Making Venison Brats

[Ebiz]

Planning on making venison brats tomorrow night. This will be my first time attempting it and just wondering if you guys have any tips or tricks you can share. I have the Hi Mountain seasoning kit and am planning on using the stuffer attachment with our Kitchenaid mixer/grinder attachment.

As far as a pork to venison ratio - I've been told everything from 50/50 all the way up to 15/85 venison/pork. I know it's a bit of personal preference on the dryness. Looking to have them juicy but still want to be able to taste the venison (otherwise I figure why not just buy Johnsonville's). I've also been told differing things on using milk, cream, ice, etc.

Also, if anyone else uses this same Kitchenaid set-up - how does it work for you? I know that upgrading equipment would make things easier and quicker but I'm only planning on making small batches at this point.

Any help would be greatly appreaciated, thanks!

[Big-Al]

I made my first batch of brats with my Kitchenaid mixer/grinder/stuffer last season. In my opinion the grinder is a piece of dump. The blades are not machined very well and I have seen many cheap grinders do a much better job. I have the Pro 600 model and that powerful motor even has to work with that grinder. The stuffer seems to work just fine.

I used about 1/3 pork and was fairly happy with the results. The recipe I used called for some milk. It was still a tad dry. The pork that I used was not overly fatty.

[DIRTY BIKER]

I personally like the LEM (BACK WOODS) fresh brat better, that calls for 20% pork and they turn out great, forget the water they tell you to add replace it with beer. I only use a stuffer so I don't know anything about the kitchen-aid set up. I just made 15lbs of the Hi Mountain German sausage this weekend and that called for too much pork to veni so we mixed it 50/50 and it turned out great. Mix it up a bit add some onions, fresh jalapenos, crushed red pepper, hot pepper cheese(high temp), wild rice.

[blue_healer_guy]

New at this also, do you smoke them after stuffing or just freeze and grill them?

[Ebiz]

I'm planning on making regular fresh bratwurst (no smoking) and grilling them like regular brats. I agree that the grinder leaves much to be desired (I've used it the past two seasons to grind my regular venison burger) but it works with a little bit of patience. Sounds like 50/50 might be okay - like Dirty Biker mentioned the Hi Mountain directions call for a very high pork to veni ratio. I'm sure this would be juicier but I would still like to be able to tell there's some venison involved.

One other question - when twisting off into links, do you need to tie them off with string or is twisting and cutting enough to keep them together?

[LABS4ME]

When twisting the links, you twist 2 turns clockwise, then the next link 2 turns counter-clockwise, then back to clockwise etc. That way they do not come un-twisted as you turn them out.

I agree with dirty biker... use beer for your moistening agent.

One other thing to ponder... make some brat patties too. I always make up about 5 pounds of brat patties and we use these out ice fishing. You only need to buy one pack of hamburger buns when cooking burgers and brats on the grill. One of my buddies prefer them over link brats.

Good Luck!

Ken

[crawdad]

Generally you would smoke any sausage that contains curing salts (nitrates), recipes that use Tenderquick. Fresh sausages like brats are good grilled like you mention....course you could throw a few chunks of mesquite in for fun on the charcoal.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Ohh Boilerguy.. where are you?.. I got a recipee from him that was fantastic.. he does smoke it however...

I cant believe you guys are knocking the kitchenaid?... I have one as well with the meat grinder and it works awesome!... Did 2 whole deer this fall and fed the meat in as fast as I could and it just shot it out the far side.. perfect... Maybe I just got a good one?

[Hammer Handle]

A few tips:

1) Get and use a sausage stuffer, one with a crank and gears works best. Northern Hydraulics sells one. Grinders can make the brats "mushy".

2) Experiment with adding unground chunks of cheese, onions, hot peppers, etc. Fry a patty and try it before making a ton of it.

3) Use pork casings. Beef casing seem to break more when stuffing.

4) Twist while stuffing. Clock-wise, then counter clock-wise.

5) Make some huge brats (as a joke) for some friends!

6) 15 - 20% pork is plenty. Some of this can be fatty too, but not too much.

[merc]

My buddy has the whole setup, walk in cooler, smoker, grinders, stuffers, everything so we make a lot of differant meats. Personally, I prefer to make into patties instead of putting it in casings and smoking it. Totally differant taste and much easier. We do both but lately mostly just patties. Just my opinion. We do 1/3 venison to 2/3 pork on most of the recipies. He has recipies from a retired buthcer, good stuff.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Quote:

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Ohh Boilerguy.. where are you?..

---

I'm right here my brotha!!!!!

This is kind of a family recipe handed down over the years from Great grandma boilerguy, to grandma boilerguy, to mama boilerguy....and, well, it kind of stopped there. Ya, I smoke em real quick but they are just as flat out stinkin yummy if ya don't smoke em.

The recipe is based of one pound of meat. I like to use Bambi and Porky Pig at a half and half ratio. Some dudes like a little more pork for the fat. It’s your wiener, you can play with ratios as you desire.

1 tsp salt (pickling)

1/2 tsp Onion Salt

1/2 tsp Ground White Pepper

1/2 tsp Marjoram

1/2 tsp Parsley

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1/4 tsp Celery Seed

1/8 tsp Ginger

1/8 tsp Mace

1/8 tsp Cardamon (optional)

2 oz Red Wine

Grind meat, for this grind I like to use a 3/16” plate.

Mix non-meat ingredients in bowl and add to ground meat and mix thoroughly.

Chill in freezer for 30 min, or the amount of time it takes to drink a couple beers.

Mix again and grind through a 1/4" plate.

Stuff into sheep or hog ( I prefer hog )casings and air dry for 30 min or until dry to the touch.

I either put them right into the smoker or freeze so I can smoke a bunch later on. I smoke them hot-300 degrees or so, but only for about a half hour, or a couple of beers.

Freeze for future use. I use a food saver vacuum packer thing to keep the air out.

Boil in a beer with a real beery flavor, and cut up onions (If you like onions). Don’t use the standard Bud or Miller Lite cuz you just don’t get the good flavor. Use a Pabst or Grain Belt or something with a strong beer flavor. Boil until they are nice and plumped up but not exploded.

Invite some friends over, toss some horse shoes, lie about fishing, light the Weber, toss these bad mama wienies on until they are browned, and enjoy!!!!

Important flavor tip- Do not let the wiener split or blow up on the grill. Keep all the beery flavor inside!!!!

[boatfixer]

I've never tried to make brats before and opted out trying this year. but I did grind some up plain. After reading this last post though, Boilerguy, you make it sound like fun. I just might have to try it.(dont worry, Great Grandma Boilerguy's recipe is safe, I won't tell nobody )

[Ebiz]

Thanks to everyone for all of the tips, I did replace the water with beer and twisting as recommended seemed to do the trick. Made some patties but mostly links - won't know the true results until they go on the grill tomorrow night. The Kitchenaid worked pretty smoothly, especially since I was doing it solo. Here's a few pictures:

[john.wells]

Beautiful sausages, Ebiz! This is the post I have been dreaming about, been wanting to do this for years.

Post Script: How can I mark this as a "favorite" link? I have never done that before but I think I need to with this one.-John

[Jim Almquist]

Those look great Ebiz. Let us know how the true test turns out

[Eric Wettschreck]

Sooooooooooooo, when is supper time??????

[LABS4ME]

Looks like you got it down ebiz. Only thing I can see that I'd recommend is to twist off your links as you are stuffing them.

More guys should try to process at least a portion of their venison themselves. It is really quite rewarding and knowing you are eating sausage that you made yourself is a pretty cool feeling. Even just starting out by making some 'bulk' breakfast sausage and brat patties. You can get by with a hand grinder and no stuffer. Increase your equipment as you feel more comfortable and want to try and do more yourself. 4 years ago I did about 25 pounds myself... last year I had 6 guys over and we processed 250 pounds of sausage in half dozen or so recipes! I've added a good grinder, a stuffer, a bulk bagger, patty press, commercial freezer wrap dispenser and a food saver to my repitore. It's a great way to get all the fellas' together one last time at the end of the season.

You can experiment with different recipes and combinations until you get your own recipes. This year we have on the menu: Old fashioned Brats, maple/wild rice breakfast sausage, sage breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, jalepeno/cheddar brats, pizza brats, chili/cheese hot dogs, Swedish potatoe sausage and bacon/cheddar burger.

MMM MMM! Bring on the ice so we can start enjoying our veni sausage!!!

Good Luck!

Ken

[blue_healer_guy]

Boilerguy, ? for you. When you say your recipe is based on 1 lb of meat, does that mean venison? Lets say I have 20lbs of venny, according to your mix I would also have 20lbs of pork for a total of 40lbs. Do I X your ingredients by 20 or 40? Labs, you answered my other ? in twisting the case after each length. Thanks

[Eric Wettschreck]

That would be one pound total meat. Sooooo, if you use 20 lbs venny and 20 lbs porky that would be a total of 40 lbs.

High school calculus was a long time ago but if my Minnesota math serves me correctly, with 40 lbs you would multiply by 40.

[Nate McVey]

Last Saturday myself and 2 buddies ground up 150 lbs. of brats, summer sausage, hot links, jerky and burger. Everything came out really using 2 electric grinders I bought off an "acution" HSOforum. It took us a little longer than expected, but the end result was worth it. This is the first time that any of us processed whole deer, but we will be doing it again next year, unless bow season produces between now and then. Thanks for the tips and pics, I'll be saving them for next time.

[chaffmj]

Ken,

I am going to have to look for the lab shack when I'm up on Red this year. You know how to do it up right!

Ebiz,

Nice looking work there. Let us know how they tasted.

Chaff