Help with deer summer sausage.

[yman]

Anyone tell me why my deer summer sausage has the texture of cornmeal. Yeah, I thought it was the grind, so I tried a bigger hole disk, the biggest one I had, same problem. So this year I tried some deer I got from a friend that was ground commercially. Same thing, not that it tasted bad, but it has the texture of fine sawdust. I tried switching form pork to beef this year for some fat, that was worse, the beef was like strained filtered sawdust. I only grind the deer once, then mix the ground deer and pork/beef by hand, then run it thru the grinder using the sausage stuffer plate to stuff the casings. I have a 1 hp Cabela's grinder. I tried cooking it in the oven and the smoker, about the same results, although the smoker did have a better flavor. Any suggestions, fire away.

[WebMonkey]

Not enough fat is my guess. 25 to 30 percent of total weight is a good rule of thumb.
2nd pro tip is low heat so the fat doesn't render out.
3rd pro tip is try a 'binder' like dry milk to help 'keep' moisture.
Binder not really needed if you go low with plenty of fat.
Good luck!

[duke76]

Trick is to grind meat at like 25 degrees. Warm meat that you grind makes mush, another thing make sure your plate and knife are sharp and that it is very tight, Now here is where a lot of people make a mistake, they grind and stuff using a grinder at the same time, dont do it, you most always will end up with mush. I usually grind mine once with small hole grinder plate with meat around 25-30 degrees, then stuff it using a designated stuffer, once I figured all this out it works great.

[duke76]

Oh and another thing, with deer they have all that silver skin, that can clog up your knife and plate and make mush also, you should try to trim as much of that off that you can.

[buckwheatpaul]

Not enough fat is my guess. 25 to 30 percent of total weight is a good rule of thumb.
2nd pro tip is low heat so the fat doesn't render out.
3rd pro tip is try a 'binder' like dry milk to help 'keep' moisture.
Binder not really needed if you go low with plenty of fat.
Good luck!

I agree with WebMonkey....plus I add bacon ends to mine....you really need the fat so I use bacon ends sometimes with wild pork that I use the largest hole to grind it up.....good luck.....lastly....make up about 5 to 8 pounds until you get your recipe the way you like it.....Paul

[DerekP Houston]

I agree with WebMonkey....plus I add bacon ends to mine....you really need the fat so I use bacon ends sometimes with wild pork that I use the largest hole to grind it up.....good luck.....lastly....make up about 5 to 8 pounds until you get your recipe the way you like it.....Paul

A trick is to fry up a patty of the meat before stuffing it. Lets you taste the final product before stuffing it into the casings. I'd guess it needs a larger grind plate or sharpening + more fat as well. I've been looking at buying a dedicated meat grinder for this purpose as well, my kitchenaid gets gunked up too quickly to be worthwhile.

[Jeff Michel]

Low fat, I use 50/50 pork trim. Mix with venison one to one. If you do go the binder route, do not exceed 2.5 % and add 3% water. Both are based on the total batch weight. NFDM (non-fat dry milk) is not the dried milk powder you find in the local grocery (think Carnation) you can find it in any good meat supply house or EBay. Don't over cook it , 165F internal is instant kill for any bacteria, probe with a hand held thermometer in the thickest part of your product. Some decent recipes and supplies are available here. http://www.meatprocessingproducts.com/

[yman]

I already see 2 things I am doing wrong, I am cooking it to long, 180 degress. But I just bought one of those external temp gauges from wally world. You can set it at 165 and it will chime when the meat reaches that temp. Also appears I am not adding enough fat, I thought 10% would be plenty, I thought it would render out if I put 30 or 40% in. I am going to check on the grind temp too, although I take my meat straight from the fridge it still is probably about 36-38 degrees, add a few mins on the counter and it may be to warm.
Also looking at making a hydraulic sausage stuffer, out of PVC and a plastic white cutting board. Several plans on you tube how to make one.
Do you all cook yours in the oven or outside on a smoker? And if you use a smoker do you use charcoal or electric?

[WebMonkey]

I cook both ways.
Set your cooking device to 150 for an hour or so then kick up to 180 or so till you get to the 165 internal.
This is how you keep most of the fat from rendering out. The cure you used keeps bad stuff from growing while u slow cook.

Yes 10% is way too little. Just add more and you will be golden.

Keep at it!

[Jeff Michel]

I wouldn't trust any external temperature measuring device, you would be amazed at the temperature difference between your cooking appliance and the product temperature. Pick up a hand held thermometer, they are cheap insurance and you can calibrate them to assure accuracy. The cooking process will result in fat/water loss regardless of the process you are using, put a catch pan beneath your product, it can be a messy process, don't sweat it. As with any cooking/smoking, be sure you are using the proper curing agent (Prague powder) as pointed out previously, this will prevent bad stuff from growing in your product. As to cooking, I usually use ovens for flat or odd shaped items (brisket or pan style loaf). For stuffed products, summer sausage, bologna. I hang them in the smoker, make sure that the product isn't touching, since your hanging vertical, you can get a surprising amount of product in even a small smoker. Since you can determine the length of your sausage, making them to fit isn't a big deal. Use a hog ring pliers to clip your casing or you can tie them, make sure it's a non-slip knot. This will assure that the product will stay properly packed in the casing, if it slips it will likely finish looking like.....crumbly, won't bond properly. You should prick your casings to prevent air/fat pockets, half a dozen spread over the whole length is plenty, doing this during the stuffing process. A question that I would pose to you, " What are the finished product expectation as to fineness of particle size?" If your looking for a "Trail Bologna" sort of consistency you will not get it with a grinder, it must be emulsified after it's ground. a food processor works for small batches, but anything over 10 pounds will wear you out. Keep the product as close to freezing (32F) as possible. If you want a salami like texture, a grinder will work great, no need to emulsify. If your just new to the game, use prepared spice packs instead of mixing your own. Look into some books on the subject, any public library would be able to order them in for you before you do your own formulation. I have made hundreds of different formulations over the years and in many cases, even the dogs wouldn't eat them and mistakes are expensive. After all it is a science (no kidding) and things can go south on you in a hurry if you depart from set parameters. As suggested, keep at it.

[Lloyd Smale]

could be a few things. I allways grind mine twice. I course grind the pork and venison then mix it well, add the seasoning and cure and then grind it again. Are you using 20 percent ground pork but. that should be plenty a little more doesn't hurt but don't do any less then 20 percent . Add a cup of water to each 10lb batch. Add your spices and cure to it and dump it on the meat before the second grind. Are you using a cure? I add cure then stuff my sauasage and then let it sit overnight in the fridge for the cure to penetrate the meat. If I don't add 20 percent pork but, if I don't add water, if I don't use cure, if it doesn't sit over night and if you overcook it it will turn out like yours. Ive learned that 150 is the right temp to pull the sausage out. I fill 5 gallon pails with COLD water and when I pull them out they go into cold water to remove the heat and stop the cooking. In the winter I throw them in the snow bank. truthfully the last one is probably what causes more problems for people then all the rest. Everyone is afraid to undercook it. All parasites are dead at 145 and your using a cure anyway so 150 gives you a bit of leeway in case your temp probe is off. Personally I usually stop at 145 but tell other 150 but my temp gauge has been verified accurate at the local paper mill lab. . Keep in mind too that the heat in most smokers comes from the bottom and your temp probe is usually in the top of a stick. By the time the probe is reading 155 on top you've about turned the bottom of the stick into jerky. When I cook it I do it even slower then webmonkey. I start out at 130 and cook until the inside meat temp is at least 90 before I add smoke. I then add smoke and turn it up to 145 and cook for 2 hours. then I raise it to 160 and cook for two more hours. Then I raise it to 180 and cook till I'm at 145-150. 165 is way to well done. At that temp your driven every bit of the moisture out of it.

[buckwheatpaul]

A trick is to fry up a patty of the meat before stuffing it. Lets you taste the final product before stuffing it into the casings. I'd guess it needs a larger grind plate or sharpening + more fat as well. I've been looking at buying a dedicated meat grinder for this purpose as well, my kitchenaid gets gunked up too quickly to be worthwhile.

Derek is right...we always fry up a small patty to try prior to stuffing.....all the suggestions are what I do as I make breakfast sausage or brats or polish sausage.....

[44man]

I am still sitting on a summer sausage kit. Ran out of meat last season.
I also have the Cabela's grinder but 3/4 horse, best darn grinder I ever used.
Somewhere in the basement is my grandmothers old stuffer, no idea where.
Thanks Lloyd, I printed your instructions.

[yman]

Wells appears overgrinding is not my problem then, I think grinding temp and overcooking is the problem. I am going to stick my grind in the freezer for a bit b/4 I grind just till it is really chilled but no frozen. I do use cure, I bought some last year at a cooking supply store. I have been using the 3lb casing from high mountain and find these to be just right for what I like.
Lloyd Smale you mentioned dunking yours in ice water after cooking and I understand what this does and think its a good idea, I used an ice chest. but the holes were I pricked the casing let water in, i tried poking a bigger hole in 1 end and letting the water out but it didn't work well. How do you get around not soaking the product?
Thanks again for all your guys help, I will keep watching for new infor as deer season is less than a month away and here in KY we can kill lots of does, so deer meat is plentiful. I am just trying to better use every part of the animal and I have ground for years but I love summer sausage and the price meat lockers charge is outrageous.

[Lloyd Smale]

I have a good verticle stuffer and don't get a lot of air. I also don't worry about having the casings smooth. If you notice the store bought and most meat processors will give you back summer sausage that is in a smooth tube. reason is they smoke it for about an hour then throw it in an oven and bring it up to temp real fast. Mine are wrinkled up real good and that's the way I was taught to do it so really don't get to conserned about air pockets unless there big. Also after you cool to stop the cooking you are suppose to hang them at room temp overnight. I would guess that a lot of your trapped moisture would be gone by them. If your really having a problem with the water after sitting that long try just ice in the cooler. Usually up here we have snow by the time I'm smoking. I then just toss it in the snow for a 1/2 hour. Tell you one more little trick for summer sausage. I put a half a cup of brown sugar to each 10 lb batch. Just about everyone that trys it says its much better then anyone elses and want to know the secret ingredient. Well all of us humans are addicted to sugar and it really does work in summer sausage especially if its cooked properly in the smoker. By the way I also put high temp pepper jack cheese in most of mine. .

[borg]

Lloyd has it right. Just finished making some myself. The one thing I do differently is to add beaten eggs, 3 to 5 lb of meat.
As for the water getting into your casing,, use a smaller probed thermometer. I don't have the problem water, you might try packing the casing a little tighter to stop the water.

[Lloyd Smale]

borg what does the egg do?

[yman]

If I wait for snow, I wouldn't make enough to feed my wiener dog, lol. But an ice chest of ice sounds like the ticket. Wrinkled cases dont bother me, I did notice the sausage I smoked was different from what I did in the oven, but long as it tasted good who cares. I found a recipe with brown sugar in it, I like the idea, sugar and salt are two things we crave. Lloyd do you smoke with charcoal or electric. I have always used charcoal but I know a lot of people are going electric and as I increase volume I was considering it. I see a lot of people just using a hot plate the pick up at the local hardware store. I am going to guess you use egg as a binder, like in cornbread, eggs are what help hold things together.

[DerekP Houston]

borg what does the egg do?

egg is the binder ingredient in this case.


To act as a binder (Coagulate)
The egg proteins act as a binder by holding the ingredients together (or as they say "coagulating") while cooking or baking. When they are beaten/ heated, they change the liquid mixture to a solid state. They help in preventing crumbling and provide structure for foods.

[Lloyd Smale]

smoker has the black little smoky smoker attached to it by pipe. Inside I have a gas burner and a big bowl for chips. I use it to produce the smoke (close to cold smoke) In the cabinet are two electric heating elements that are thermostatically controlled so I can maintain exact heat levels. It looks a bit different today. I had to cover it with insulation because when It got real cold here in the winter it had problems maintaining heat levels. The cabinet was made from sheet aluminum by my neighbor. Aluminum probably isn't ideal as it dissipates heat a bit to much but it was free.