Having grown up on a small farm, the majority of our subsistence was grown or raised. Smoked sausage was one of the byproducts and table fare on a regular basis.
A tradition during Thanksgiving week was to prepare ham, bacon and sausage links for curing in the smoke house. The sausage links were hung in the smoke house for two weeks of low heat smoke to be completely cured and ready for storage. The sausage required no refrigeration, instead was stored submerged in lard in a metal container or crock to fully preserve them.
As years passed, I had a desire to pass on the tradition and knowledge of sausage making to my children. However, with the availability of the freezer and electric meat grinders and the disappearance of the smoke house, some of the processing steps have changed. Unlike the electric grinders available today, we used a hand meat grinder for preparing and stuffing the sausage. As a substitute for pork, deer is used now.
It has been said that politics and sausage making are alike, both are messy. I don't mind the mess making sausage and it appears politicians don't mind the mess either since there are so many of them.
Begin the process by boning out the deer and trimming off the deer fat as it will lessen the quality of taste over time. Deer meat is very lean and requires added fat for taste and texture enhancement. An acceptable fat for use is either beef fat or bacon ends and pieces mixed to a ratio of 1 part of fat to 6 parts of deer; more or less to individual preference.
Sausage seasoning is then thoroughly mixed into the ground meat using the ratio of ½ cup seasoning to 18 lbs. of meat. This ratio is based on a prepackaged sausage mix that has a stated ratio of 1 lb. package for 50 lbs. of meat. Prior to stuffing the sausage into casings, fry a couple of small samples to verify seasoning amount suits personal taste preference. For lesser amounts of meat, use 1 tablespoon of seasoning per pound of meat or adjust to taste.
Feed the sausage casings on the grinder attachment and begin stuffing. When the desired length is made, twist the sausage a couple of times and proceed to the next link.
When complete, the sausage links are frozen raw in desired size packages. When ready to cook, place on a covered BBQ grill and cook over indirect heat for approximately 40 minutes until fully cooked. Use of your favorite smoke wood while cooking adds the great smoked taste as the special smoke cured sausages but in much less time.
Your smoked deer sausage can be frozen for later use in your favorite dishes such as gumbo or red beans and rice or for breakfast.
More informative articles from H Chelette related to hunting, fishing, gardening, outdoor projects and recipes, visit Outdoor Projects and More at hcoutdoors.com
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