Venison Sausage Recipes?

[simonkenton]

For a change I would like to make sausage this year without adding pork or beef fat. Has anybody got a recipe where you can make venison sausage using something else to bind the meat? I have tried making it by just grinding the meat and adding the seasoning. It didn't work well, the patties  fell apart and stuck to the frying pan. It needs something to bind it together.

[John Traveler]

The pioneers used bear fat when they couln't get pork or beef fat.  Since bears are members of the pig family, I dunno what you would gain by that.

I thought about mutton fat, but that gets rancid quickly.  Never heard of it used in sausage either.

How about some of that new magarine substitute, you know, the low calorie/zero calorie stuff?

John

[HWooldridge]

Try cutting way down on the fat.  Grind a pork butt and use 10% or use some rendered lard, 10% by weight.  There are also some vegetable binders on the market that are made from soy.  Try searching the Internet for Allied Kenco.  They are in Houston, Texas and have a lot of expertise in sausage supplies.

[Tracker]

I have always used 10% pork butt.  Add it all my wild game burger.

[tommy4toes]

have you tried using cooked rice ? A venison boudin with maybe some oyster in it sounds kinda interesting.............yeah - add some rice, a little Pace picante sauce and some scallions and put it in a sausage sock

t4t

[Big]

Try mixing it with plain old tube-wrapped Jimmy Dean (or similar) sausage; it's fatty enough to stick other stuff together, and tastes great, too.

[MOGorilla]

You could try shooting a fat deer. Sorry, couldn't help my self.  I would imagine there were ways back in the day, if all you had was deer.  I remember deer fat being much like goat/sheep fat and a bit strong in flavor.  Goat is tasty though.   I think you will have to add some kind of fat to get the binding.

Sorry

[boneguru]

I am interested in trying it myself but haven't gotten around tuit. but have heard duck fat is just the best around. I think it is quite high in calories but the flavor is not to miss, I do like duck so what not to like?

[Oldsnow]

My wifeand I use powdered skim milk 1 cup per 5lbs. of meat.

[jdt48653]

cooked rice and (kent farm style seasoning for pork) makes the best venison sausage,also like the man said 10%pork butt

  this is some of the best sausage seasoning you will find.
 
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  not tring to promote above product!!

[tuck789]

I have a sausage maker magazine from www.sausagemaker.com and they sell a fat replacer that I was going to buy and try. I am not sure if it is to replace the fat and act as the binding unit or just add flavor. May want to call them

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I use bread crumbs whenever I make venison meatballs.

My wife dislikes anything overly greasy so this is a big issue with us.  The bread crumbs work real well as a binder.

I suspect anything starchy, like the bread crumbs, flower, rice, or cornstarch would help.  If you ever make a venison burger on the griddle you will see all the "juice" bleed out and gel when it hits the pan.  The starch must bind this juice and then it gels inside the patty/meatball?  

Also, if you are going to fully cook it, an egg helps a lot.  

And finally, I found that working the meat like bread dough for a while helps.  If you just grab a hunk of ground meat, squish it into a patty then cook it, it falls apart.  If I kneed it for a while I get better results.

[HWooldridge]

About all I make with ground venison is dry smoked sausage.  At one time, I used natural hog casing and made my first batches 50/50 deer to pork.  I kept reducing the pork, then switched to wild hog because it was leaner and finally went to 100% venison in synthetic, edible "buckstick" casings.  These make up about 1 inch in diameter when packed and dry to about 1/2 to 5/8 inch.  I leave them about 2-3 feet long and do not double into the traditional horseshoe shape.  I smoke 3-4 hours, then put them in the oven at 150 for an hour, which activates the cure.  I then hang from the ceiling for 3-4 days depending on humidity (makes the house smell great!).  They are pliable when done but will break if doubled.  I put them in a ziplock bag and freeze then take one out and thaw for a few minutes.  No cooking necessary since this recipe is essentially just processed jerky in a casing but can be crumbled and cooked with eggs, rice, potatoes, etc.  Spices are whatever you like but based on black pepper, garlic and salt.  I add allspice, nutmeg and red chili but not much else.

[Krag2]

I never add any fat to my deer burger.  The only fat that gets in the burger at all is a little from the ribs (I bone everything and the ravens can't find much when I'm done).  The trick to frying burgers or sausage is to cook them rather slow and don't attempt to turn them til they're better than half done.  A well seasoned cast iron frying pan with some oil or bacon grease is good and grilling is best done in a flat basket that you can turn over (sprayed with Pam or similar stuff).

Have a good day, Krag2

[maddmaxx]

We've gotten good results using milk replacer as a binder. Buy it at the feed store, it costs less. Makes the meat stick together better, and won't affect it one way or another if you smoke it.

[jh45gun]

I guess I am just old fashioned. I add a little fat to burger and sausage just because that is the standard way to do it. Fat gives the meat flavor and keeps it from drying out. Even dried sausage has fat in it. ( except for jerky and even that some times has traces) Fat does not work as a binder but for the flavor and moisture properties as said above. Dried Milk, or commercial binders work well for sausage and of course bread or cracker crumbs and egg work good for burger added before cooking. I have tried sausage with out fat and it just does not taste as good. But then I do not like the modern weiners or sausages with chicken or turkey added either they just do not taste good.

[David Parenteau]

I agree with jh45gun!Pork fat has always been an integral part of a good sausage.Sausage made without enough fat just tastes like sawdust to me!
Dave