# First Try at Vension Summer Sausage



## tastetester (Mar 3, 2020)

Since I've got the smoker running again, and at the same  time have a bunch of ground venison in the freezer, I figured I needed to try my hand as summer sausage.

I used about a 60/40 mix of venison and pork shoulder and a spice recipe I got from my sister.  Ground the pork through some old grinder with a odd plate with large holes.






Then I mixed the two together and added the spices and reground them through a 3/16 plate in an old Enterprise grinder.  Does this look like about the right texture, etc?





Packed it into the ancient stuffer










And stuffed into some muslin tubes I ran up this morning on the old sewing machine.





I need some practice on both my stuffing and my knot tying.  Or one of those hog ring pliers.  It's in the fridge now for a couple of days of fermenting.  Fried up a burger from the blow by and leavings.





Very tasty and very much a summer sausage texture to it.  I hope it has the same texture when it comes out of the smoker.

Have a great day,
Michael


----------



## smokerjim (Mar 3, 2020)

looks tasty, will be watching for the finished pics


----------



## crazymoon (Mar 3, 2020)

TT, You are off to a good start, I hope you added some cure #1 to your recipe to stay safe.


----------



## tastetester (Mar 3, 2020)

Yes, cure #1.  Here is the recipe.
  Ingredients:
   1)       6 lbs coarse ground venison
  2)       4 lbs course ground fatty pork butt/shoulder
  3)       3/4 cup + 1 tblsp low fat cultured buttermilk
                 (Cultured buttermilk will help give sausage its "tangy" flavor.)
  4)       2 tblsp non-fat dry milk, for binder and additional lactose for fermenting
  5)       2 tsp (0.40 oz) of Prague Powder #1
  6)       4 tblsp + 2 tsp kosher salt, can substitute 4 tblsp of pickling salt
  7)       2 tblsp whole mustard seed
  8)       3 tblsp coarse ground black pepper
  9)       4 tsp sugar, for fermenting to get tang.
10)      1 tblsp garlic powder
11)      1 tblsp onion powder
12)      2 tblsp paprika
13)      1 tsp ground marjoram
14)      1/4 tsp ground ginger
15)      1/4 tsp ground coriander
16)      1 tsp monosodium glutamate (optional), Same as Accent seasoning

I got it from my sister, but I think I've run across it on the internet, too, while I was looking for recipes.  I'm still working on my order for freeze dried cultures, casings and all the rest of it.  Hopefully I will have that ordered before the weekend and have my fermentation chamber up and running by next week.  Then I will be able to try some different recipes.

It's very tasty in burger form, Jim.  I'm hoping it will pick up some tang in the next couple of days in the fridge.  i expect to be smoking it either on Thurs  and  Fri, and will post some finished photos then.  I guess since i have about a pound that didn't make it into a tube in the same drawer in the fridge I can try it every day in burger form and see how the tang is coming along.  That will be a tough job.  Ha ha.

Thanks,
Michael


----------



## pushok2018 (Mar 3, 2020)

Looks good. Watching....


----------



## smokerjim (Mar 3, 2020)

tastetester said:


> I can try it every day in burger form and see how the tang is coming along. That will be a tough job. Ha ha.


yeah testing is hell


----------



## Winterrider (Mar 3, 2020)

Looks like a job Well done. I have an old stuffer like that also. Hasn't seen any use in years with the Cabelas and Lem


----------



## gary s (Mar 3, 2020)

looking good

Gary


----------



## pc farmer (Mar 3, 2020)

Great thread so far.   I want to see smoker pics and finished pics.    I really like using muslin bags.  I have a old enterprize stuffer too.   I dont use it thou.


----------



## tony111 (Mar 3, 2020)

Looking Good! Waiting to see the end product. The enterprise leaves a nice hand full in the bottom for a test fry. I still use mine for sausage, pressing crackling and squeezing out some sour mash.


----------



## tastetester (Mar 3, 2020)

Winterrider said:


> Looks like a job Well done. I have an old stuffer like that also. Hasn't seen any use in years with the Cabelas and Lem





pc farmer said:


> Great thread so far.   I want to see smoker pics and finished pics.    I really like using muslin bags.  I have a old enterprize stuffer too.   I dont use it thou.


Thanks guys.  I'm  afraid I run a pretty low budget operation, by necessity.  But if I may ask, what don't you like about the Enterprise, besides the fact that it weighs 150 lbs empty and rusts at the speed of light?  ha ha.  It will probably have to do me for awhile.  I would like to budget for a new grinder, though.  Anyone have a suggestion for a good low cost grinder?

I liked the muslin bags, too, Adam.  And very handy to be able to run out another yard in about 10 minutes if I run short.  I hope they take to the smoking part of the job as well as I'm hoping they will.

Thanks,
Michael


----------



## pc farmer (Mar 3, 2020)

tastetester said:


> Thanks guys.  I'm  afraid I run a pretty low budget operation, by necessity.  But if I may ask, what don't you like about the Enterprise, besides the fact that it weighs 150 lbs empty and rusts at the speed of light?  ha ha.  It will probably have to do me for awhile.  I would like to budget for a new grinder, though.  Anyone have a suggestion for a good low cost grinder?
> 
> I liked the muslin bags, too, Adam.  And very handy to be able to run out another yard in about 10 minutes if I run short.  I hope they take to the smoking part of the job as well as I'm hoping they will.
> 
> ...


They will.  I just made these.


----------



## tastetester (Mar 3, 2020)

pc farmer said:


> They will.  I just made these.


Nice.  Looks like they took the smoke very well, indeed.
Thanks,
Michael


----------



## SmokinAl (Mar 4, 2020)

They look like winners to me!
Nice work!
Al


----------



## tastetester (Mar 7, 2020)

Got the sausages smoked yesterday.
Starting up





Some smoke after they dried for an hour or so.





Getting close to ready to pull





They stalled out at 140 degrees internal in the 165 degree smoker.  They were above 135 for about 2 hours and at 140 for about a half hour.  Hope that is good.





Chilled in ice water and put into the fridge.  This morning I opened up the one that I had the probe in.





They lost 14% of their weight during the smoke.





Not as  much tang as I might have hoped for and I would maybe cut back on the garlic a little.  The texture is very good.

Michael


----------



## pc farmer (Mar 7, 2020)

Looks great


----------



## daveomak (Mar 7, 2020)

The pasteurization times for beef, lamb and pork are listed in Table C.1. Table C.2 lists the pasteurization times for chicken and turkey.
Temperature...  .......    Time....  .......    Temperature...  ........    Time
°F (°C)    (Minutes)     °F (°C)    (Seconds)
130 (54.4)...........            112 min        
131 (55.0) .........    89 min...........    
132 (55.6)..........    71 min............    
133 (56.1)..................    56 min............    
134 (56.7)..................    45 min...........    
135 (57.2)..................    36 min............
136 (57.8)..................    28 min...........    
137 (58.4).................    23 min............    
138 (58.9)..................    18 min...........    
139 (59.5)..................    15 min    ...........
140 (60.0)....................    12 min............    
141 (60.6)..................    9 min..............    
142 (61.1)..................    8 min.............    
143 (61.7)..............    6 min        
144 (62.2)..................    5 min        
145 (62.8)..................    4 min        
Table C.1: Pasteurization times for beef, corned beef, lamb, pork and cured pork (FDA, 2009, 3-401.11.B.2).


----------



## chopsaw (Mar 7, 2020)

Looks great . Put them in a paper bag , and hold in the fridge for a few days , or longer  .


----------



## tastetester (Mar 7, 2020)

pc farmer said:


> Looks great


Thanks Adam.  I like the way the muslin casings worked out.


daveomak said:


> The pasteurization times for beef, lamb and pork are listed in Table C.1. Table C.2 lists the pasteurization times for chicken and turkey.
> Temperature...  .......    Time....  .......    Temperature...  ........    Time
> °F (°C)    (Minutes)     °F (°C)    (Seconds)
> 130 (54.4)...........            112 min
> ...


Thanks for scattering this table around the forum, Dave.  I was referring to it last night when it was approaching my bedtime and stuck at 140.  So I knew it should be safe per the general instance.  That never keeps me from worrying about the specific instant.  I guess I'll know the answer to that question by tomorrow.


chopsaw said:


> Looks great . Put them in a paper bag , and hold in the fridge for a few days , or longer  .


I'll try that.  I'm sort of surprised at how well the smoke has equalized overnight.  And, given the weight loss, how moist and tender it is on the outside edges.

Thanks all,
Michael


----------



## disco (Mar 7, 2020)

Looks great from here! Big like!


----------



## tastetester (Mar 8, 2020)

disco said:


> Looks great from here! Big like!


Thanks disco.  After another 24 hours in the fridge the flavors have melded nicely.






I made a nice big sandwich out of that and some cheddar I smoked a couple o weeks ago for breakfast.  Of champions.  Haha.

Michael


----------

