I am planning on using up some of my ground venison to make meat sticks, something similar to slim jims. Anybody done this who wouldn't mind sharing their method or experience? Thanks.
Welcome MarcoPolo,
Try Jaeger's Beef Sticks and substitue your venison for the ground meat. You may want to use a little blend if the venison is too strong a flavor.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?t=120
There are lots of other recipes on that site as well.
I have seasoning that I got from Sausage Maker and all. I was just wondering what people's experience was with the smoking or cooking part and how much time it took, etc. What they might have added as far as flavoring and such. Do I need to add a little pork to get a little fat. Sometimes you can learn more from people who actuallly did it than from written directions. Thanks. I'll check out that website.
I use half pork half venison in mine. The smoking part is easy. I set my box at about 130 for 1-2 hours till the sticks are dry and then raise the temp to 150 with smoke on (about 4 pucks) and then raise the temp to around 165-170 until the internal temp is 150. Doesn't take long with small sticks. As far as the spices I have been using one from curley's sausage kitchen. They turn out great and I will post pics next time I make a batch....just got to get a deer first.
Here is the recipe i have used several times.
Deer or Steak Sticks Recipe
Deer of Steak Sticks - Ingredients:
• 1lb ground steak or ground deer
• 1 1/2 tsp salt or tenderizer if available
• 1 tsp of liquid smoke
• 3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp mustard seed
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, slightly crushed
• 1/4 tsp anise seed
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 box 1/16 casing
Deer or Steak Sticks - Directions
If venison (deer meat), grind 1 lb of venison and 1/2 lb pork. Mix together well and combine all ingredients, mixing until thoroughly blended. Set mixture in bowl and cover. Refrigerate overnight. Get electric grinder or hand grinder with stuffing attachment and smallest stuffing tube. Set casing in warm water and let it soften. Slide casing onto nozzel of stuffer and twist end of casing. Start stuffing casing slowly until desired length is reached. Cut and twist the end. Bake or smoke sticks. If baking on broiler pan, then bake at 200 degrees for 3 to 4 hours with oven door slightly opened. If smoking, use hickory chips or saw dust in electric smoker or plain smoker and smoke 6 to 8 hrs at 200 degrees.
Here is some venison snack sticks i did. Used 19mm snack stick fiberous casings. like double thick slim jimmies ;D had to rack em cuz i couldnt find my sticks.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o290/stlthy1/Picture246.jpg)
nepas
Thanks a lot for the info. I have the 19mm casings too which was the smallest I could find. Does anybody know of any smaller? Am trying to get a 3/8 stuffer rigged up to work in my sausage stuffer.