Sausage Experience

The slow food group we belong to was invited to help make Venison Sausage this weekend. Subduck and I have made quite a bit of sausage with friends but never using venison. We were also attracted to the chance to spend some time in a commercial kitchen with a real chef and some foodie friends.

Chef Paula Snow at Homehill Inn in Plainfield N.H. was making the sausage for a special dinner later in the week which would feature all local and artisanal products.

We helped with the entire process, starting with the mixture of meat,fat,and spices shown in the photo. After grinding the ingredients and mixing them by hand, we worked in some currents to give a subtle sweetness. The meat was then packed into pig casings with a stuffer, just like we do at home. Since she would be cooking for seventy people on the night of the supper, the Chef had us poach the sausages before plunging them into an ice bath. This helped to firm the texture and also cut the final cooking time. We discovered we were the only folks in the group with experience in sausage making, but,from the comments I think we may have gained some sausage friends.

Here is the recipe:

5 lbs cubed venison (leg shoulder)

1.5 lbs pork butt (cubed)

1.5 lbs Fatback (cubed)

4 oz Diced onion, sauteed and cooled

1 oz fresh ground pepper

2 Tb Kosher salt

2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

1 Tb chopped fresh Rosemary

1 cup wine or venison stock

1/2 cup currents

The meat and seasonings were mixed and marinated over night .

Add the liquid and the currents after you grind the meat.

Stuff, poach,chill and store or freeze for future use.