Processing Week 2023...

[indaswamp]

Got the kitchen all set up tonight. Ready to hit the ground running 6a.m. sharp! Got all the seasonings mixed up...
150# cajun smoke sasuage seasoning
100# cajun fresh sausage seasoning
25# jalapeno and cheddar smoke sausage seasoning
40# brat seasoning
50# cajun breakfast sausage seasoning.

And I brought all the spices, so if we need more I can mix it up right quick.

 

[pineywoods]

Looking forward to the pictures and story

 

[indaswamp]

Long day....about to pass out in bed. Will post pics. and a write up when I can. Only thing I will say is WOW! Wild hog/domestic pork Brats are a home run! So awesome!

 

[indaswamp]

So I got home late lastnight. Did not get to bed until around 1 a.m.
So far...
65# 50/50 Ven./pork cajun breakfast sausage (plastic bags)
75# 60/40 Ven./pork cajun fresh sausage (cased, links)
45# 50/50 Ven./pork ground burger
214# 40/60 Ven./beef ground buger

Everything below is Wild Hog/ Domestic Hog grind:
50# brats
25# jalapeno & cheddar smoke sausage
175# Cajun smoke sausage

Have to do final grind and stuff the smoke sausages today. We did coarse grind with seasoning and cure#1 yesterday and let sit in fridge overnight. I slept in this morning, about to head over there to finish up.

 

[indaswamp]

Everything is stuffed into casing. Now to smoke them. Will have to do 2 smoke sessions so will start tomorrow morning as they are calling for gusty winds here Weds.

 

[indaswamp]

Pics...
Saran wrap cling film over the fridge handles..

Binder for fresh sausage...0.25% STPP, 3% water, 1.5% NFDM powder...mixed with a blender and whisk attachment....

Venison coarse grind through the kidney plate...

Fine grind thru 6mm plate for Cajun fresh sausages...

Binder on the fresh sausage, about ready to mix...

First coil of fresh out of the stuffer...

Cousin messing with one of the club members that could not make processing day. They had fun labeling his gound meat bags! This one is G rated.....LOL!!!

mixing the 40/40/20 venison/ beef/ beef fat grind...

Had 215# of Ven./Beef grind...

60/40 Venison/pork Cajun Fresh sausage links and 50/50 Venison/ pork grind

2nd grind on the wild/domestic pork Brats 4.5mm plate (~35% fat)...

First coil of Brats...

Links of Brats...

Stuffing Venison/Beef grind into bags...

Some of the leftover wild and domestic pork for the smoke sasuage..

More Fresh sausage...

Finished product in Ice chests....

Wild/ domestic pork Jalapeno and Cheddar smoke sasuage links...

 

[indaswamp]

Mixing the jalapeno and cheddar smoke sausage...

 

[TNJAKE]

Jealous lol. Looks amazing bud

 

[indaswamp]

Jealous lol. Looks amazing bud

Thanks Jake!

 

[indaswamp]

Well, looks like first batch of smoke sausage will hit the smokehouse Tuesday. Need to clean the kitchen at the safety center tomorrow morning....

 

[indaswamp]

Went thru 2 hanks of 32-35mm casing, plus a little I had left in the fridge....

Doing some math....around $0.89 per pound for the finished product. (not including recreational cost to harvest the deer). Not bad.....

 

[tallbm]

Man that is all so awesome! Motorized stuffer has to be nice!

I hear ya on the work aspect. I don't do that much but I debone, grind, stuff, seal, and smoke a few hundred pounds each year.

Right now I'm beat down with rehabbing my rent house. Former tenants were filthy animals and the whole house needs a lot of attention. I think I'm over the halfway mark but I'm putting in time on it like you are doing with your process. I just don't have much extra help so, time for me to quit whining and "grind" on :D

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Wow Keith, that is impressive man…. What a haul! You will be eating good for a while!

 

[indaswamp]

Got the first half loaded up in the smokehouse to dry the casings this morning. 3 sausages on the left are regular Cajun smoke sausage, the 6 on the right are jalapeno and cheese...separated by string. Gonna smoke with cherry and hickory.

Gonna be a hot one today-86*F for the high and might break a record. Heat wave in the SE for sure! Will be smoking meat and doing yard work in shorts! LOL! I'm just glad we had that cold front push though while we were processing the meat. was 33*F for the low Saturday and 37*F on Sunday.

 

[indaswamp]

Man that is all so awesome! Motorized stuffer has to be nice!

I hear ya on the work aspect. I don't do that much but I debone, grind, stuff, seal, and smoke a few hundred pounds each year.

Right now I'm beat down with rehabbing my rent house. Former tenants were filthy animals and the whole house needs a lot of attention. I think I'm over the halfway mark but I'm putting in time on it like you are doing with your process. I just don't have much extra help so, time for me to quit whining and "grind" on :D

Thanks tallbm! The motorized stuffer is a must have doing this much meat. We use to do just Dad, my bother and I....about 200# a year. Did that with a 5kg. stuffer. When we started doing the processing for the whole club, that is when I upgraded to a 30# electric stuffer. Night and Day difference! That same stuffer now runs around $1k....I bought it on sale and paid $550 for it. It has definitely paid for itself with savings from not bringing game meat to a processor!

 

[indaswamp]

Wow Keith, that is impressive man…. What a haul! You will be eating good for a while!

Thanks RHB! And yes indeed! Freezers will be full again! Those brats are so good...my friend in Kansas wants me to make some goose brats....40 goose/60 pork...

 

[indaswamp]

Few more pictures...

First grind on pork fat...

40/40/20 ven./beef/beef fat final grind thru 4.5mm plate...

Cajun Fresh Sausage...

50/50 Ven./pork first grind mixing...

Cousin's freezer restocked (empty top shelf is for his smoke sausage)...

 

[indaswamp]

First round of smoke sausages are done...
(The six links on the right are Jalapeno and cheese, as well as the entire second pole)

Cross cut on the Jalapeno and cheddar...

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

First round of smoke sausages are done...
(The six links on the right are Jalapeno and cheese, as well as the entire second pole)
View attachment 658456

Cross cut on the Jalapeno and cheddar...
View attachment 658458

That’s a helluva cut shot Keith! Man, that looks phenomenal… a slice or two would be awesome with a cold one! You all done a top notch job!

 

[pineywoods]

Impressive you guys have a great system it looks like. That freezer looks very full.