How about some recipes for deer meat sausage? Have you ever made any? Well, I have a couple of sausage recipes using deer meat. No, I have not made any yet. However, I do have lots of other venison recipes (jerkey, stew, chili, roasted, fried, etc.) You see, a while back, I bought a smoker so I could make Ernie some sausage. Unfortunately, I am just a humble female, (I am not nor do I wish to be liberated) and can not put the smoker together. Ernie is going to put it together for me when he gets the chance. Maybe if we get the snow storm they are promising us this weekend, I can corner him with the concept of putting that thing together. I ordered a deer sausage making kit (complete with spices and curing stuff) from Ernie's 'Gander Mountain' catalog. From that I also ordered a sausage making book. It is pretty good, at least I enjoyed reading it. This recipe I am putting in here is from a book called 'Home Sausage Making' by Charles G. Reavis. It has recipes for all types of meat including fish and poultry. VENISON SAUSAGE 5 feet medium (2-inch dia.) hog casings 1 T finely ground black pepper 5 lbs. cubed, pre-frozen venison 2 t garlic, finely minced 3 lbs. lean pre-frozen pork 1 T paprika 2 lbs. pork fat, cubed 1 t cayenne red pepper 5 T salt 1 cup brandy 1 t thyme 1/2 t ascorbic acid 2 t sugar 1 t saltpeter Marinade consisting of the following: 1/2 c red wine vinegar 1 clove garlilc, finely minced 1/2 cup red wine 1 bay leaf 2 t salt 1/4 c chopped heart of celery 1 small onion, sliced 1 T whole black peppercorns 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot ********* 1. After the pre-frozen venison has thawed, prepare the marinade and pour it over the cubes of meat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours. 2. Drain the venison, discard the marinade, and grind the meat through the fine disk. 3. Grind the pork and fat separately through the fine disk and mix with the venison. 4. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Place the sausage in the refrigerator overnight. 5. Prepare the casings. 6. Stuff the mixture into the casings and tie off into four- or five-inch links. 7. Hang the sausage to dry for forty-eight hours. 8. Cold smoke the sausage (70-90 deg. F) for 10 hours. 9. Hang again for at least two weeks before sampling. PREPARING THE CASING: Snip of about four feet of casing (Better too much than too little because any extra can be repacked in salt and used later.) Rinse the casing under cool running water to remove any salt clilnging to it. Place it in a bowl of cool water and let it soak for about half an hour. While you are waiting for the casing to soak, you can begin preparing the meat. After soaking, rinse the casing under cool running water. Slip one end of the casing over the faucet nozzel. Hold the casing firmly on the nozzle, and then turn on the cold water, gently at first and then more forcefully. This procedure will flush out any salt in the casing and pinpoint any breaks. Should you find a break, simply snip out a small section of the casing. Place the casing in a bowl of water and add a splash of white vinegar. A tablespoon of vinegar per cup of water is sufficient. The vinegar softens the casing a bit more and makes it more transparent, which in turn makes your sausage more pleasing to the eye. Leave the casing in the water/ vinegar solution until you are ready to use it. Rinse it well and drain before stuffing. GREAT JERKY 3/4 t. salt 2 T soy sauce 1/4 t cracked pepper 1 T Worchestershire sauce 1 T brown sugar 1 lb lean meat, thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, crushed (3/16 to 1/4 inch thick) In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except meat. Stir to mix well. Place themeat slices in a single layer on a clean flat surface. Generously spread both sides with the salt mixture. Place the meat strips on a tighly covered glass, stoneware or stainless steel container. Marinate 6 to 12 hours in the refrigerator, stirring occasionaly and keeping the mixture tightly covered. **************** TERIYAKI JERKY 1/2 t salt 1 garlic clove, crushed 1/8 t pepper 1/4 c soy sauce 1/2 t ground ginger 1 lb. lean meat, thinly sliced In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except meat. Stir to mix well. Place meat 3 or 4 layers deep in a glass, stoneware, plastic or stainless steel container, spooning soy sauce mixture over each layer. Cover tightly. Marinate 6 to 12 hours in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally and keeping the mixture tightly covered. ********************** SWEET & SOUR JERKY 1 t salt 1 T soy sauce 1/4 t pepper 1/4 c red wine vinegar 1/2 t onion powder 1/4 c pineapple juice 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 lb. lean meat, thinly sliced In a small bowl, combine all ingredients except meat. Stir to mix well. Place meat 3 or 4 layers deep in a glass, stoneware, plastic or stainless steel container, spooning vinegar mixture over each layer. Cover tightly. Marinate 6 to 12 hours in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally and keeping the mixture tightly covered. SMOKY BEEF SALAMI 4 lbs ground beef (max. fat content 25%) 1/4 cup curing salt 2 tablespoons liquid smoke 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 1/2 teaspoons graound black pepper or 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns In a large bown. thoroughtly mix beef, salt, liquid smoke, garlic powder, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Divide mixture into fourths. Shape each into a compact 8-inch log and place each on a 12-by-18-inch piece of nylon net. Roll up tightly, tie ends with string. Place logs on a broiler pan with a rack and bake in a 225 deg oven for 4 hours. Remove salami logs from oven; remove net. Pat rolls well with paper towels to absorb excess fat. Let cool slightly, then wrap in foil and store in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. (To give as a gift, rewrap in cellophane or plastic wrap and tie ends with string or ribbon.) Makes 4 logs of salami (about 3 lbs. total). VARIATIONS: HERB BEEF SALAMI Follow directions for Smoky Beef Salami, but make these changes. Omit liquid smoke and add 3 Tablespoons dry red wine. Reduce garlic powder to 1 teaspoon and omit pepper. Instead, add 2 tablespoons mustard seeds, 1 tablespoon each dry basil and dry oregano leaves, 1 teaspoon each dry basil and dry oregano leaves, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. SPICY BEEF SALAMI Follow directions for Smoky Beef Salami, but make these changes. Omit liquid smoke and add 3 tablespoons dry white wine. Reduce garlic powder to 1 teaspoon and omit pepper. Instead, add 2 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper, and 1 teaspoon ground cumin.