Venison Summer Sausage

[cdmckane]

Here's the recipe my grandmother used to use when my grandpa hunted.  My dad just takes his deer and has some sent out for summer sausage, but you can't ever be sure if you're getting your deer or billy bob's gut shot deer that's been in his pickup for a week before it got cut up. 

 

Ingredients:

 

5 pounds ground venison

5 teaspoons sugar-based curing mixture

(such as Morton® Tender Quick®)

1/4 cup mustard seed

3 tablespoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon hickory-flavored liquid

smoke

 

Directions:

 

1. In a large bowl, mix venison, curing mixture, mustard seed, garlic powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes, salt, and liquid smoke. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate for three days, mixing well once a day. 2. On the fourth day, preheat oven to 200 degrees F (100 degrees C). 3. Shape the mixture into five logs, and place on a wire rack over a large drip pan. Bake for eight hours, then remove to cool on paper towels. Let cool, then wrap logs individually in plastic wrap. Chill completely before slicing. They also freeze well

 

 

I do mine at 225 in the smoker for 8 hrs with hickory, and a couple Jack Daniel's oak barrel staves (I get them at Bass Pro) pieces thrown in.  One at the start and another at 4 hrs. 

 

I don't wrap in plastic, I let them cool, pat them dry, then vacuum seal and throw in the freezer.

[cdmckane]

I have found the Morton's Tender Quick is a bit hard to find.  They do have a product locator on their website that I've found to be pretty accurate.  http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/where-to-buy

[TeeBugg]

Im gonna have to try this! Thanks for the recipe!

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Wegmans carrys the tender quick

[jjb4900]

I had a similar recipe, pretty good stuff...........although I wasn't a fan of the whole mustard seeds.

[Early]

My recipe is similar, as well. I usually make only a three pound batch: two pounds of venison burger, with one pound of fat beef hamburger. I, too, dislike mustard seeds, so I just substitute ground mustard...works fine. My recipe does not include cayenne....but does include onion powder. Good stuff!

[cdmckane]

Wegmans carrys the tender quick

Most, but not all of them do.  I know for a fact that the Ithaca store doesn't.  I hunted all around Ithaca and Cortland for it last week.  That's when I found the locator and found it in the Auburn store.  Seems Wegmans is about the only place that has it.

[Early]

Buy it online....The two pound bag will last you a long time.

[cdmckane]

Why buy it online, when I've found it in a place that's local and I go to at least once a year?  I just can't see the sense in paying shipping when I'm going to eventually drive by the place that sells it before I run out.

[Hunter1]

Sounds great I got to try it.