VENISON SAUSAGE FOR THE ADVENTUROUS SOUL

[reinhard1]

thanks Ken. you are correct as usual. i do smoke mine at a higher temp. but thats just me. your temp is fine also. for smoked sausage i use prague powder or instacure #1[the pink stuff]. also a cure, just higher in nitrates so less is required.

here is one i have used if making from scratch. i have also used a pre-mixed one from a local supplier that is awesome.

Homemade Kielbasa smoked

5 lbs pork butt [or you can use 3 lbs butt and 2 lbs venison]

2 tbls whole mustard seed

1 tbls salt

1 tbls marjoram

1 tbls black pepper

12 to 15 cloves of crushed fresh garlic [i go on the more side]

1 level tsp of #1 instacure

1 cup dried powdered milk

1 cup ice water

hog casings

the first thing i do is put the crushed garlic in the one cup cold water. this will blend the garlic flavor with the water. also put the cure in the water and mix well.

grind the meat through a course plate. then put all remaining ingrediants in with the meat. mix the mixure well with hands. then grind once more with the medium plate. cover with plasic wrap and let sit overnight in the fridge to let flavors blend and cure set.

always take your hog casings and rinse them in cold water. then put one end up to the kitchen faucet and run some cold water through. then put the casings back in the water and leave in the fridge overnight as well. this will soften up the casings to make it easier to stuff.

the next day stuff the sausage in the casings. before you link them puncture the casings lightly so excess air comes out making it easier to link up and so that the casings dont burst when smoking or baking.

set the smoker at 190 to 200 deg. put a meat thermometer in one link lenghtwise [like i did in the pictures above]. when the internal temp gets to be 160 take the links out and give them a cold bath right away. i fill the sink up with cold water. should only take about 5 to 10 minutes. then i set them back on the metal rack to dry for a few minutes and then wrap.

if you dont want to bake or smoke them and make them for fresh use, dont use the cure but use the rest of the ingrediants. for fresh just wrap the links after stuffing and freeze. good luck.

[Dark Cloud]

The reason I asked... A co-worker made some smoked kielbasi recently that was awesome. He just used regular salt, not cure...

Makes sence though to use the cure for slow cook times...

I have been poking around at smokers. Probably gonna build one instead of buying one for the same price that will be on the small side... Think im going to build one like Riich posted on here...

[reinhard1]

when making fresh sausage you dont need a cure. when smoking you need a cure. good luck on that smoker. it can be addicting . good luck.

[Dark Cloud]

when making fresh sausage you dont need a cure. when smoking you need a cure. good luck on that smoker. it can be addicting . good luck.

Im sorry, I question everything.

Sounds like a cure is a needed if your slow smokin to stop bacteria growth...

But if a guy wanted to "cook" the sausage with some smoke going, it would not be needed...

[reinhard1]

yes, cooking sausage with smoke going is great. for example, the fresh Brats you buy say "Johnsonville" and made a lot by simmering them in beer and onions till cooked and then giving them the old grill marks on the grill. or just putting them on the grill in indirect heat while turning occationaly until done.

even smoked brats or polish are cooked by simmering in water or finished off on the grill. even though smoked polish for example is cured and smoked and come to a internal temp of 160 deg you should still cook them some before eating. you can ask me anything for i know everything, . after all i'm German. good luck.

[KEN W]

Good advice Reinhart.1 thing.....the cure will turn the sausage grey before you smoke it.This is normal.It's not spoiled.It will turn red after the heat from the smoker gets it to a certain temp.

To me.....Polish should be smoked and Brats not smoked to have the traditional taste.Not smoked.....no cure.

[reinhard1]

you are right. smoked brats just dont taste like the brats we love to make traditionaly with the beer and onions simmering and then on the grill. smoked polish or kielbasa is different. the stuff in the stores is terrible in my opinion. where the heck is the flavor and the garlic?

one thing i would say though, that fresh polish to me is better than fresh brats. fresh polish also taste different than smoked polish but both are flavorfull. try fresh polish and prepare them like you do the fresh brats. homemade brats are better than store bought also. much more quality control and flavor. good luck.

[Dark Cloud]

Most all the local stores sell fresh and smoked Kielbasa. I like both about equally. There is a store about an hour from us where my aunt lives that makes a turkey kielbasa(smoked) that is awesome! Just right on the fat, smoke, garlic, salt, and pepper. Once in a while they sell them, buy one get one free. My aunt will grab us 10 rings and give us a call.

If anyone has a store or makes thier own fresh that they like - get some not in casings and make burger patties. We do this with a batch of venison/pork each year...

The "name brand" stuff in stores is garbage, way too much fat, and the flavor is way off...

[KEN W]

I agree on the store bought stuff.....although Johnsonville Brats are good.I always buy my sausage at a store that makes it themselves.Fortunately the store I work at make excellent sausage.

[reinhard1]

Making A Good Hot Dog At Home

i've been looking around for something that looks like it would be tasty and not full of the junk in comercial dogs you buy at the store. here is one that i will try that fits that catagory. i like the spices in this recipe. i will use natural sheep casings for this. this recipe calls for beef and pork but venison sure can be used instead of beef. if this recipe works out i will make a larger amount and use venison this fall.

2 lbs lean beef chuck and 3 lbs pork butt

1 T onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder [i will be using the minced garlic in jars, probably a heaping tablespoon]

1 T paprika

1 T kosher salt

1 T ground mace

1 T ground white pepper [can sub black]

1 T sugar

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp ground celery seed

1/2 tsp ground dried marjoram

1 cup non-fat dried milk powder [important]

2 egg whites

1 tsp #1 cure [instacure, the pink stuff]

1 cup ice water [i will be using cold beer]

there are some that emulsify the meat. i just cant stand that. just my personal way of judging a good hot dog. that would be the same as eating a skinnless wiener and i dont buy those.

grind the meat once through the course plate. put the cure in the ice water with the egg whites and mix well. add all remaining ingrediants into the meat and add the ice water and mix everything well. then grind one more time through with fine plate. i let it sit overnight so the cure and seasonings blend well with the meat.

the next day i will stuff it in sheep casings, having soaked and rinsed them until they are soft and ready to go. i will smoke them and 225 until the internal temp is around 155. using chips the first hour only. probably use hickory chips with these.

once they reached their internal temp i will take them out right away and give them a cold bath in ice water. this is important. then once they cool down i hang them to dry and then wrap and freeze them. good luck.

[Jim Almquist]

I like the sounds of this recipe! I can't wait to see what you think of the recipe. Most of the dog recipes seem sorta bland to me. My favorite store brand is the Ambassador old fashion all beef skin on. Great flavor even if you just boil them up.

[reinhard1]

i actualy worked for Ambassador Sausage Co. way back in the early 70's. it has since been sold to i cant remember who. they are the best dogs in my opinion also. natural casings is the way to go. they used to have the best ring bologna. i dont see it anywhere now. i want to get my grand kids used to real hot dogs. it may be some time . but in the end it will work out just fine.

i just think kids are so used to the skinless brands, and are just not used to natural casings. i understand that and hopefully it will be the taste that will win them over. i'll let everyone know my honest opinion of the end result. dont realy like messing with sheep casings but i'll soak them for a full day and they should be fine. good luck.

[Jim Almquist]

A girl friends mom used to work there and that is how I got hooked on them. She would always have them for use to eat at there cabin. We would fry them up for breakfast and roast them at the fire at night. The only place I see them is at Sam's in the 5 pound pack.

[reinhard1]

the cub store's here have them in the old fashion and regular. i dont see much ring bologna around anymore. i think the smoked sausage rings kind of took their place. the ring bologna they had was called A bologna. they didn't have many employees back then so i got to know most of them, including the owner Ethel and her daughter Shirley. i only worked there one year. i ran a vacume mashine that sealed the wiener pacs and the rest. i was the only male in the packing room.

good luck.

[Jim Almquist]

My girl friends mom I believed worked in there as well. Her last name would have been Berg. Can't remember her first name right now. Her husbands name was Les or Lester and he work at the Redi Mix plant in Brooklyn Park.

[reinhard1]

if she worked there in the early 70's i probably knew her, but it was a long time ago and i would only have known them by their first name. that's the place i started in the meat buisness. from there i went on to work for a small meat market, then that place sold, and i went on my own for 5 years, then on to cub foods for the remainder of my time in the meat buisness. little over 35 years in all. was one heck of a ride. good luck.

[KEN W]

You guys are right about Ambassador hot dogs.My extended family won't eat any other hot dog.They are rather expensive but worth it.

I've tried making many hot dog recipes,but can't get that Ambassador taste.

The best ones are the all beef hot dogs.Have to buy a couple 2 lb bags on the summer holidays at Walmart when they are on sale.

[reinhard1]

well here are the outcomes of my hot dog project. originaly i was going to use sheep casings so they are "hot dog size". had them ready to go but it turned out that i did not have a stuffing tube small enough to use them. so i went with hog casings and they now are called franks . the flavor is great and i think i will be doing this again. i am looking for a tube to handle smaller casings. i think my grandkids would like that. but the adults liked it the way it was. that is 5 pounds right there before smoking and after. good luck.

[reinhard1]

in my last post as you can see the hot dog recipe turned out great. wonderfull flavor. i smoked them. now here is part of a 5 pound batch of fresh polish i made. i always add more garlic than called for. i simmered them in beer,onions and garlic and then they went on the grill. i make more fresh polish than brats because in my opinion it has far better flavor. good luck.

[KEN W]

Reinhart.....I also use the exact same recipe for hot dogs.Mine have been somewhat incinsistant though.The last batch tasted good,but was to dry.Do yours have that juicy snap to them when you bite into it?

[reinhard1]

what happened to my batch is that i didn't have a tube small enough for sheep casings so i had to use hog casings since i had everything ready to go. i added more milk powder because i thought i had more fat than i wanted. maby you had too lean of a mix. mine was not what i wanted since i thought i had lean pork butt trim froze but i picked a more fattier one i had froze. but after it thawed i went with it. the flavor was great i thought. i think this recipe originated from the Dakota's so i'm not surprised you have the same.

i do tweak mine. i dont use garlic powder. i use garlic from the jar that's minced. probably more than called for as usual. i also forgot to put in the egg whites. i'll put them in next time. i realy like the flavor. looking for a small tube now for sheep casings. the grand kids like the flavor but are not used to the larger size yet.

i think it's important to fill the casings properly and give the links a ice bath right away after taking them out of the smoker. that makes a real difference to getting that snap. so the bigger links had somewhat of a snap but i want to see how it works out with sheep casings although they are a pain in the arse at times. good luck.

[KEN W]

OK....I'll be sure to ice bath them when taking them out of the smoker.How much wood do you use and for how long?Don't want to over-smoke them.I'll probably be making them tomorrow.Wil;l be using large sheep casings

I am using 2 lbs of goose breast and 3 lbs of beef.The goose breast is all lean so I will look for 70/30 mix of meat and fat.

I'm also making 10 lbs of pepperoni sticks,7 lbs of jerky,8 slabs of ribs and a smoker full of fish during the next 4 days.All my kids will be here next week.

[reinhard1]

i'm using cherry chips [ya i know hickory is standard but i realy like the cherry]. i only smoke the first half of the cooking cycle. the ice bath is very important otherwise you end up with shrivled sausages. the dry milk also adds as a filler which keeps the links nice and plump looking. [that i know you know, but maby someone here reading this who has not made sausage might find that usefull].

the place i used to get my links at closed down. the sheep casings i get at the grocery store in the small pacs are way too small. so i'm looking for the right size. looks like you have a busy time ahead. good luck.

[KEN W]

All my sausages turn out good.Just having a problem with hot dogs being to dry.I use 24-26 mm sheep casing from Sausagemaker.com.Also use them for pepperoni sticks.

Ribs are in the smoker now.I also have been using cherry wood from a cabinet maker.

[reinhard1]

thanks for the info on the casings and the size. i had the dry issue happen to me when i made some wild rice brats. was not happy with the texture. it was totaly my fault. i used the proper amount of dried powdered milk but i did not account for some of the moisture the wild rice soaked up even though it was cooked. should have used less wild rice. i had a 16 oz bag of the wild rice which i thought was the 12 oz i usualy use for 25 pounds. didn't realize it until i mixed everything up, so i went with it. always learning i guess. good luck.