What fat for sausage?

[Tod osier]

That's helpful. You may be right. I think the binding agent is an issue that missing.

For most sausages, nothing additional is needed to get a good bind, it is the proteins in the meat, itself. One common problem that leads to a poor bind is over mixing when the batch is too warm and the fat melts and smears all over the protein (called breaking and ends up with a mealy and crumbly sausage). The ground meat should be super cold (not fully frozen) and when mixed, it should get stringy and sticky - that is the bind and it is ready to stuff.

 

[Jstumbaugh]

Mix the blend for about 5 -7 min or so. You will see when the meat gets tacky when the proteins break down. That is your binder. Cook slow to keep the fat in the product. I use 25% fatty pork (shitty chops or pork butt) instead of just fat. I think it makes a huge difference. I don't want fat dripping venison but it gives it a great blend.

 

[Cahunter805]

Use pork butt or shoulder cubed and ground/mixed with your game meat.
Are you using a stuffer? Are you keeping the ground meat chilled before stuffing?

 

[SDHNTR]

Use pork butt or shoulder cubed and ground/mixed with your game meat.
Are you using a stuffer? Are you keeping the ground meat chilled before stuffing?

Yes and yes. So-cold my hands ache when mixing.

 

[Tod osier]

Yes and yes. So-cold my hands ache when mixing.

You can get a good bind with a really small batch by hand, but need something for any batch over a few pounds. A Kitchenaid with a flat blade works, run it for a minute or 2 on medium. Need to do multiple batches.

 

[svivian]

You can get a good bind with a really small batch by hand, but need something for any batch over a few pounds. A Kitchenaid with a flat blade works, run it for a minute or 2 on medium. Need to do multiple batches.

That might be the problem for sure.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

I always use raw pork belly and always fold it with the flat blade on the wife's kitchen aid until tacky after I grind and before I stuff.. I also freeze all grinder parts for about an hour before I start grinding and I like a soft freeze on the meat and pork belly fat, 30ish min before I start grinding...never had any issues...

 

[MJB]

Hey mark. Is that really where that saying came from? So does that mean the back fat is the best to use?

I like to use some belly fat to grind up with the meat to get that bind plus add wine, port or champagne even a little olive oil helps. I'll also let it sit in the fridge for 4-6hrs so the seasonings blend.
I use the back fat, grind once with or without the bind so that it has bigger chucks of back fat for cooking.

Specialty meats did my elk burger with 10% beef back fat.....they had two whole steers hanging for 3 weeks and you can taste the difference in the fat!
They are the best butcher in San Diego county

 

[SDHNTR]

I like to use some belly fat to grind up with the meat to get that bind plus add wine, port or champagne even a little olive oil helps. I'll also let it sit in the fridge for 4-6hrs so the seasonings blend.
I use the back fat, grind once with or without the bind so that it has bigger chucks of back fat for cooking.

Specialty meats did my elk burger with 10% beef back fat.....they had two whole steers hanging for 3 weeks and you can taste the difference in the fat!
They are the best butcher in San Diego county

Specialty Meats? Tell me more. I’ve been struggling to find a good replacement since Jim retired and Tip Top closed. I’ve been DIYing a lot and I’m well past over it.

 

[Fridaythe13th]

I did not read all the comments, this is what we do, never dry. 1/3 of cheap pork 2/3 venison 50 lbs of meat add 2 quarts of water mix in the cure with the water.

 

[MJB]

Nate I lost your number
A new WG butcher is doing good work in Escondido.
9four9303eight1seven four

 

[Azone]

Tods post were on the money, sounds like a binding issue. 25 percent fat is the ratio I go off of and I add 1 cup of wine or water per 5lbs of meat. When you cut into extremely hot meat that has not had a chance to cool down/rest a bit all the steam coming from it is moisture your losing from the meat as well. Try some milk powder for a binder if your still not getting a tight bind.
If it’s not some top secret family recipe and method of doing something, post up some more details.

 

[anthonyjg]

Michael Ruhlman has some good books on charcuterie, which I think include fresh sausage making.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I tried a number of shops after I moved and hated all of them. Finally went back to the gent that made my sausage for years. He admitted no fat but mixed pork shoulder into the elk meat. The ratio was at 20% pork to elk. It was always moist but never greasy. The rest sold me their waste fatty trim at horrible prices. I was not a fan.

 

[doc holiday13]

That's helpful. You may be right. I think the binding agent is an issue that missing.

You might not need a binding agent but you might need to mix the grind more. I prefer to use pork fat when making venison sausage. When your mix starts getting tacky, you know you're getting a good mix/bind. IF you really feel you need more binding, you can add milk powder.

 

[Danny Hoey]

I’ve tried wild game sausage making a million times over the years with some good and some bad results, but never great. The one thing I can’t seem to get right is the fat. I’ve tried just using more of it, and I’ve tried beef versus pork, natural vs collagen casings and every cooking method imaginable. Hot and fast, low and slow, etc. No matter what, my sausages end up dry. All the fat renders out long before the sausage meat is cooked.

So what’s the secret? Is there a particular part of the animal where I should source the fat from? Or ask my butcher for? Like the belly vs the back of pork? I need fat that has a higher melting point, right? How come when I cook a Jimmy Dean or other store bought sausages, there is still fat you can see inside the sausage even after the meat is well cooked? On mine, the fat is long gone and either all dripped through the grill or liquified in the pan. And what’s left over is dry and crumbly. I want left over fat, still mixed in with the meat providing juiciness to the sausage. School me up please.

Are you cooking the sausage and then freezing or freezing raw and then cooking?

 

[Brandon.miller.4]

50/50 pork butts from Sam's club with any wild game. No shame in my game, pork is tasty as hell

 

[Huntin_GI]

This isn't possible, 125 would be rare with no rendering of fat at all. Any ground meat (especially if smoked) needs to be fully cooked unless its cured. Most my sausage made with venison are beef styles and for this I use brisket trim.

I am curious as to why "any ground meat needs to be fully cooked" statement. I understand when dealing with commercial processing, beef, pork, etc. that it all needs to be fully cooked due to the grinding of tons of animals simultaneously but I can't put together why when dealing home processed single animal grind that someone would need to cook to lets say 165*?

If that's the case, why can I eat an elk steak that's 125*? If I grind that steak, add whole fat, and pat out a burger, what risk have I introduced that now requires a higher cooking temp?

 

[TSAMP]

Carrot fiber is a good binding agent and inexpensive. I use it to keep moisture in my snack sticks.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I am curious as to why "any ground meat needs to be fully cooked" statement. I understand when dealing with commercial processing, beef, pork, etc. that it all needs to be fully cooked due to the grinding of tons of animals simultaneously but I can't put together why when dealing home processed single animal grind that someone would need to cook to lets say 165*?

If that's the case, why can I eat an elk steak that's 125*? If I grind that steak, add whole fat, and pat out a burger, what risk have I introduced that now requires a higher cooking temp?

Our favorite snack/lunch when we head to camp out in West Texas is Alsatian Parisa, it's raw ground with jalepeno peppers, onion, and cheese with some lime juice, that's it. Eat it with crackers, insanely good. There's only a handful of markets along the i90 corridor who make/sell it.