fgdcd

When you are using ground venison to make sausage or snack sticks are you using the ground burger you get from the processor or are you grinding it yourself? I recently tried to make snack sticks with ground burger from the processor and they didnt turn out very good. I was wondering if it was because of using the burger. I am not really sure what the difference is between the two. Thanks for any advice.

flyinlowe

I guess it depends. Did you have the processor add anything to the burger? If not it should not be any different then what you would grind at home. I don't make my own sausage but I do make my own jerky. For that I grind straight venison with nothing added. The less fat the better for jerky. Not sure about sausage though. I process/butcher all my own deer. My local shop has litteraly won numerous awards for their summer sausage so I don't even try. I just take them some meat.

HuntAway

If the butcher added fat to your venison it would not be the best for snack sticks. You would probably have to add more fat for sausage.
I grind my own and don't add any other fat to it. When I make sausage I add 30% pork fat to the burger. For snack sticks I do not add any fat per se, but I will throw in 20% regular grind beef burger.

So to answer your question. If it went to the buthcer and he larded up your grind, then you made sausage and added more fat, then yes it will make a difference. I like lean meat for snack sticks so the same thing would apply.

HA

fgdcd

Ok thank you. I really dont know if they add anything to the burger. We have been going there for many years and they do a great job. Its a small operation that he does out of his garage and they do about 100 deer per year so no major operation. I have never processed my own deer so I was not sure if it was normal to add something to the burger or not.

jerseyhunter

If he adds any fat for burger it is probably beef suet and not enough for sausage, probably 20%, for sausage you need at least 30% I grind and make my own but if you want to use what you get from the butcher either grind up some pork butt or fat back or buy ground pork and add that to it. Experiment till you see what works or just tell your butcher to add more pork for you.

HuntAway

Ask him if he added any extra fat to the burger. If not you will need to add fat for sausage. Most grocery stores if they have a butcher will give you the fat trimmings for free. Just ask the meat department. Pork butt is about 25% fat so if you add that to venison, your percentage will end up being around 15% so you would have to add more fat for sausage.

HA

flags

I have never taken an animal to a processor. I was taught from a young age to handle wild game from the field to the table. I cut, grind, wrap and freeze it myself. When I get venison ready to grind I remove all fat and silver skin. For burger I grind just the meat. If I'm making sausage I will add a little pork fat to the meat as I grind it. I normally make sausage in 15 lb batches and I use 13 lbs of venison and 2 pounds of pork fat per batch. I want to taste the venison and not the pork.

I can get pork fat for very little cost from the store and I put it in the freezer until it is about half frozen. At that stage I can cut it in small pieces and mix the cut up fat with the trimmed meat and I grind it all together. When the fat is cold it doesn't congeal on the grinder plates and is easier to disperse in the meat. Depending on the seasoning I'm using I may or may not grind the meat with the seasoning already on the meat. Like I said, it depends. Grinding the meat after it has been mixed with the seasoning ensures the seasoning is throughout the sausage.