How To Make Deer Summer Sausage: 2 Quick and Easy Ways

Deer meats was not a decent option for the previous years. People consider it “gamey,” thus not appetizing.

Thanks to the advancement of the culinary discipline! There’s already an established way to cook deer meats to satisfy the meticulous taste of people.

Hunters may bring home a decent amount of deer meats. You’ll probably want to try something awesome out of this meats.

If summer sausages caught your attention, this guide would help you know how to make deer summer sausage. This should be exciting for you and your companions!

The Advantages of Using Deer Meat

You may be so thrilled about tasting a wild meat. Eating a wild deer’s meat will not only satisfy your cravings, but it will also enrich your body with great health benefits. In fact, venison, another name for deer meat, grows in popularity among healthy dieters.

The-Advantages-of-Using-Deer-Meat

Because of the deer’s moss diet, venison has lesser cholesterol than turkey and chicken. Its saturated fat content is also very low.

Venison decreases bad cholesterol and, perceptibly, increase of good cholesterol. It has high protein content and low-calorie content. Additionally, it is rich in iron, vitamin B2, B3, B6, and B12.

The vitamins and minerals that you may obtain from venison are overwhelming. But there’s more! If you are at risk of heart attacks and heart strokes, venison will definitely improve your heart’s condition.

Additionally, it will regulate your metabolism, cure digestive disorders, and increase lean skeletal muscle mass which is a great thing if you are a bodybuilder.

With thorough preparation and cooking, venison delivers a delightful taste. This must have been the reason why hunters appreciate venison much. Finally, people nowadays enjoy the taste and health benefits of venison as opposed to the previous years’ disgust.

Why Cook Summer Sausages?

Summer sausages are ideal for a household without outdoor refrigerators. It is also perfect for people seeking foods with long shelf life.

Through the use of curing ingredients, the growth of bacteria and fungus causing spoilage slows down. Though other cooking styles may be used, summer sausages are often smoked or mildly fermented.

You have the option to reheat summer sausages for refined taste. Nevertheless, you can eat summer sausages right away if you are in a hurry.

Preparing Necessary Equipment

Here is a list of equipment you need to prepare that will bring out the best for your deer summer sausage. Other items are optional, yet it will provide convenience.

1. Meat Smoker

If meat smoker is way too expensive for you, roasters serve as the best alternative. However, you will not experience the distinct smell and taste produced through smoking.

2. Meat Grinder

Ensure that your grinder has a coarse plate so that you will achieve the preferred texture for the sausage.

3. Meat Mixer

You can always trust your hand during mixing processes. But if a meat mixer is available at your home, you may use it for convenience and speed.

4. Casings

Casings can be found on the market. You may prefer natural casings or synthetic casings. The diameter of the casing depends on your preference.

5. Sausage Stuffer

If your grinder has an attached stuffer, then you don’t need a separate stuffer. Note that the sausage stuffer is necessary to fit the sausage inside the casing correctly.

6. Meat Thermometer

This will measure the internal temperature of the sausage. Internal temperature matters as it will determine if your meat receives enough temperature for cooking. The internal temperature is noticeably lower than your smoker’s temperature.

How To Make Deer Summer Sausage?

DIY: How To Make Deer Summer Sausage?

It is time for you to choose between two variations of venison summer sausage. The first one has the traditional taste where venison and pork are combined. The second one is an all-deer recipe.

Ingredients for Traditional Deer Summer Sausage

  • 15 lbs coarse ground venison
  • 10 lbs coarse ground pork trimmings (5 lbs fat trimmings, 5 lbs lean trimmings)
  • 2 cups water
  • 5 tsp curing salt
  • 2/3 cup salt
  • ¼ cup mustard seed (whole)
  • ¼ cup coarse ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 3 tbsps garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp marjoram
  • 1 tbsp monosodium glutamate

Ingredients for All-Deer Summer Sausage

  • 5 lbs ground venison
  • 2 tsp curing salt
  • 3 tbsps salt
  • 2 ½ tsp mustard seed
  • 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp celery salt

If you prefer more tender sausages, you may still use the same proportion. Just replace 2 lbs of ground venison with 2 lbs of coarse ground fat pork trimmings, though you’ll not experience an all-deer taste anymore.

Procedure

Note: This procedure applies to both variations of venison summer sausage.

1. Grind the venison meat using a meat grinder. At first, you must grind the meat according to its type. Later on, you may mix different type of meat in the grinder. Ensure that the meat remains cool.

Grind-the-venison

2. After grinding, mix the meat together with the curing salt.

3. Store the meat with curing salt in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days. Within 7 to 10 days, a lot of moisture is expectedly drawn out due to the concentration of the salt.

4. After curing, it is time to gather all the spices and seasonings. Mix these ingredients with the cured meat in a large bowl. Use meat mixer if available.

5. After thorough mixing, stuff the meat into the cases you’ve prepared.

6. If you’re done with stuffing, you are now prepared to smoke your deer summer sausage. Insert the meat thermometer into the meat’s thickest part. Smoke at 140°F for 2 hours. Then increase to 160°F for the next 2 hours. Increase the temperature for the next hours until the meat thermometer hits 155°F.

smoke-deer-summer-sausage

7. When smoking is done, rinse the sausage in cold water. This will end the cooking of meat. When the sausage is already dry, you may eat it right away or store it.

Conclusion

Summer sausages are designed for long-time storage. So you may have an ample food supply for the next days, weeks, or months.

This healthy meal may change the way you think about deer meats. You must not be disgusted with deer meats if it was prepared and processed properly. If you haven’t tried deer meats, this is the best time for you to experience the taste and smell of a wild meat!