Mooreton Deer Sausage Food

DEER (VENISON) SAUSAGE

Steps:

• In a large bowl thoroughly combine all ingredients, and roll into a log.
• Refrigerate at least 24 hours before use. Good for 5-6 days when refrigerated.
• Sausage can also be frozen and will be good for 3-4 months. Once thawed, refrigerate and use within 2-3 days.

VENISON SAUSAGES WITH BAY AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Chop meat and fat into chunks that will for into your grinder. (Optional expert step: Mix the salt and curing salt - if using - with just the meat, grind very coarsely -- 10 mm or 12 mm plate -- and refrigerate overnight. If you don't have such a large plate, cut the meat a little finer and do the same thing. This will give you a tighter bind in the finished sausage, which is especially important, as this is a coarsely ground sausage.)
• Take out some hog casings and set in a bowl of warm water.
• When you are ready to grind, mix the meat and fat with all the herbs and spices. If you are using the dry milk powder, mix that in, too. I use it when I slow-smoke sausages; it helps them retain moisture and shrink less after they come out of the smoker. Make sure the meat and fat are 37°F or colder by putting the mixture in the freezer for an hour or so. Put the wine in the fridge.
• Grind through your meat grinder (you can use a food processor in a pinch, but you will not get a very good texture) using the coarse die (6 mm or 7 mm).
• Make sure your sausage is very cold, between 28°F and 32°F. When it's cold enough, take it out of the freezer and add the wine and water. Mix the sausage thoroughly either using a Kitchenaid on low for 60 to 90 seconds or with your (very clean) hands for 2 minutes. This is important to get the sausage to bind properly.
• Stuff the sausage into the casings. Twist off links by pinching the sausage down and twisting and spinning it, first in one direction, and then with the next link, in the other direction; this helps prevent them from unwinding. (Here's a quick video on making the links) Or you could tie them off with butcher's string. Make sure you pierce the links wherever there are air pockets; I use a needle sterilized in the flames of my stovetop. Gently squeeze the links to remove all air pockets.
• Hang the sausages in a cool place for up to a day (ideally hanging in a fridge, but even an hour at room temperature helps a lot). Once they have dried a bit, put in the fridge until needed. They will keep for at least a week refrigerated. If you are freezing the sausages, wait a day before doing so. This will tighten up the sausages and help them keep their shape in the deep-freeze.

MOORETON DEER SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Place 50/50 mixture onto grinder , sprinkle seasonings on meat, add slowly 2 cups of cold water and mix seasonings through meat evenly. Perform 1st grind, add water as needed to incorporate seasonings. Grind a second time with medium blade.
• Stuff into pork casings and smoke.

HAMBURGER SAUSAGE

Steps:

• 1st day: Mix all ingredients into a large bowl and refrigerate.
• 2nd day: Mix (Can be cooked on this day).
• 3rd day: Mix.
• 4th day: Form into logs and bake in oven at 140-150 F for 8 hours, 4 hours per side.