Pheasant Sausages
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
1 hr 30 mins
-
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
-
Servings
16 servings
-
Calories
365 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
American
Pheasant Sausages
Description
This sausage recipe calls for chilling the pheasant meat before grinding to ensure firm texture and retain moisture. The meat is mixed with pork fat and salt, ideally allowed to rest to develop binding. Spices are split so some remain whole for added texture and flavor bursts. The mixture is ground twice with different grinder plates, coarse then fine, to achieve a well-integrated but not overly uniform sausage filling. Lemon zest and madeira wine add subtle citrus and depth.
The seasoning blend delivers a balanced aroma with herbal notes from oregano and a mild anise flavor from fennel seed. Fresh minced garlic complements the spices, yielding a flavorful sausage filling that can be stuffed into hog casings. Chilling throughout the process helps the sausage maintain structure and freshness.
This recipe makes about 4 pounds of pheasant sausage. If freezing, it is advised to chill the formed sausages for a day before freezing to firm up their shape and texture, helping them hold their form during storage and cooking.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds pheasant meat or use turkey or chicken
- 3/4 pound pork fat
- 34 grams kosher salt about 2 tablespoons
- 1/4 cup oregano fresh, chopped
- 10 grams black pepper about a tablespoon, cracked
- 5 cloves garlic minced, fresh
- 10 grams fennel seed about 1 tablespoon
- lemon grated zest
- 1/2 cup madeira wine or white Port, or Marsala
Instructions
- Chill the meat until it is almost frozen by putting it in the freezer for an hour or so. Take out some hog casings and set in a bowl of very warm water.
- Chop meat and fat into chunks that will fit into your grinder. Mix in the salt, and, ideally, let this set in the fridge overnight; this helps the bind. You can skip this step if you are in a hurry, though.
- When you are ready to grind, take out half the fennel seeds and half the cracked black pepper. You'll want to add them right before you do that final mix. This keeps some spices whole, altering the sausage's texture, making eating it more interesting. Combine the other half of the fennel and pepper, garlic and herbs with the meat, mix well with your hands and grind through your meat grinder using the coarse die, about 6.5 mm. If your room is warmer than 70°F, set the bowl for the ground meat into another bowl of ice to keep it cold.
- Chill the meat for another 30 minutes, then grind half of it through the fine die. Why bother? Because there will be a lot of stray silverskin in an old bird. Grinding to a finer level will make eating the sausage easier without getting any gristly bits. You can skip this if all you are using are breasts.
- Add the wine and lemon zest, then mix thoroughly either using a Kitchenaid on low for 60 to 90 seconds or with your (very clean) hands. This is important to get the sausage to bind properly. Once it is mixed well, put it back in the fridge.
- Stuff the sausage into the casings. Fill whole casings first. Then twist off links by pinching the casing down and twisting it; you want it to be about 5 to 6 inches long. Twist first away from you, then towards you. This helps the links stay tight. Or you could tie them off with butcher's string. (This video shows how I make links.)
- Use a needle to pierce the skin where there are any air bubbles. Gently twist-tighten the link to remove any air pockets. Hang the sausages in the kitchen for an hour, or up to overnight if you have a place to hang them in refrigeration. Once the sausages have dried a bit, put in the fridge until needed. They will keep for a week in the fridge.
Notes
- This recipe yields approximately 4 pounds of sausages.
- Chilling the sausages for a day before freezing improves their shape and texture after thawing.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 16servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 365 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 365kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 3g | 1% |
| Protein | 20g | 40% |
| Fat | 29g | 45% |
| Saturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Cholesterol | 81mg | 27% |
| Sodium | 859mg | 36% |
| Potassium | 247mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 168IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 35mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
