just cant get the ratio right with venison

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laserdoc

Fire Starter
Original poster
Dec 23, 2014
31
10
Try as I will I always have the same issue when making venison sausage.

This time I used 3 pounds venison,1 pound pork and one pound pork fat. 

Blueberries and 4 oz of merlot wine.Along with my cure and my other spices for breakfast links

even added a 1/2 tsp per pound of amesphos to help retain moisture.  Stuffed into 19mm casings.

Texture was fair but it was still to dry for my wifes taste and mine. I will suffer through this batch and eat it myself so it wont be a total lose.

Do I use 2 pounds pork fat to my 3 pounds of deer and not use Amesphos and use a cup per 5 pounds of the powdered milk instead?

Try as I will I just cant dial this deer thing in.
 
I have a simple sage based venison sausage recipe my dad and uncle made in the '50.
When made in a patty form and fried, it's excellent. Same mix and ratio of meats/fat when stuffed, just doesn't cut it. Don't know why.

If you figure it out, let me know.
 
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I too like One pound straight Pork Back Fat to Four pounds lean meat, 20% my fav ratio. I'm not eating it at every meal so the higher fat ratio will not hurt. Mixing until sticky then mixing some more to emulsify and bind the fat and lean, followed by cooking at Med heat JUST until no pink, IT of 150-155, will give a juicy sausage, no additives needed. There is no Law that says Breakfast links have to be 19-21mm. Hog Casing at 29-32mm makes a great 4" link and is more forgiving getting cooked without drying. Grandpa never had Amesphos or Powdered Milk and his yearly batch of Venison Sausage was great. Every sausage he made went in Hog Casing...JJ
 
Are you using frozen venison? For best results it is better to process deer meat into sausage while it is fresh then freeze the sausage. I prefer 50/50 venison and pork with 30% added pork back fat for breakfast sausage. No binders

Boykjo
 
 
Are you using frozen venison? For best results it is better to process deer meat into sausage while it is fresh then freeze the sausage. I prefer 50/50 venison and pork with 30% added pork back fat for breakfast sausage. No binders

Boykjo
I have two deer and I save the backstraps and have the processor grind the rest. No added fat. when he does it. So yes the ground is frozen then thawed out when Im mixing things up. All the meat is frig cold when mixing and stuffing/

always make 5 pound batches. Hate trying to figure the % thing. So would 3 pounds venison and two pounds ground fat back {unsalted) be the ticket. I got a heck of a deal at Costco. They were selling pork bellies and then fatback already cut 2 inches thick. I saw those packs and said this was perfect. No more hunting for scraps and trim from Publix or Kroger
 
 
 
Are you using frozen venison? For best results it is better to process deer meat into sausage while it is fresh then freeze the sausage. I prefer 50/50 venison and pork with 30% added pork back fat for breakfast sausage. No binders

Boykjo
I have two deer and I save the backstraps and have the processor grind the rest. No added fat. when he does it. So yes the ground is frozen then thawed out when Im mixing things up. All the meat is frig cold when mixing and stuffing/

always make 5 pound batches. Hate trying to figure the % thing. So would 3 pounds venison and two pounds ground fat back {unsalted) be the ticket. I got a heck of a deal at Costco. They were selling pork bellies and then fatback already cut 2 inches thick. I saw those packs and said this was perfect. No more hunting for scraps and trim from Publix or Kroger
Be sure the back fat is raw, uncured and skin removed. The higher fat content will help. Breakfast sausage like jimmy deans roll sausage can have up to 50% fat content. Adding a binder like NFDM is up to you. I would try a batch with and a batch without and make your own choice using it.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/235942/breakfast-link-sausages

boykjo
 
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how much nfdm would you suggest per pound?
You can add it by the recommended amounts but I shake it in until the meat becomes a little dry then add water a little at a time till I the meat gets a tacky. I prefer not to use a binder, but sometimes I do for a different texture.....
 
Carnation brand nfdm is allready a fine powder . If your current batch of sausage is to dry , use it to make sausage gravy . 
 
I will eat this batch as it is. Would not be good gravy as it has merlot wine and blueberries in it
 
  We have been trying out breakfast sausage the last 2 yrs. We went the maple route and have been mixing our venison with 65/35 pork butts/trim. We raised our own pigs this year and use the trim and butts for sausage. I don't add any extra fat whatsoever  just whats in the butts and trim. We gave some to a friend who is a butcher and he raved on them. So we actually did a good job this time lol. 
 
When I use really lean meat, I typically go 50/50 with pork butt and a pound of back fat for five pounds of sausage. My initial batches of duck sausage just came out too dry for our taste and this seems to produce a fairly consistent product. It also cuts down some of the gaminess for my wife.
 
I make a lot of venison sausage and I played around with the ratios a lot. I find that a 30% fat ratio is the best all around that everyone will like.

For a 5lb batch you will want 1.5 lbs fat (not pork butt) to 3.5 lbs venison. This will give you a very good juicy sausage.


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