Does anyone make their own sausage?

[budda]

I got an antelope this weekend and butchered it myself. So I tried to make some sausage last night. I made chorizo which was ok but was lacking something and I made a “German” sausage that tasted more like a breakfast sausage. I also was having trouble finding recipes for wild game sausage and could not figure out how much fat to meat ratio I should be going for. I did a 4:1 ratio for the chorizo and a 6:1 ratio for the “German”. I would like to make some brats but I would like to at least portend that I know what I am doing.

Does anyone make their own sausage and does anyone have any recipes that they are willing to share? I don’t care what kind of sausage it is, I am willing to try just about anything.

[Great-Kazoo]

50-50 pork to meat.

[MarkCO]

I make a lot of my own sausage. Trick with wild game is to freeze it, then thaw it and make the sausage.

For antelope, I make a breakfast sausage that everyone raves about. Here are a few of my recipees...

Rocky Mountain Dinner Sausage

· 10 pounds Venison or Elk
· 2 pounds Suet or trimmings (Beef or Pork)
· 1 tsp celery Seed
· 2 tbs dry mustard
· 2 tbs black pepper
· 1 tbs garlic powder
· 1 tbs onion powder
· 2 tbs brown sugar
· 1 ½ cup ice water
· 1 packet Tony’s Rocky Mountain Smoke

Rocky Mountain Breakfast Sausage

· 10 pounds Venison or Antelope
· 2 pounds Suet or trimmings (Beef or Pork, bacon trimmings are also good)
· 1 tbs sage
· 2 tbs white pepper
· 1 tbs allspice
· 2 tbs Hickory Smoked Salt
· 1 tbs thyme
· 1 tbs maple extract
· 1 cup packed brown sugar
· 1 cup corn syrup
· 1 cup ice water
· 2 tbs crushed red pepper (optional)

Raspberry Elk Sausage

· 10 pounds Elk
· 2 pounds Suet or trimmings (Beef or Pork)
· 2 tbs white pepper
· 2 tbs crushed red pepper
· 1 ½ tbs cumin
· 1 ½ tbs celery seed
· 2 tbs garlic powder
· 1 cup honey
· 2 cups iced Raspberry wine

[bellavite1]

Si, I gotta aplenty Italian Sausage rightta here!

[ray1970]

He he he..... He said sausage. He he.

[budda]

Thank you MarkCO. I have some elk burger that I might just try the Raspberry Elk Sausage. In general, what kind of flavor differences would I get with using beef fat vs. pork fat? Do you have a preference and why?

Si, I gotta aplenty Italian Sausage rightta here!

I will pass on your dinky Italian Sausage, I already have a fat German Sausage that my wife likes.

[MarkCO]

Thank you MarkCO. I have some elk burger that I might just try the Raspberry Elk Sausage. In general, what kind of flavor differences would I get with using beef fat vs. pork fat? Do you have a preference and why?

The pork fat has a more mellow flavor as it absorbs the spices and such. The taste almost lingers longer. The sausage will be jucier with pork as well. The beef fat will make a less greasy sausage. For dinner type sausages, I really prefer the beef fat...less cholesterol too. We often make the dinner type sausages into 6 to 8 ounce patties and grill on the BBQ and make a burger or serve with a starch side just as a patty. The Raspberry sausage over rice with a mushroom suace is killer!

[CO Hugh]

I have never used beef fat, we usually buy pork butt and mix it in at about 25-30% of the elk meat. I think upping it to nearly 50% may help because at 30% the sausage is good but still a bit dry.

I believe you can get pork fat at Tony's Markets. Probably check at your supermarket. You can also get fresh casings at Tony s.

As for recipes there are some websites, actually a number for people to make their own sausage. Also you can buy spice kits at various stores, sportsmans, bass pro, so check around. Don't forget online spice seller, I think there are some on Amazon, and spice shops. I buy sausage seasoning at Tony's. What I have found is that if the recipe says 25 lbs of meat cut that to about 15-20 depending on if you like the spice mild or stronger. I think at nearly 1/2 the meat the spice may still be mellow.

The other thing may be to mix in liquid when you mix the sausage, some recipes call for tomato juice, wine, so give it a try.

For Antelope my friend shot 2 and made summer sausage out of them. It is awesome, the antelope has a slightly sweet flavor to it, much better than elk in this.

[MarkCO]

I have never used beef fat, we usually buy pork butt and mix it in at about 25-30% of the elk meat. I think upping it to nearly 50% may help because at 30% the sausage is good but still a bit dry.

SNIP

The other thing may be to mix in liquid when you mix the sausage, some recipes call for tomato juice, wine, so give it a try.

Pork butts are about 50% meat to fat. I've found about 10:4 on pork butts is a good ratio. Costco has cheap pork butts. As for liquid, YES. Don't skip it! When I went to the freeze, thaw, make sausage with added liquid, my sausage recipees started tasting SO much better. The Tony's mixes are good too, but you still need the ice water when mixing to bring out the flavors.

[ChadAmberg]

I'll take 2lbs of the Rocky Mountain Breakfast, and 2lbs of the raspberry elk... what's the cost on that again?