Sausage Making

[OddJob]

I've got a mincer and sausage maker for Christmas, I would value some advice on good mixes. I don't want to add too much fat (I know it's needed for flavour in part) and will be using pheasant and rabbit at present.

In particular:

- amount of seasoning and herbs

- is rusk needed and if so what is the best sort

- ratio of pork to other meats.

 

Thanks.

[Walker570]

Bushwear do the rusk mixes. However, I have made sausage without rusk with the excess ground meat when I have been making game pies and the mixture contained all sorts, pheasant, partridge, pigeon, badger (no just kiddin), venison, plus a third of the total, streaky smoked bacon. I also add pickled jalapenos, chopped small or put through the grinder with the meat and I was surprised how well they were received in the game pies. I also have some spice mixes from the USA, which I do not think you can get here but a mix of black pepper, salt, garlic granules etc., should work. DO NOT use white pepper, did that once and it was horrible , even the dog wouldn't eat them. Just take a look in your local GOOD butchers shop and see the different blends they do, leek, black pudding, cranberry the skies the limit. I'm making burgers this week for next weeks shoot lunch break and the mix will be more or less the same. You do need that streaky bacon in there to add some fat for the sausage to cook but not go dry. I find a third of the total mix works well.

When I used rusk, I only used about 20% volume.

Basically follow your nose and palate. A great way to use up all of those snipped offcuts from butchering venison or that badly knocked about pheasant. I use all of the meat from the shoulders of munties because not much else you can use them for. Have fun.

 

on edit. If you want to use pork, then use the same as the streaky bacon, if you are including game meats. There are probably a thousand or more variations on a theme. On my last trip to Slovenia my chef friend made sausage for us from the meat off a small yearling red stag I had shot the day before. It was delicious and I believe smoked.

Edited December 28, 2016 by Walker570

[sky gipsy]

Good advise there from Walker on the fat ratio, I use exactly the same, either very streaky bacon or pork back fat (which I prefer). Rember there is a good bit of fat on a well fed pheasant that you can add.

Loads of seasoning mixes available and forum advise on sausagemaking.org.

[bakerboy]

Contact Colinlad he is the man

[Fatcatsplat]

_{As Walker 570 says, SPG is your friend on the seasoning side - I tend to have a shaker pot with Salt, Pepper, Garlic and Onion Powder to hand whenever I make anything - A little sweet or smoked paprika goes down a treat as well. If you're going to use herbs, fresh tastes a lot better and stronger than dried and if you're going to use heat, err on the side of caution unless you want to end up with a plate full that nobody will eat!!}

 

_{Does your butcher sell minted lamb chops or Chinese style chicken? If they do, they'll use a powder mix which they might sell/give you a bit of. They're fairly strong and can overpower food, but big flavours work.}

 

_{If you're smoking or making dried sausage, cut down on the fat, but if it's a British Banger they want, the third fat method above works a treat.}

 

_{If in doubt about whether you've got it right or not, take a small pinch of your final mix and grill it to see how the flavours work when cooked - You can then adjust everything to suit.}

 

_{Finally, if you freeze any, do them in batches of 4 or 6 and remember to label them}

Edited December 30, 2016 by Fatcatsplat

[Walker570]

If any of you happen to be in the USA or have a friend visiting ask them to nip into an HEB store or similar and ask for some Tony Chachere's Original Creole seasoning. It is superb on anything, even just a sprinkle on your potato chips before you drop them in the fat.

A blend of salt, red pepper, black pepper, chili powder(chili pepper,spices,salt,garlic powder),garlic. You could of course make your own mixture. They also do a hotter version and a salt free version and a herb version. They are all very good.

[Daveyp]

Get some great mixes from these guys.

 

https://www.scobiesdirect.com/Products.asp?ProdCatItems=Sausages:+Traditional+Mix

[Piebob]

Had a go at sausage making for the first time at the weekend. I used pheasant, partridge, pigeon and woodcock along with some rusk, pork belly for the fat and some seasoning - all into hog casings I got from Weschenfelder. https://www.weschenfelder.co.uk/

 

Kids loved them - clean plates!

 

 

Edited March 15, 2017 by Piebob

[ab1964]

20% to 30% fat I put in my game mince. Most of it cooks out.

 

Go less than 20% and you're talking dry nasty tasteless sausage.

 

That's my opinion and you're entitled to it,...

[E.w.]

My god, i wish I was living next door to you, I would have scrounged a few of them sausages for my frying pan, my mouth is watering just looking at them, nice job chap well done.

[Walker570]

Cannot beat your home made with your own harvested game meats and yes I use about a 1/3rd pork belly. I'm going to try making some similar to cheriso and also smoking some in the near future ....no NOT setting fire to 'em ..I could see what was coming there. Haha Ha!!

Personally I like them big , like Cumberland's, but some really small spicy sausages would be interesting if we had friends for a meal as a starter or just with drinks prior to eating. Same with the smoked version, cold, cut very thin with a glass of Prosecco with a finger of sloe gin in the bottom would start the evening off nicely. Sausages don't need to be boring.

[gustaff]

look at tim weschlender sausage making supplies at middlesborough they go to many game fairs brilliant recipes mixes and advice all skins and gear i have used them for years now