Cold smoking venison sausage - advice needed

[b0dhi]

Hi everyone,

A friend gave me some venison sausage (I think it's about 65% venison 35% pork).. I'd like to cold smoke them so I can freeze them and take them camping with me (vacuum seal and freeze them up)... I'm looking for advice on temps and smoking time.. if anyone can help, please chime in :)

Also, what about the sausage casing.. should I remove it and cure it with something? or just apply the smoke?

Thanks all :)
b0dhi

[watchdog56]

Is this already made sausage? Do you know if there is cure in the sausage already?

[classicrockgriller]

If your friend had a processor make the sausage, it probably has cure added to it and was smoked.

You might need to ask him. (esp. link sausage)

[b0dhi]

This sausage was already made. It hasn't been smoked.

[Habanero Smoker]

Just to clarify; you don't want the sausage cooked, you just want to apply smoke and keep the sausage raw?

As watchdog56 has pointed out first you will need to find out if he added cure #1 (aka pink salt; Instacure #1; Prague Powder #1). Without that ingredient, it is unsafe to either cold smoke or hot smoke (less then 225°F).

[b0dhi]

I asked my friend and he doesn't know.. :(   He had the sausages made by someone else after he went hunting for deer.   I guess I better play it safe and just hot smoke it and then seal them up ... then cook them up on the campfire...

[Habanero Smoker]

I use the term hot smoke which is technically using temperature between 100°F - 180°F, but if they are not cured then you will need to smoke/cook them fully at 225°F or higher until they reach an internal temperature of 150°F. That is something that is best done just before you serve them.

The alternative is to fully cook one at 170°F until the internal temperature is 152°F in the smoker, don't waste any bisquettes for this trial. Or simmer it in water on your stove top, keeping the water at 170°F - 180°F. After it is fully cooked cut it open. If the meat inside remained redess, it has been cured and safe to cold smoke or hot smoke. If the meat is the color of the inside of a fully cooked hamburger, then it is not cured.

If you do the trail, and if you can post a picture of the cooked sausage showing the center. Once we see that, we can give you a more positive answer.

[b0dhi]

This whole curing thing has me really worried! I don't know if I want to smoke them now... hmm.  Habanero: I saw another one of your posts regarding smoking sausages.. I saw that you do them at 110-120F to dry, then bump to 140F with smoke for ~2 hrs.. then finish at 175F... If I follow this method, and then finish them off on the stove and get them to 150F, would this be safe?   I would then vacuum seal them and take em camping.. throw em on the grill over the fire to warm them up...  Would this be okay?

[Habanero Smoker]

No. It would not be safe unless a cure was used during the processing of the sausage. The method you are referring to is a hot smoke method that should only be used if a cure such as Cure #1 or Morton's Tender Quick was used. If a cure was not used, cooking sausage at such low temperature over a long period of time there is a possibility that a bacteria called clostridium botulinum can grow. This bacteria produces a toxin that causes botulism to anyone who eats the infected sausage. It is rare, but the illness is deadly and it is not worth the risk.

Another safe method that will work, but you may not get as strong of a smoke flavor, but you will get enough smoke flavor; would be to cook them in simmering water (170°F - 180°F), until they reach an internal temperature of 145°F. Watch this carefully, because this will only take ≈ 8 - 15 minutes. After they reached that temperature, remove them from the water and pat dry with paper towels. Then directly move them to a 170°F preheated Bradley, apply smoke and continue to cook until they reach an internal temperature of 152°F. Then use a water bath to stop the cooking. Towel dry again, and vacuum seal them.

[b0dhi]

Thanks Habanero!  I followed your advice and just smoked them above 225 until they were done..  :)