Javelina Sausage

[tjhunt2]

I thought since the archery hunts are about to end, the youth hunts are going on, the up coming ham hunts, and rifle hunts are getting closer that this would be a good time to share with you all how I make my pig sausage. There are many different ways it can be done but this is just my version.

It's been said here many times that the cleaning process is the most important part of getting a good tasting sausage and I couldn't express that enough. I'll go with the pictures so it won't be so boring.

After I skinned out my pig I completely hose it down with a garden hose. I let it hang overnight but not necessary.

 

I pick everypiece I can get of the ribs.

 

I cut into 2" or 3" pieces. I just seem to think it mixes better with the pork that you will cut the same. As I'm cutting I place the cut meat in the frig until I get it all cut up. I then weigh it and go buy some pork that weighs the same. It can be pork butt, picnick, or whatever is on sale and cheap. Cube your pork and keep seperate.

 

You'll find that alot of blood will be standing in each container of pig. I dump all the cut pig into the sink and run water over each handful and drain. Then place the pig back in my mixing bowl. Don't worry about alittle water getting in because you have to add water anyways.

 

Now add your cut pork and mix by hand. Now is the time you add your measured out sausage mix. It's better if someone adds it as you are mixing. After this you need to add some cold water as you mix. I add until the meat is no longer has a sticky feeling. I added about 18 ounces of water to my 32lbs of mixed meat.

 

Run a handful thru twice and fry up some for taste. If you're satisfied then run the rest only thru once.

 

Nothing like smelling sausage cooking while you are making it.

 

You can use freezer bags, paper, or what I use. As you run your sausage back thru the second time run it right in to your bag. Twist the top and seal it with a sealer you can buy at Cabelas, Sportsman, or Basspro.

 

Ready for the freezer.

I bought my seasoning mix from Van Hanson's in Chandler but several places sell it around the valley. I like to use the hot italian sausage mix.

[Pine Donkey]

TJ,

I'm sitting in a ground going munching on stale crackers. That sausage sure looks good.

[Pine Donkey]

TJ,

I'm sitting in a ground going munching on stale crackers. That sausage sure looks good.

[lucky2hunt]

Yummmmmm!

[tjhunt2]

TJ,

I'm sitting in a ground going munching on stale crackers. That sausage sure looks good.

 

Good luck to ya. I have to work but would rather be sitting in a ground blind eating stale crackers.

[tjhunt2]

Yummmmmm!

 

I'll bring some down on the pig hunt.

 

TJ

[azslim]

Here are some recipes to help out TJ, I make my sausage real lean, up to you if you add more fat.

 

 

Chicken & Apple Sausage - I like stuffed, like bratwurst - wife and girls like bulk for breakfast w/pancakes or french toast & syrup. I tried this recipe with mtn lion and it was just okay, is a lot better with birds - chicken, turkey (white meat) or quail. Have used ground turkey from Costco, works great, just add spices and mix. I grind the apples thru a #10 hand crank grinder.

 

1 cup apple cider

31/2 lbs chicken - book says thigh's with skin, but I usually grab breasts, less work and better meat

3 oz dried apples

4 tspns kosher salt

2 tspns freshly ground black pepper

2 tspns dried sage

1/4 tspn ground ginger

1/8 tspn ground cinnamon

1/8 tspn ground nutmeg

1 chicken bullion cube dissolved in 2 tblspns boiling water

 

boil cider down to syrup, about 2 - 3 tblspns, cool & reserve (or use frozen concentrate, easier and quicker because I am lazy). Grind meat with 1/4 plate, mix in spices and liquids and knead together well, then I grind again thru 3/8 inch plate to get good mix. Cook small patty and decide if you want to add anything else.

 

 

 

Hunter Sausage - I like to make hash with this one, mix in potatoes and maybe scramble an egg or 2. Book stuffs and makes links, I have made them and they are good too. Good with deer, elk & javelina.

 

2 lbs pork butt

1 lb smoked bacon - also is good with maple flavored bacon too.

1/2 cup cold water

1 tblspn whole mustard seeds

2 tspns minced garlic

2 tspns coarsely ground black pepper

2 tspns sweet Hungarian paprika

2 tspns dried mustard

1 tspn kosher salt

1 tspn ground coriander

1 tspn freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tspn ground ginger

 

grind meat/bacon together, mix in spices/water and knead together, then grind again. Cook small patty and decide if needs anything.

 

 

Italian Sweet Fennel - is real good in spaghetti sauce. Good with deer, elk, and javelina. I have a baggie of these spices mixed up. If I want quick Italian food I just add a couple spoonfuls of the mix to a lb of burger, makes cheap sauce taste expensive.

 

3 lbs pork butt

3/4 lb pork fat

1/2 cup dry red wine

4 cloves garlic minced

2 tblspns fennel seeds

1 tblspn freshly ground black pepper

4 tspns kosher salt

1 tspn dried oregano

1/8 tspn gound allspice

 

grind meat/fat together, mix in spices/water and knead together, then grind again. Cook small patty and decide if needs anything.

 

 

Venison Sausage - I didn't have any brandy so I used Maker's Mark bourbon, an extra tblspn or 2 wouldn't have hurt either. Good with elk, deer.

 

1 1/2 lbs venison or elk

1 lb pork butt

3/4 lb pork fat

1/2 lb bacon

3 tblspns dry red wine

2 tblspns brandy - (and a shot for the sausage maker)

4 tspns kosher salt

2 tspns coarsely ground black pepper

2 tspns minced juniper berries - I bought a jar, but you can get same thing off of the trees out camping

1 tspn minced garlic

1 tspn minced shallots - I didn't have any, (or know what they were at the time), so used diced green onions.

1 tspn fresh rosemary or 1/2 tspn dried.

 

cut meat, fat, bacon into 2 inch pieces and mix in lg bowl with spices & liquid, marinate overnight. Grind twice, mixing in any juices from the bowl. Cook small patty and decide if needs anything. I only marinated 5 hrs first time I made this, kids came back for seconds so guess it was okay.

 

 

Smoked Country Sausage - makes good biscuit and gravy meat, is wife & girls 2nd favorite behind chicken & apple. Good with deer, elk, mtn lion & javelina. In addition to brown sugar we add in lots of honey. You have to watch the heat when cooking though because it is easy to burn.

 

1 1/2 lbs game meat (nice, clean meat - no wild fat)

1 lb clean pork (I use pork sirloin if possible, not too fatty)

3/4 lb pork back fat (I ask butcher at supermkt to save for me)

1 tblspn brown sugar or how we like it add 3+ tblspns desert honey

1 tblspn kosher salt

1 tblspn paprika

2 tspn red pepper flakes (cut back if not into spicy stuff - like my daughters)

1 tspn ground sage

1 tspn dried tyme

pinch of allspice

1/2 cup cold water (may use little less based on moisture in meat) - is also good to use 1/4+ cup water & couple few tblspns brandy or sweet whiskey - wild turkey, southern comfort, etc. Once again it is some for the meat and some for the maker......

 

grind meat & fat together into bowl, then mix in all spices/water, knead together and then grind again.

 

 

Chorizo - this is what I turn my javelina into, yum, yum. Have used deer & elk too. I have also made this using a 50/50 mix of game and 70/30 hamburger, gives it a different flavor. Different vinegars add different flavors also. I have used white & red rice wine & red raspberry vinegars and been pleased with the results.

 

1 1/2 lbs pork butt - I use 1 lb wild meat & 1/2 lb pork sirloin or other boneless cut

1/2 lb pork fat - I have butcher at our market save for me

1 bunch (4 to 6 oz) fresh cilantro, chopped, about 1 cup – I have used 2 - 3 tblspn dried also

1 fresh serrano or jalapeno or other hot pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup red wine vinegar - I have used red wine, rice wine & red raspberry vinegars, each adds it’s own distinctive flavor.

1 tblspn New Mexico or other dried chile powder

1 tblspn sweet Hungarian paprika

2 tspns kosher salt

1 1/2 tspn whole cumin seeds

1 tspn ground cumin

1/2 tspn coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 tspn ground cayenne pepper

1/4 tspn ground coriander

 

grind meat/fat together, mix in spices/water and knead together, then grind again. Cook small patty and decide if needs anything. If you want to add more bite leave the seeds in the peppers. I keep a bag of all these spices mixed, minus fresh peppers & cilantro, that I use for all my Mexican food. Throw in a couple spoonfuls with a lb of burger and you have taco meat, thin slice a roast or chicken breasts and you have fajita's. I use dried jalapeno's & dried cilantro in my spice baggie.

 

 

Iowa Farm Sausage - Here is a recipe I really like. Have used deer, elk, javelina and mtn lion.

 

2 1/4 lb pork butt or sirloin (I use 1 1/4 lb game and 1 lb pork)

3/4 lb pork fat

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 tblspn kosher salt

2 tspns ground sage

1 tspn dried tyme

1 tspn dried basil

1 tspn red pepper flakes

1 tspn coursely ground black pepper

1 tspn ginger

1/2 tspn minced garlic

1/4 cup water

 

I dice my meat into small chunks, add the spices & liquid and mix good then run through the grinder. Book says to grind first then mix spices in, your choice here, I like double grinds and my way cuts down on handling time. Also, if you can get ground pork I mix 50/50 game to pork, for this recipe I would use 1.5 lbs game to 1.5 lbs ground pork. I grind them together so the meat mixes good, chunk of game and chunk of ground pork with the spices already mixed in.

 

 

Bratwurst - Have made this with elk & javelina, pretty tasty. Only grind once or it comes out like hot dogs, this needs the fat or comes out real dry when cooked. I got my casings from Denmark's, 7712 W. Golden.

 

1.5 lbs game

1.5 lbs fatty pork butt

1 T kosher salt

1 T coursely ground black pepper

1 T coursely ground mustard seed

2 t minced garlic (I like fresh but have used dried also)

2 t sugar

1 t ground mace

1 t dried sage

1/2 t ground nutmeg

1/2 cup water

 

I dice my meat up into 2" chunks, mix in the spices and water and run thru the grinder with the 3/8" plate. This mixes things pretty good, then I may grind again, depends on how well the mix looks. Don't over-grind or the meat comes out like hot dogs. I stuff into hog casings, tie into 4" links then hang them in my meat locker (old refrigerator on the back porch) to let the casings dry.

 

 

Recipes are from the book "Bruce Aidell's Complete Sausage Book" - ISBN # 1-58008-159-2. Published by Ten Speed Press - www.tenspeed.com and available at Barnes & Noble or Border's Books.

 

 

 

I'll also make up some packs of bacon burger, 2 lbs game to 1 lb bacon. Tastes real good grilled up or for making your own cheeseburger macaroni.

 

 

I buy my spices in bulk at Sprout's or you can order them online from Penzey's. The little bottles at the store run $3 to $7 for a couple ounces, scoop into a plastic baggie and I pay about 40 cents an ounce. The Penzey's spices are real fresh. There is a Penzey's in Scottsdale I think, haven't been there tho, Sprout's is only 1/2 mile from my house. Your spices loose some of their flavor as they get older, you can just add a little more when you mix stuff up.

[bonecollector]

Looks good Tj and a lot of work too.

[Elkhunter1]

If you have as much pride in what you make or do it really isn't hard work. It's a labor of love. I usually only make hamburger out of my scraps at 20% beef fat to the lean deer or javi meat. Great for spaghetti or Chile. :D

[Chef]

Great great great posts!

 

Nice job with the photos TJ and AZslim's recipes look very good!

Definitely will be coming back to this thread when I need to try them.

[firstcoueswas80]

I'll take some Xtra hot please