Summer sausage first attempt

[Smokey Joe]

OK.  This is my first post and my first attempt at venison summer sausage.  I used 8lbs venison and 2lbs pork fat.  Ground using my Cabela's grinder with the coarse blade.  I followed the recipe below that I found on another web site.  Except that I didn't use liquid smoke as the recipe calls for.  They are in the smoker now.  Hopefully they will turn out!!



VENISON SUMMER SAUSAGE   

4 lb. hamburger
2 tbsp. coarse cracked pepper
2 tsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. celery seed
5 tbsp. tender quick salt
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
2 c. cold water

Assemble seasonings in water and let set for 1 hour. Add to meat, mix thoroughly. Shape into flour logs and refrigerate 24 hours. Bake on cookie sheet at 250 degrees for 3-4 hours or until done.

[coyote]

Welcome Smokey Joe,
                         Good luck on your smoke.Keep an eye on your temps. 250 sounds a little hot.The
way to go is low and slow. If you run too hot you'll render the fat which could leave you with a dry sausage. You'll learn something from every try . And remember , this forum is a very sharing bunch
of good folks.
                                                                  Love that high speed beef,
                                                                                         Coyote
Finished product-153 to 160 degree's internal .

[Oldman]

250 sounds a little hot....If you run too hot you'll render the fat which could leave you with a dry sausage.

Agree-- fat really start to render at 170F

[Smokey Joe]

Well, they didn't turn out.  The fat was rendered as you suspected.  How long should they be smoked for?  Should they be smoked with water in the pan or not?  Should they just be dried?  Outside of the fat rendering problem, I'm not sure what else went wrong.

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

Smokey Joe,

The Bible on this is: Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing by Rytek Kutas. Definitely worth buying. His advice is having the smoker no hotter than 160F, and taking the sausage to an internal temp of 152F. As you can imagine, it will take time. He also recommends ensuring the sausages casings are dried by keeping vents open initially.

Arcs_n_Sparks

[acords]

OK.  This is my first post and my first attempt at venison summer sausage.  I used 8lbs venison and 2lbs pork fat.  Ground using my Cabela's grinder with the coarse blade.  I followed the recipe below that I found on another web site.  Except that I didn't use liquid smoke as the recipe calls for.  They are in the smoker now.  Hopefully they will turn out!!



VENISON SUMMER SAUSAGE   

4 lb. hamburger
2 tbsp. coarse cracked pepper
2 tsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. celery seed
5 tbsp. tender quick salt
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
2 c. cold water

Assemble seasonings in water and let set for 1 hour. Add to meat, mix thoroughly. Shape into flour logs and refrigerate 24 hours. Bake on cookie sheet at 250 degrees for 3-4 hours or until done.

Is the above recipe for 4 lbs of ground beef?   Seems like quite a bit of TQ for 4 LBS

[Oldman]

Hey... Smokey Joe,

I've been doing sausage since I was 8 - 9 years old with my Grandfather. Let me tell ya it is easy to mess up sausage, and it is madding when you do.  All of that work only to feed it to the dogs.

Allow me to suggest something to you.  Practice on raw store bought sausage. Do a pound to a pound and a half when you smoke it.  This takes the pain out of it while learning.

When I first got my Bradley I did not make sausage and smoke it. I went and got raw store bought sausage. BTW I'm almost 57 so I can say I've been smokin' for close to 50 years now. Sausage is not easy in the beginning; however, it does get easier later.

Maybe this will put a smile on your face... 'bout 1981 - 1982 I was about 4 sheets into the wind and really messed up some sausage (around 60 pounds worth) and even the dogs would  not eat it.

Good Luck next time.
Olds

[Oldman]

OK.  This is my first post and my first attempt at venison summer sausage.  I used 8lbs venison and 2lbs pork fat.  Ground using my Cabela's grinder with the coarse blade.  I followed the recipe below that I found on another web site.  Except that I didn't use liquid smoke as the recipe calls for.  They are in the smoker now.  Hopefully they will turn out!!



VENISON SUMMER SAUSAGE   

4 lb. hamburger
2 tbsp. coarse cracked pepper
2 tsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. celery seed
5 tbsp. tender quick salt
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
2 c. cold water

Assemble seasonings in water and let set for 1 hour. Add to meat, mix thoroughly. Shape into flour logs and refrigerate 24 hours. Bake on cookie sheet at 250 degrees for 3-4 hours or until done.

Is the above recipe for 4 lbs of ground beef?   Seems like quite a bit of TQ for 4 LBS

On Morton's site in their recipe for  Beef Salami it calls for 1 1/2 level teaspoons per pound of meat.

[acords]

On Morton's site in their recipe for  Beef Salami it calls for 1 1/2 level teaspoons per pound of meat.

I've always followed the 1 1/2 tsp per lb.  Thats why I questioned 5 tbsp for 4 lbs.

[Smokey Joe]

Hey... Smokey Joe,

I've been doing sausage since I was 8 - 9 years old with my Grandfather. Let me tell ya it is easy to mess up sausage, and it is madding when you do.  All of that work only to feed it to the dogs.

Allow me to suggest something to you.  Practice on raw store bought sausage. Do a pound to a pound and a half when you smoke it.  This takes the pain out of it while learning.

When I first got my Bradley I did not make sausage and smoke it. I went and got raw store bought sausage. BTW I'm almost 57 so I can say I've been smokin' for close to 50 years now. Sausage is not easy in the beginning; however, it does get easier later.

Maybe this will put a smile on your face... 'bout 1981 - 1982 I was about 4 sheets into the wind and really messed up some sausage (around 60 pounds worth) and even the dogs would  not eat it.

Good Luck next time.
Olds

I've been making fresh sausage for a few years now.  I've got that down-pat.  I got the smoker as a Christmas present from my wife last year.  I've used it a few times with much success.  So I decided to try to combine the two.  You see, my wife doesn't care much for venison.  But she does like venison summer sausage.  So I thought this would be a good combination.  I never thought it would be so difficult to find a recipe for summer sausage, and how to smoke it.  Or is it even smoked?  I don't know for sure.  The recipe called for liquid smoke, so I assume so. 

I'm still interested to know if anyone can give me a recipe for summer sausage.  I'm trying to create my own recipe by combining several different recipes, which is going to take some trial and error.

[Oldman]

You see, my wife doesn't care much for venison.  But she does like venison summer sausage... I'm still interested to know if anyone can give me a recipe for summer sausage.

Smoked Venison Sausage
From Bassman