Venison Sausages with Bay and Garlic
User Reviews
4.8
51 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
1 hr
-
Total Time
1 hr
-
Servings
20 links
-
Calories
134 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
American
Venison Sausages with Bay and Garlic
Report
This is a basic country style venison sausage. Use it as a master to play with. Vary anything you like, but pay attention to salt. Even a little difference in salt is noticeable.
Share:
Ingredients
- 3 pounds venison
- 2 pounds fatty pork shoulder or belly
- 34 grams Salt, about 2 rounded tablespoons
- 4 grams Instacure No. 1 (optional)
- About 10 bay leaves, ground to a powder
- 6 to 8 cloves minced fresh garlic, about 2 tablespoons
- 10 grams ground black pepper, about 2 teaspoons
- 3 grams celery seed, about 1/2 teaspoon
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1/4 cup ice water
- 20 grams dry milk powder (optional)
- Hog casings about 12 to 15 feet
Add to Shopping List
Instructions
- Chop meat and fat into chunks that will for into your grinder. (Optional expert step: Mix the salt and curing salt - if using - with just the meat, grind very coarsely -- 10 mm or 12 mm plate -- and refrigerate overnight. If you don't have such a large plate, cut the meat a little finer and do the same thing. This will give you a tighter bind in the finished sausage, which is especially important, as this is a coarsely ground sausage.)
- Take out some hog casings and set in a bowl of warm water.
- When you are ready to grind, mix the meat and fat with all the herbs and spices. If you are using the dry milk powder, mix that in, too. I use it when I slow-smoke sausages; it helps them retain moisture and shrink less after they come out of the smoker. Make sure the meat and fat are 37°F or colder by putting the mixture in the freezer for an hour or so. Put the wine in the fridge.
- Grind through your meat grinder (you can use a food processor in a pinch, but you will not get a very good texture) using the coarse die (6 mm or 7 mm).
- Make sure your sausage is very cold, between 28°F and 32°F. When it's cold enough, take it out of the freezer and add the wine and water. Mix the sausage thoroughly either using a Kitchenaid on low for 60 to 90 seconds or with your (very clean) hands for 2 minutes. This is important to get the sausage to bind properly.
- Stuff the sausage into the casings. Twist off links by pinching the sausage down and twisting and spinning it, first in one direction, and then with the next link, in the other direction; this helps prevent them from unwinding. (Here's a quick video on making the links) Or you could tie them off with butcher’s string. Make sure you pierce the links wherever there are air pockets; I use a needle sterilized in the flames of my stovetop. Gently squeeze the links to remove all air pockets.
- Hang the sausages in a cool place for up to a day (ideally hanging in a fridge, but even an hour at room temperature helps a lot). Once they have dried a bit, put in the fridge until needed. They will keep for at least a week refrigerated. If you are freezing the sausages, wait a day before doing so. This will tighten up the sausages and help them keep their shape in the deep-freeze.
Notes
- Pro Tip: Use carrot fiber in place of the dry milk to help retain moisture. You will only need a teaspoonful for this batch.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
134kcal
(7%)
Carbohydrates
2g
(1%)
Protein
22g
(44%)
Fat
4g
(6%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Cholesterol
77mg
(26%)
Sodium
721mg
(30%)
Potassium
350mg
(10%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
1g
(2%)
Vitamin A
25IU
(1%)
Vitamin C
0.9mg
(1%)
Calcium
29mg
(3%)
Iron
2.8mg
(16%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 20links
Amount Per Serving
Calories 134 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 134kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 2g | 1% |
| Protein | 22g | 44% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 77mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 721mg | 30% |
| Potassium | 350mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 25IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 0.9mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 29mg | 3% |
| Iron | 2.8mg | 16% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
51 reviews
Excellent
Other Recipes
You'll Also Love
