• Sausage casings: Holds the sausage mixture in shape during smoking and cooking.

• Smoker: Provides the controlled heat and smoke needed to cook and flavor the sausages.

• Thermometer: Ensures the smoker is maintained at the correct temperature of 180°F.

• Cooling rack: Allows the sausages to cool evenly after smoking.

• Knife: Used for slicing the sausages once they have cooled.

• Cutting board: Provides a stable surface for slicing the sausages.

Prepare ingredients in advance: Measure and mix all spices and cure the night before to streamline the process.

Use a meat grinder: Grinding venison and pork fat together ensures a consistent texture and saves time.

Chill the meat: Keep the meat mixture cold to make it easier to handle and stuff into sausage casings.

Invest in a sausage stuffer: A dedicated sausage stuffer speeds up the stuffing process and ensures even filling.

Batch smoking: Smoke multiple sausages at once to maximize efficiency and reduce overall cooking time.