Sausage making...let's hear from the experts.

gitrdun

gitrdun

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Hey folks, I'm just getting ready to do my own sausage. I bought the book, the casings, the pre-packaged spices from CTR in Calgary, I have a Traeger BBQ/Smoker and I'm ready to go. But not before I get some tips from the experience. :) I would like to start with smokies, then move on to pepporini sticks. Any tips???:confused:
 
Here is a good one, especially considering you are out West and this is a good (roots in the Old World) Western recipe:

This is a Polish Wyoming Sausage recipe:

Take 17 pounds of lean, fat-free venison and 17 pounds of lean, fresh pork. Your mixture has to be this half-and-half mixture to be reallly good. (It will be dry without the pork.) Grind up the meaats and mix them together thoroughlly. Mix in 4 oz. of water. Now mix in 1 1/2 oz. of black pepper, one oz. of ginger, 1 1/2 oz. of nutmeg, 1/2 oz. of allspice, 1/2 oz. paprika, 2 level ts. of garlic powdeer, (if you do not like garlic, substitute 4 level ts. of onion powder), 12 oz. of salt and 1/2 pound of dried milk. If you do not want to go to the trouble of making the meat into sausages, simply wrap it in opound packages in aluminum foil and freeze it for safe keeping. To use it ssimply make upp into patties and fry like hamburger or hamburger steak. It is delicious. To make up into ssausages you can do it in ttwo different ways, depending on where you have smoking equipment or ot. Either method is equally good. 1. If you do not have smoking equipment proceed as follows. Mix in 3 level ts. of liquid smoke (Check the instructions on the liquid smoke bottle as the amount necessary to use varies from brand to brand. Herter's French-Canadian Liquid Smoke is best.) Stuff the meat in casings if you have them. Keep the links about 6-8 inches long. If you have no casings, simply make the meat iinto patties. This workds just as well. Smoking is just a baking process. Put what you will use for 2 weeks in your refrigerator. Wrap the balance iin aluminum foil and freeze. 2. If you have smoking equiipment proceed as follows. Stuff the meaat in casing if you have them. Keep the links about 6-8 inches long. Keep the links connected until they are dry. If you do not have casings, make up the meat into patties and place them on metal trays or wiire screen that will go in your smokehousse or smoker. Smoke over a low maple, apple, messquiite or hickory wood fire from 4-6 hours. Keep the fire low at about 120 degrees. This is not hot enough to cause much dripping or shrinking. Remove and put a two week's supply in your refrigerator. Wrap the balance in aluminum foil and freeze at once. To cook, put the patties or sausages in a frying pan and add enough water to cover up 1/3 of the way on them. Put a cover on the fryingpan and boil for 15 minutes. Remove, pourout the water from the frying pan and then put the patties or sausages back into the frying pan and brown them slightly on all sides. Makes wonderful eating. Source: "BULL COOK AND AUTHENTIC HISTORICAL RECIPES AND PRACTICES", BY George Leonard Heerter and Berthe E. Herter, copyright 1969

Cheers...enjoy!
PS Gitrdun, a nice amendment to this recipe is to substitute back bacon, Silverback's suggestion, instead of pork, if you do not mind the extra cash outlay.
 
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I've used homemade recipes but now all we use is the prepackaged stuff from Canada Compound in Winnipeg.
We find that one thing that is nice is to do is grind up all the pork and deer, mix it with the seasonings and and then run it through the grinder again to push it into in the casings. The second grinding makes for a very smooth consistency that I really like. I also really prefer natural casings to the synthetic stuff.

We also have a bradley smoker. Some flavours of sausage are more condusive to smoking than others. I would suggest smoking in small test batches until you decide what you like.

This post is making me hungry...lol
 
From my sausage maker butcher friend, as Toxic suggests, double grind the meat.

His suggestions include;

1) Zero fat on the venison
2) Add pork lard for straight venison sausage, or mix with pork
3) Grind the meat and lard once, then spice and grind again
4) Test fry 3 small lumps of ground and spiced mix before stuffing your cases. You can always adjust the spice or meat content before, but not after.
 
I enjoy non smoked sausages that you cook on the BBq or frying pan. This is a simple recipe for Hot Italian style:

50/50 ground pork and venison

Amounts listed are per 10 lbs of meat

3 oz salt
1 oz black pepper
1/4 oz cayenne pepper
paprika for colour desired ( a good sprinkling will do )

Mix all ingredients very well with a bit of water to make it blend and stuff a bit easier. I just ad a bit at a time as I go till it feels right. Take a bit of time and be sure to mix very well.

I've found that my family likes the simpler recipes like this one rather than the ones using several spices.
 
Try to trim off all the deer fat, I find it makes for a better tasting sausage. Wish I could remember the name of the company I get the spice from, but its herb and garlic, makes awesome sausage. If your gonna use the smoker for the first time, read up on precautions to prevent botulism! hate for you to get sick. Been a very long time since I smoked any, but I think you have to add a cure containing sodium nitrite to the meat. When you hang your sausage in your smoker, make sure the sausages do not touch each other.
 
I wouldn't start trying to make a smoked sausage, they are best to be done by some one with experience.Sort of like telling a beginner shooter to start with a .300 Win Mag.
Stick with a fresh sausage, once you have mastered them, spice blend, fat content, mixing,stuffing. Then you can start to think of branching out into smoked and semi dried sausages
IMHO

For a good sausage you need 20-30% fat, preferably pork
meat mix any mix of meats will work they all add different flavour and textures
The best meat for sausage is pork!
If you add venison remove all the fat from it before grinding
Cut meat into chunks before grinding, seperate the fat from the lean meat ( this will allow you to weigh the fat and the lean to get the right proportions ) There is a lot to making a good sausage, nice texture,juicy and flavourfull.
 
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Originally for moose it works well with deer or elk.

25 lb meat (roughly 3 - 1 gallon pails) 1/2 pork, 1/2 moose
3/4 oz pepper
2 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 heads garlic
1/2 quart water
1/4 oz nutmeg
1/4 oz coriander
3/4 cup curing salt
Mix ground meat and spread out on table. Sprinkle spices evenly over meat. Mix thoroughly, slowly adding water. Refrigerate covered for 3 hours, then "sample" some. Adjust spices if desired. Freeze or case sausage as desired. Sausage can be smoked, but if not it must be cooked completely before consuming!

I use this recipe every year for deer, moose or elk. I usually cut it down to smaller batches and freeze in meal size packs for later. If you do this, use garlic flakes or powder as it will keep better in the freezer than fresh garlic.
 
Thanks very much for all the replies guys. Now, how about those sausage presses. I figured you got an adpater tube for the grinder and stuffed casings right out of the grinder. But I see that Princess Auto has sausage presses, is there an advantage to using one?
 
If you are going to do a lot of sausage you have more control with the stuffers. But for some one starting out you can get by with using a stuffing horn on your grinder. Eventually you will get a stuffer, like every thing you get what you pay for. I prefer metal gears and all stainless . you'll pay only once if you buy quality the first time. So take your time and figure out how deep you want to get into sausage making. Like any hobby there are an endless supply of gadgets you need! LOL.
 
I'm a newbie as well. I would like to try some dry cure recipies, but for now I'm sticking with fresh sausage. No need to use a cure unless you are smoking; however, I do prefer to use it when making brats. A good (UK) based forum may be found here: http://forum.sausagemaking.org/ The Brits seem to like to add "rusk" to most of their fresh sausage recipies. (almost like bread crumbs to retain mositure).
I like working with natual casing much better than collagen. Much more forgiving to fill and twist. Right now I only use a no. 10 stainless hand grider. You would be surprised how much sausage you can get from 10 pounds of meat. I buy cheap pork shoulder cut roast that are on sale at .99% a pound. Fat content seems about right. I try to keep my work area clean as possible and meat temperatures very cold during this process - don't want to make anybody sick. Also, a vacuum food saver machine is nice to have for storing the finished product in your freezer.

Good Luck !
 
Also, a vacuum food saver machine is nice to have for storing the finished product in your freezer.
Click to expand...

I agree with you there, you cannot beat vacuum packed. I am lucky because the guy I make the sausage with has a commercial one, but I also use a small home one made by food saver when I have small amounts of any product to vacuum seal.
 
Well, I was looking at a stuffer at TCR, it's a vertical tube with a presser plate that is driven down by a set of right angle gears. The only problem is that the gears are plastic and the lady said that it shouldn't be used for pepperoni sticks. Then there's the 5lb unit at Princess Auto, no gears, it uses mechanical leverage but retails for $34.00
 
That's the trouble with making the small size snack sticks. You have to force the meat through a small tube to fill the casing. Cheap plastic gears won't last long under that kind of pressure
Pork shoulder are roughly 25% fat and are Ideal for sausage, just remember if you add venison you need to add more fat to keep the content up to at least 20% or your sausage will be too dry.
 
You sausage makers!

Ante up!

Where are you getting supplies from?

Any of the Grocery chains carry Liquid Smoke? Been looking around, and not finding it.

The local meat shop sells casings by the bundle, good for 100 pounds or so of sausage. (Hamels Meats) and pork trim for $1.69/Lb.

I have about 25 pounds or so of lean venison (and some not so lean) on hand, and am chasing down what I might want or need.

The recipes so for look really good. Thanks Brutus! :)

Even been looking at the vac packers...

Cheers
Trev
 
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Pork meat does nothing to make the sausage less dry. You need pork fat if you don't want it to be dry. Never tried Canadian back bacon but it is a bit expensive. I make my own back bacon for about half the price of buying it. You could just add lean pork, the cure and a little brown sugar or maple syrup to get the same taste. Of course don't forget the salt but it should be included in the recipe as you don't want to add any more than that.

I would highly recommend you get a stuffer! If your grinder turns too slow it will likely not push the ground mixture out and especially if there is pork fat in it. If it does push it out you will likely see it in bursts. The stuffer is way nicer to use.

I have used both natural and collagen casings. Don't think twice buy the collagen. The natural come salted so you have to soak and wash them out. If you have a weak stomach you'll probably loose your lunch. Also they are short lengths and often have holes in them. The collagen is still made with natural ingredients and can be used dry. They are in longer lengths and don't have holes in them. They are better all around unless you are going for the classic look.

You shouldn't be using casings for salami sticks. Get one of those jerky guns and use the small round nozzle straight into your dehydrator.

Liquid smoke can be found at most supermarkets. Superstore and usually the Coop usually has it. I thought Safeway and Sobey's had it too. Should be by the bbq sauce.
 
You sausage makers!
Ante up!
Where are you getting supplies from?
Click to expand...

CTR Refrigeration and Food Store Equipment Ltd.
Calgary = 403-444-2877 Edmonton = 780-444-0829

They carry every imaginable butchering tool, but also a selection of pre-mixed jerky and sausage seasonings. I just finished a couple of batches of "pepper" elk jerky in my Traeger. They also have a really awesome deal on Bradley Smokers right now, in fact $50.00 less than on the Bradley website for the black one.
 
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