Have not found any local processors that will make venison hot links, so I decided to make my own this weekend. This was my first attempt ever at sausages of any kind, so it was a learning experience. Went to the grocery store and the butcher gave me all the pork fat I wanted, so I started with 10 lbs of pork fat. No idea on weight of venison I used, I just tried to eyeball it and make it 50/50. Started off with a coarse grind on the meat. I have a hand grinder, fine for small things, not so much on a project like this. Anyone that is looking for a Christmas present for me can get me an electric grinder.
I used a recipe I found off the internet, but I wasn't too sure of it, so I made two batches and made up my own recipe on the other. Mixed all my spices with the meat, covered, and let it sit in the fridge for a day to let everything marry.
Next day was stuffing day. I was a bit pumped about this, as I had never done it. I had ordered some hog casings earlier in the week, so I soaked them and rinsed the salt off, loaded onto the stuffer and went to cranking. I employed the help of a friend, really took two people to feed the casing and crank the grinder. The second time through the grinder, I used a medium die thinking it would still be a bit of a meaty cut and not the typical hotlink/bologna consistency. This is the one thing that I would have changed. It came out as a typical hotlink consistency, which was fine since i was making hot links, but for any other sausages I would not have wanted it that fine.
Now it was time for the smoker. Cooked up a couple of racks of ribs and threw the links in for some smoke time. I smoked them with persimmon wood for a couple of hours. This was my first time to use persimmon, I am normally a hickory man, but I had been wanting to try some ribs over persimmon. It was a very light smoke, sweeter than apple, highly recommend.
All in all, they turned out great and I thoroughly enjoyed the process. When I want a hot link, I want a hot link. Not some yankee style sausage with no fire to it. I kicked these up pretty good and they were spicy like I like them. I will be doing this more in the future, fo sho.
I used a recipe I found off the internet, but I wasn't too sure of it, so I made two batches and made up my own recipe on the other. Mixed all my spices with the meat, covered, and let it sit in the fridge for a day to let everything marry.
Next day was stuffing day. I was a bit pumped about this, as I had never done it. I had ordered some hog casings earlier in the week, so I soaked them and rinsed the salt off, loaded onto the stuffer and went to cranking. I employed the help of a friend, really took two people to feed the casing and crank the grinder. The second time through the grinder, I used a medium die thinking it would still be a bit of a meaty cut and not the typical hotlink/bologna consistency. This is the one thing that I would have changed. It came out as a typical hotlink consistency, which was fine since i was making hot links, but for any other sausages I would not have wanted it that fine.
Now it was time for the smoker. Cooked up a couple of racks of ribs and threw the links in for some smoke time. I smoked them with persimmon wood for a couple of hours. This was my first time to use persimmon, I am normally a hickory man, but I had been wanting to try some ribs over persimmon. It was a very light smoke, sweeter than apple, highly recommend.
All in all, they turned out great and I thoroughly enjoyed the process. When I want a hot link, I want a hot link. Not some yankee style sausage with no fire to it. I kicked these up pretty good and they were spicy like I like them. I will be doing this more in the future, fo sho.
