Redneck Steve,
Living near Williamsport, PA, we know what ring bologna is for sure. If you want to buy some commercial product that is popular here and pretty good, try the Country Store in Pennsdale, PA if ever in the Muncy, PA area near the intersection of route 220 and I-180. Most of the local supermarkets stock Country Store brand or similar ring bolognas.
My brother-in-law makes an excellent (to our taste) venison ring bologna using 20 lb of venison and 5 lbs of lean pork. I have a couple recipes lying around for more-or-less typical Lycoming County ring bolognas, but hesitate to share them because the devil is in the details. Grinding, mixing, setting time after mixing in the spices, smoke wood to use (b-i-l prefers birch), smoking time and water cook time are, or can be, critical. Cook too long or too hot and the casing separates from the meat, for example.
Personal taste preferences also come into play, so nobody can point you toward a recipe you might like. Our preference is NO GARLIC. This must be something of a regional PA German thing. I was raised being spoon-fed the information that garlic in meat was sort of like too much perfume on a woman. Makes you wonder what is being hidden by it. Strong boar hog pork? Tainted meat?
One recipe I have has no garlic, but does have a bit of red pepper in it, Just a little sting and not enough to make you run for the icewater. The man who shared the recipe with me loved it. To me it was just OK.
Anyway, if you are still on this forum and want to try one or both of the recipes, I will share with the understanding that nothing is guaranteed insofar as results.
Jack
