ISO summer sausage schooling

[Rag Horn]

I want to make some summer sausage and have been researching it online. My lack of experience shakes my confidence in what I am reading. I have 2 topics I need more schooling in before I make the jump and start packing meat in casings. If anyone can direct me to you tube videos or reading material in these areas I would appreciate it. I am always open to any lessons you guys have learned making summer sausage, tips and tricks, favorite recipes or definite things to avoid.

 

 

- high temp cheeses, what kinds are your favorite and where do you buy them.

- Cooking them in the oven. Temps and duration

 

 

Thanks in advance.

[singleshot]

Don't worry about it too much. The fat to meat ratio is pretty critical, but even then it will be a little moister if you use too much fat. I buy my casings from Cabela's, and got one of their seasoning kits the first time. It has a step by step and pink salt for preserving. It will give you the basics to get started. Since then I use my own seasonings, and just wing it. Pink salt can be bought just about anywhere, I never use high temp cheese, just good old medium or stronger cheddar ran through a grater. It won't completely melt. Coarse grind it twice, once just meat and once with all the ingredients. I use about 2/3 bacon ends and pieces and 1/3 pork fat. Dump some jalepeno's in with it. Keep it simple buy canned diced ones. One thing to remember is that it takes quite a bit of seasoning to make a 25 pound batch, so don't be afraid to add a couple pounds of cheese and a bunch of Jalepenos, don't strain them, juice and all.

I smoke mine in an electric smoker. It's easy and convenient. Lay the stuffed tubes on the racks and start them at 120 degrees. Bring the temp up 40 degrees in the next 8 hours or so until they hit 160. Take them out and cool them off immediately in an ice bath. It will be the best you have ever eaten.

Try making your own seasoning, I make my own and I call it "Black" because it go's with everything.

Montreal Steak seasoning, Sweet Mesquite, coarse ground black pepper, cumin, paprika, BBQ seasoning, garlic salt, lawreys salt, red chile flakes, lawreys crushed pepper mix and brown sugar. Mix it in a mixer or by hand, I just dump till I like the taste and put it in canning jars. Its awesome on all meat, and in sausage.

[CatfishKev]

I got the outdoor edge series which was good. Has how to debone in the field, jerky, butchering and sausage dvds.

[Rag Horn]

Don't worry about it too much. The fat to meat ratio is pretty critical, but even then it will be a little moister if you use too much fat. I buy my casings from Cabela's, and got one of their seasoning kits the first time. It has a step by step and pink salt for preserving. It will give you the basics to get started. Since then I use my own seasonings, and just wing it. Pink salt can be bought just about anywhere, I never use high temp cheese, just good old medium or stronger cheddar ran through a grater. It won't completely melt. Coarse grind it twice, once just meat and once with all the ingredients. I use about 2/3 bacon ends and pieces and 1/3 pork fat. Dump some jalepeno's in with it. Keep it simple buy canned diced ones. One thing to remember is that it takes quite a bit of seasoning to make a 25 pound batch, so don't be afraid to add a couple pounds of cheese and a bunch of Jalepenos, don't strain them, juice and all.

I smoke mine in an electric smoker. It's easy and convenient. Lay the stuffed tubes on the racks and start them at 120 degrees. Bring the temp up 40 degrees in the next 8 hours or so until they hit 160. Take them out and cool them off immediately in an ice bath. It will be the best you have ever eaten.

Try making your own seasoning, I make my own and I call it "Black" because it go's with everything.

Montreal Steak seasoning, Sweet Mesquite, coarse ground black pepper, cumin, paprika, BBQ seasoning, garlic salt, lawreys salt, red chile flakes, lawreys crushed pepper mix and brown sugar. Mix it in a mixer or by hand, I just dump till I like the taste and put it in canning jars. Its awesome on all meat, and in sausage.

Thanks for the info. I like the idea of canned diced jalapeños. For this first batch I am not quite ready to wing it. I need more rigid structure or I will end up off the rails. Maybe just like you said a kit is the way to start.

 

I have read a lot about how important the meat/fat ratio is. Some will say the easy way to achieve that ratio is to cut up a pork shoulder roast and use that 50/50 with the game meat And all ground up and mixed will get you your target meat fat ratio.

 

Thoughts?

 

Its also pretty common advise to go right from cooking to the ice bath for immediate cooling but I cannot find an explanation why such a rapid cool down is ideal.

 

Also they say 10% weight for cheese. Does that sound about right? I cannot imagine eating it and thinking man this has too much cheese not sure thats possible.

 

About winging it.... if I have a jerky recipe I like that involves liquids like warchestershire sauce, soy sauce, and liquid smoke can I use that recipe for this summer sausage or are liquid seasonings taboo? Most online stuff is dry seasonings only.

 

Thanks again. Good advice.

[singleshot]

If you use too much fat your casings will shrink as the fat cooks out of the meat. Doesn't hurt anything, just makes the casings kind of wrinkly. Same go's with any liquids that you add. It will enhance the flavor but most of the liquid cooks out of the meat. The last batch I made I used too much bacon fat and the cases shrank and there is a little bit of grease around the outside of the sausage. It turned out really moist though and I will probably deliberately do it again.

The only thing you really have to follow to the letter is the amount of curing salt and cooking times and temperatures, want more cheese add it, worcester dump some in.

The ice bath stops the cooking process, just like resting meat before you slice it.

[azslim]

you can always buy a pork butt and make a couple lbs as a test before using game meat

 

I've made a lot of sausage but haven't tried summer sausage yet, wife prefers all the other types I make. Here are a couple recipes I've picked up over the years.

 

Summer Sausage Recipes

8 lbs. lean elk meat or venison
2 lbs. fat pork trimmings
Mixture
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
10 teaspoons household salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt peter
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 cups rose wine

This recipe is calculated for 10 lbs. of sausage.
Chill meat (38 degrees is perfect). Then grind through a 3/16 in grinder plate. Place in a large plastic, wood, glass, or ceramic tub or crock.
Mix all ingredients by hand to blend spices evenly and chill in cooler for 2-3 days. Stuff into 2 3/4 x 24 in. beef middles.
These are usually available from a butcher. 3 x 28 in. fibrous casing may also be used. Make the sausages abut 1 foot long and then tie them off. Be sure they are not stuffed tightly. After stuffing, hang so they do not touch each other and dry at room temperature for 5 hours.
Transfer the hanger to smoker or smokehouse and smoke at 120 degrees with a heavy smudge for 6-8 hours or until an internal temperature of 145 degrees is reached. Smoking longer (6-8 hours) will flavor the sausage more. When smoking is completed to your satisfaction, remove and shower with tap water until an internal temperature of 120 degrees is reached. Hang at room temperature in a draft free area for 2 days.

Small Batch

2 lbs. ground venison
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 cup water
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons Morton's Tender Quick Meat Cure

Use 2 lbs. ground venison (plain, we never add pork as many do, the natural small amount tallow left on the deer as we skin it is enough moisture). Mix all ingredients and then mix with ground meat. Make into rolls of size you wish. Roll in foil with meat to shiny side. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Place on a rack over a pan to catch drippings. Insert fork through under side of foil to allow drainage as it bakes. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 325 degrees.

Can also add cheese & jalapeno to sausage. Freeze the cheese before crumbling in, makes it crumble easier. Add these just before cooking – don’t grind.

HOMEMADE VENISON SAUSAGE
(If you have more than 25 lb., adjust ingredients accordingly)

25 lb. cubed venison (1 1/2 - 2" chunks)
4 Lbs. Smoked Bacon.
1 1/3 cups Tender Quick
4 Tbsp. Onion Powder
6 Tbsp. Red Pepper Flakes
3 Tbsp. Liquid Smoke
3 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
4 Tbsp. Black Ground Pepper
3 Tbsp Crushed Basil Leaves
1 1/2 Tbsp. Dry Mustard
2 Tsp. ground mace
Mix above spices in separate container, sprinkle over meat a little at a time mixing into meat chunks until all spices are used.
1. Keep meat mixture cool.
2. Let mixture set for at least 24 Hrs.,
then grind at least 3 times.
3. Form into rolls, (1 1/2 lb) 2-3 inches in diameter, 10-12 inches long and wrap rolls tightly with cheese cloth.
4. Bake at 200 degrees for 3 1/2-4 hrs., turning
every 1 hr 45 Min. Take out of the oven and remove the cheese cloth right away while the rolls are hot. The cheese cloth is hard to get off after the meat has cooled. Cool the rolls on a wire rack then refrigerate in a covered container until you can wrap or "seal-a-meal" them for the freezer .

MAKES ABOUT 15-16 1 1/2 lb ROLLS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This venison summer sausage makes use of high-temperature cheese, which is cheese that can withstant temperatures up to 400 degrees F. With a kick of flavor from some jalapeño peppers, this recipe is one you'll want to try right away.

Jalapeño-Cheese Venison Summer Sausage Recipe

3 pounds venison
2 pounds pork
5 tablespoons Morton Tender Quick Curing Salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder (or 5 minced fresh garlic cloves, if you have them)
4 fresh jalapeño peppers
½ pound high-temperature cheddar cheese

Grind together venison and pork. Add curing salt, pepper, mustard seed, marjoram, sugar and garlic powder. Mix together thoroughly with your hands, making sure curing salt and seasonings get evenly dispersed through meat.

Hull jalapeño peppers and remove seeds, then chop into small but not fine chunks. Part of the visual appeal at the end will be in seeing the peppers and cheese in the log of summer sausage. Combine jalapeño peppers and high-temperature cheese (you might have to go to a big-box supplier for the high-temp cheese, unfortunately) with the meat. Mix thoroughly.

Stuff mixture into 2 ½ -inch mahogany collagen casings. Place in refrigerator overnight.

The following day, hang sausages on drying racks and dry at room temperature, or you can dry them in the smoker with the damper open. Leave until casings are dry. Raise temperature of smoker to between 120 and 130°F, add smoke chips (I like apple wood), and smoke for 3 to 4 hours. Raise temperature to 170°, and smoke until internal temperature reaches 165°. As sausages finish up, prepare bucket of ice water in which to immerse summer sausages.

After internal temperature has reached 165°, take sausages out of smoker and immediately immerse in ice water to cool them quickly (it takes around 5 minutes for them to cool sufficiently). This maintains their plump appearance. Once cool, place back in cooled smoker and allow sausages to bloom at room temperature (or comfortable outside temperature) for 1 to 3 hours.

Editor’s Note: Once cut into, sausages will keep longer if refrigerated. You may also freeze them, then thaw and serve as needed. If you get 20-inch casings, they will each hold about 3 pounds of summer sausage, so following this recipe you’ll either have to triple the recipe to stuff five casings, or you’ll end up with one 20-inch log and two-thirds of a second casing.

Read more: http://www.grit.com/departments/venison-summer-sausage-recipe.aspx#ixzz3MyDcxQLR

Sausage Stick Recipe

 

2 level tsp. Prague Powder #1
4 tbsp. paprika
6 tbsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. ground celery
1 tbsp. mace
1 tsp. granulated garlic
3 1/2 ozs. kosher salt
1 1/2 ozs. powdered dextrose
6 ozs. Fermento
10 pounds lean ground beef

The last two ingredients are for fermentation and may be omitted
if you don't want the tang. After you stuff the beef sticks, he
recommends smoking at 90-110 F for 8 hours and letting it go at
this temperature for another 12 if you want the tang to fully
develop. Then you raise the smokehouse temperature until the meat
reaches 145 internally.

If you wish to modify your current recipe for the dehydrator, or
use this one in it (I highly recommend it, I've made it several
times), just follow the temperature guidelines - IOW, keep the
temperature under 110 for 8 to 20 hours, then crank it up to cook
the sausage at the very end. What you've probably been doing is
following the same procedure as for jerky, at 145 until dry, and
have been ending up with jerky in a casing. Beef sticks will not
be as dry as jerky, hence the lower temperature. FWIW, I use the
Prague Powder #1 and make jerky at 120 and it is much more flavorful
than the stuff dried at 145 like most recipes call for. Under 140,
the curing powder is absolutely necessary to prevent the growth of
botulism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pepperoni Sticks

 

• 2 lbs beef chuck (70% lean)

• 1 Tbs. Tender Quick

• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

• 1 tsp. crushed fennel seed

• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp. crushed anise seed

• 1 tsp. black pepper

• 1/4 cup cold water or red wine

Whole Meat Method Cut meat into 1 inch cubes. Place the cubes sprinkle on the seasoning mix. Work the seasoning into the meat cubes. Make sure that all the cubes have seasoning on them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Set up your grinder with a coarse cutter and stuffing horn for 1-1/4 inch natural or collagen casings. Tip: meat that is all most frozen will grind better and make a sausage with more texture.
Mix meat cubes again then grind and stuff.

Make sure to feed lean and fat meat into the grinder evenly. Place sausages on a baking rack and cook slow in a 200 degree oven for 2 hours or until then internal temperature of the sausage reaches 160 degrees. Remove from oven and immediately wrap each link tightly in foil. This will enhance the flavor. Allow to cool then refrigerate for 2 days.

Use cooked sausage within one week or freeze for up to three months.

[mbiewer]

Like Single Shot said,... its pretty intimidating the first go around. I went halvsies on a grinder (and had a stuffer donated to me) with one of my buddies. I was super reluctant to just start with venison and "try it out". after all, its in pretty short supply. Due to the lack of timing, that's what we did though. I was so afraid of screwing up the first batch and wasting deer. But we picked up a couple of different kits. One summer sausage and one snack stick kit. and just started.

 

on the snack sticks, we followed it to the letter, on the ratio sheet inside the package. When we got to summer sausage, we started playing around. We had green chilies and jalapenos when we started the summer sausage.

 

We used the casings in the package. We restocked for next time, but its been awhile. I heard that the benefit of using high temp cheese really isn't worth it. Just get "hard cheese" and its the same, plus it opens up the field for larger variety to have more options. The softer the cheese, the lower the melting point. We use the ratios in the pack for fat content (I think its 20% but don't quote me). Beef carries a flavor but is about .99/# (ask the butcher for scraps). or same thing with straight pork fat. Unless you find a cheap deal on bacon.

 

I have a smoker, but we just made the first batch in the oven, due to time constraints. still turned out pretty delicious.

 

Sausagemaker.com has a large variety of spices. I want to try using a heavy beer (like Guinness) instead of the water required for blending, or adding cheese. Was hoping for more dove or some rabbit to try making our own breakfast sausage.

[yotebuster]

I like to keep it simple. We use the same recipe for everything, country style sausage, summer sausage and snack sticks, just vary the casing and whether or not its pre cooked or not. The smoke and simple flavors is awesome in my opinion. Cheese, peppers, and all the other stuff clutters the flavor if you ask me. The only ingredients in ours is tender quick, black pepper and garlic water (fresh garlic soaked in water). It tastes like hillshire farms or one of those but better. You could expand off of that if you wanted but its a great starting point.

[Roosevelt Mark]

LEM.com

[Speedy]

http://www.eldonsausage.com/

 

Everything you need including books and how to advice is at Eldons. Good guy and great customer service.

 

I've made pretty much everything from wild game but I found making summer sausage is more of an art. It's not that you can't make good sausage using kits, but if you have a favorite butcher get to know him well.