Homemade Venison Summer Sausage
Smoked venison summer sausage with pork and spiced using a quick-cure method. Rich, tangy, and perfect for holidays, charcuterie boards, or hunting snacks.
Equipment
- Grinder Plates: Small plate and Large (coarse plate)
- Fermento, Buttermilk Powder, or Summer Sausage Seasoning Packet (for 5 pounds).
- Pink Curing Salt: (Instacure No. 1 or Prague Powder No. 1)
- Dextrose
- Summer Sausage Casing or other Fibrous Casing
- Butchers Twine (Optional)
- Smoker (Using an electric smoker is an easy way to achieve precise temperatures)
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment or Meat Lug
Ingredients
- 3 pounds venison, diced (silver-skin, sinew and fat removed)
- 1 1/2 pounds pork butt, diced (pork shoulder)
- 3 tablespoons dextrose
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt (approximately 40 grams per 3 tablespoons of kosher salt)
- 6 grams pink salt (instacure #1) (approximately 1 teaspoon per 6 grams)
- 2 to 4 ounces of cold water
- 1/2 cup Fermento or buttermilk powder
- 8 ounces (1/2 pound) fatty smoked bacon, diced (or pork back fat)
Instructions
- In a chilled bowl, add the pre-chilled venison, pork shoulder (pork butt), salt, dextrose and pink salt (instacure # 1). Mix well to combine.
- Grind the above mixture through a large die plate into a pre-chilled large bowl or a bowl that is set over ice.
- In a separate smaller bowl mix all of the seasonings and fermento or buttermilk powder. Stir in enough cold water to dissolve and to form a paste. This will usually be between a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of water.
- In a stand mixer or meat lug add the ground venison and paste. Mix thoroughly using a paddle attachment or sturdy spoon for about 2 minutes. Add the diced bacon to the venison mixture and fold in until just combined.
- Add the sausage mixture to a food-safe storage container or gallon freezer bag. Press the sausage down, ensuring that there are no air pockets. If using a storage container, add plastic wrap directly to the top of the meat, pressing down firmly. Then, cover the entire top of the container with more plastic wrap. If using a gallon freezer bag, remove all air and fold over any extra space in the bag.
- Refrigerate for 2 days.
- Grind the sausage for a second time, using the small die plate. If you want to check the flavor, now is a good time to fry up a piece. Add more seasoning if you think it needs any. But remember you will more than likely be eating this sausage cold or at room temperature and cold food needs a little more salt than hot food.
- Stuff the sausage mixture into your casings to your desired lengths.
- Hang them to let dry for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature or in the fridge. This will help get you maximum smoke flavor.
- Cold smoke the sausages or smoke them at the lowest temperature you can for 2 hours (this step ensures a great smoky sausage). Now get your smoker set at as close to 180 degrees F as you can and hot smoke them until the internal temperature is 150 degrees F.
- Pull the sausages from the smoker and let them hang at room temperature for 2 hours so that they bloom and turn that rich mahogany color that we all dream about. What you're left with is a delicious summer sausage that is ready to eat or refrigerate until needed.
NOTES
- Meat ratio: Use 3 pounds venison to 1.5 pounds pork shoulder plus added fat (like bacon or back fat). This 70/30 balance keeps sausage moist and flavorful.
- Quick cure: This is a fast-ferment summer sausage. It's mixed, chilled for 48 hours, then smoked. It's not a long dry-cured sausage, so it must be refrigerated or frozen.
- Fermento vs buttermilk powder: Fermento adds stronger tang, but buttermilk powder is a cheaper, widely available substitute. Both help develop the classic summer sausage flavor.
- Grinding tips: Grind twice. Once coarse and once fine. For the right texture and color, keep all meat, fat, and grinder parts ice-cold to prevent melting and smearing.
- Smoking process: Start with a low smoke to build flavor, then finish around 180°F until the internal temperature hits 150°F. Let sausages "bloom" at room temp for 2 hours for the deep mahogany color.
- Storage: Wrapped tightly, sausage keeps 2 weeks in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Vacuum-sealing or wrapping in plastic + freezer paper gives the best results.
- Serving: Slice and serve at room temp or slightly chilled. Excellent with smoked cheeses, crackers, and whole grain mustard.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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