...and some insight,

What are y'all's favorite sausage recipes? I found a few online for feral hog sausage. HOWEVER, every recipe I found calls for pork fat. I don't have pork fat and feral hogs are relatively lean. I DO have access to beef fat/tallow. The guy at the meat market who is selling us his grinder said he could keep it for us. Is this the same, meaning does it really matter, so long as there is some sort of fat used, or will pork fat taste better?

Thanks.

Pork fat rules, per Emeril :D

Feral hogs will make fine sausage, as is.

Try to shoot a sow. That's helpful hint #1. They generally have more fat.

Save the meat from the ribs/belly. There will be some fat there, and that will be your starting point. That's hint #2.

Neck meat has some fat too; I like to make sausage, so I avoid neck shots. Neck roasts are also good in the crock pot, so use as you see fit.

Mix the rib/belly meat, with the neck, and then enough shoulder to get the consistency you want. It'll take an attempt or two..... just some experience you'll have get on your own.

The backstraps, tenderloins, and hams are good, as-is. No need to grind them; the exception is if I bone out a ham for roasts or steaks. Then the scraps get ground.

You can also get bacon ends/pieces at the grocery store, if it turns out you need just a little fat.

Quick test after you grind it: if you can fry up a bit in a pan without it sticking, you're probably OK.

By the way... grind a batch, mix spices, and let it set overnight in the fridge. Taste it again in the morning - you'll be amazed at the difference.

I usually grind course, then mix spices and let it sit overnight. Then grind fine the next day, and stuff casings, etc.

Thanks for the hints Mike, the meat guy said to first grind with the chili meat plate, mix the spices, etc then switch to the sausage plate. We will probably just keep the sausage in ziplock baggies in 1/2-1lb increments until we get 1) a stuffer or the sausage tube for our grinder 1)we find a place to get the casings. BTW, Mike, where do you get your casings, can you order them online? The butcher uses 2lb plastic bags for his so we can't get the casings from him.

Thanks again.

I've bought all of the casings I've used directly from a local butcher. My suggestion, get the artificial (dry) casings that you don't have to soak. Much easier to mess with. The natural ones work fine but tend to get tangled up.

I'm sure you can find them on-line. I'd give you the brand name, except I don't have the slightest idea what it was.

Niner,

What are the hole diameters in what you are referring to as a "chili meat plate and a sausage meat plate"? I have a variety of plates and am still trying to determine which is best for what. www.lemproducts.com that I suggested as a possible source for a grinder has a variety of casings available.

I am not sure exactly, I was supposed to pick it up this evening but I guess he forgot, hopefully get it tomorrow.

BREAKFAST Sausage

2 lbs lean ground venison
2 lbs ground pork
1/3 cup ice water plus 2 tbsp
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp ground thyme
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
wax paper


LEAN fresh sausage

1 lb ground venison
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper


CAJUN sausage

3 lbs ground venison
3 lbs ground pork
2/3 cup soy protein concentrate
2 tbsp Morton’s tenderquick mix
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp minced dehydrated onions
1 tbsp cayenne
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp thyme

smoke the sausages over hickory chips

We've made all of these.. Found the cajun caused a little too much indijestion...

also found a Brawt recipit that turned out good..

Good luck

Nate

Niner,

What are the hole diameters in what you are referring to as a "chili meat plate and a sausage meat plate"? I have a variety of plates and am still trying to determine which is best for what. www.lemproducts.com that I suggested as a possible source for a grinder has a variety of casings available.

OK I pulled out my calipers

Chili plate = 0.5030 in. or 12.78 mm so perhaps 1/2"
Sausage plate = 0.1845 in. or 4.68 mm so perhaps 3/16"
Hamburger plate = 0.1235 in. or 3.13 mm so perhaps 1/8"

Run the Chili plate on the first pass.

Mix spices, then run the hamburger plate.

I would like to make some tasty sausage. For those of us without access to wild pigs, I'll bet equal weights of pork shoulders and venison would make a good mix.

ITALIAN SWEET FENNEL SAUSAGE

3# pork butt, cubed
3/4# pork fat, cubed
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tsp. kosher salt
2 TBSP fennel seeds
1 TBSP white pepper
1/8 tsp allspice
1 tsp oregano
1/2 cup dry red wine
medium hog casings (optional)

Grind pork and fat thru 3/8" plate. Add spices. Mix well. Shape into patties or if casings used- stuff. Grill or fry.
*I used wild hog and this recipe went great*

You roast those fennel seeds, or use them as is?

Can't speak for nuprofessor , but we've just thrown um in as is...