Venison Snack Sticks - Pork or Beef Added?

[illini40]

Hello

I have some venison that I would like to grind and turn into smoked snack sticks.

Should I mix in any pork or beef? If so, what cuts and what ratios do you suggest?

I don’t have easy access to straight up beef or pork fat. I would easily have access to pork butt and 70/30 or 80/20 ground beef.

I would use a seasoning mix, cure, stuff and then smoke the next day.

Thanks!

 

[pineywoods]

Your going to get answers that say pork and some say beef. Personally I go with beef I think it tastes closer to venison then pork does.

 

[indaswamp]

I would go with pork because pork fat is the best for sausages with venison IMO. But it depends on what kind of snack stick you are looking to make.

 

[illini40]

Also, I just remembered that I do have some pork belly that could be used, as well. What ratio would that need to be?

Or, instead of pork butt, could one use CSRs, since CSRs are just sliced butt?

Your going to get answers that say pork and some say beef. Personally I go with beef I think it tastes closer to venison then pork does.

Thank you. Do you use just pure beef fat, or something else? What type of ratio to the venison?

I would go with pork because pork fat is the best for sausages with venison IMO. But it depends on what kind of snack stick you are looking to make.

Thank you. What do you mean the kind of stick? Are you just talking a seasoning/flavor or the method/type of stick?

 

[Ringer]

I'm a beef guy when it comes to mixing with venison unless I'm making breakfast sausage. Just my .02

 

[illini40]

I'm a beef guy when it comes to mixing with venison unless I'm making breakfast sausage. Just my .02

Thank you. What do you use for your beef fat? Pure beef fat trimmings?

What ratio do you use?

 

[Ringer]

I have used pure beef fat trimmings in the past and the last deer I processed we did all ground so I used some 70/30 burger to fatten it some. Both turn out great. In the past I've just walked into the smaller grocery stores and asked the butcher for beef fat or trimmings. Most of the time they just give them to me 10 lbs at a time. Publix won't and sometimes others won't if they are grinding burger. Seems to be a timing thing.

 

[MIJosh]

I use a 50/50 mix of pork belly and untrimmed shoulder at 80% venison 20% pork. I've done 80/20 mix with ground brisket and prefer to use pork.

 

[K9BIGDOG]

Last season (no deer this year ) I did a batch of venison pepperoni snack sticks and I cut in pork fat only. They came out great. I think it helped that I mixed everything and then let it sit in the fridge for a couple days before smoking.

 

[illini40]

I use a 50/50 mix of pork belly and untrimmed shoulder at 80% venison 20% pork. I've done 80/20 mix with ground brisket and prefer to use pork.

Thank you. Just to clarify - for your 20% pork mix, you use 50% pork belly and 50% shoulder?

 

[MIJosh]

Thank you. Just to clarify - for your 20% pork mix, you use 50% pork belly and 50% shoulder?

Correct

 

[indaswamp]

What do you mean the kind of stick? Are you just talking a seasoning/flavor or the method/type of stick?

Yes, what type/flavor you use...

 

[pineywoods]

I use beef fat if I can get it most places started selling it several years ago then many of them even stopped selling it. I have used brisket and I have used 70/30 burger the burger is easier I think since it's already ground and you know the fat content instead of guessing. I try to get 15-20% fat content

 

[crazymoon]

I40, IMHO, with venison it's always pork butt 70/30 -65/35 %.