Trimming out venison for sausage

[TFX 186]

I don't worry about silver skin. Hair, blood shot meat, glands, and major tendons are out. Example: The whole round gets cut up into chunks and ground up for sausage. I don't trim out the silver skin in any of it. I medium grind the pork and venison, mix in the spices, and then regrind at medium. Everyone that gets some of the finished product comes back for more, so I'll stick with what works for me.

I grind mine the same except I season it after the second grinding. Does adding the seasonings after the first grinding mix it better? Maybe cuts down on the mixing process and freezing your hands while mixing as I don't have a mixer. I might have to try this. Good info KDM.
Also, have you guys noticed that if you keep your extra sausage seasonings over the year for the next season, that they lose some of their potency? I did this last year and my sausage was a little bland. I am thinking my seasonings lost something over the year. Note: I stored them in the fridge.

Fish On!

 

[Fly Carpin]

I grind mine the same except I season it after the second grinding. Does adding the seasonings after the first grinding mix it better? Maybe cuts down on the mixing process and freezing your hands while mixing as I don't have a mixer. I might have to try this. Good info KDM.
Also, have you guys noticed that if you keep your extra sausage seasonings over the year for the next season, that they lose some of their potency? I did this last year and my sausage was a little bland. I am thinking my seasonings lost something over the year. Note: I stored them in the fridge.

Fish On!

The flavor in spices comes from volatile oils. The second the whole spice is ground, it begins losing flavor. Even if left in whole spice form (peppercorns, coriander seeds, etc.), they will lose flavor over time. That said, if anyone still has any McCormick spices in the metal container, you're better off seasoning your meatloaf with sawdust.

 

[TFX 186]

I used to buy a sausage seasoning from L&M meats in Bismarck. They went out of business I understand, or at least the doors were locked when I returned for more seasoning. Just when I find one I really like. I found another one that was good so I bought (extra). So much for that thinking. Thanks for the info Fly. Now I know.

Fish On!

 

[Rowdie]

If I were to grind any of it, I would spend less time getting all the sinew out. All my jerky is whole muscle meat jerky, and when I make a batch, it goes quick. I'll give a piece here or there at wrestling tournaments, always great reviews. I use High Mountain seasoning. I would like to try a liquid maranade.

 

[KDM]

I grind mine the same except I season it after the second grinding. Does adding the seasonings after the first grinding mix it better? Maybe cuts down on the mixing process and freezing your hands while mixing as I don't have a mixer. I might have to try this. Good info KDM.
Also, have you guys noticed that if you keep your extra sausage seasonings over the year for the next season, that they lose some of their potency? I did this last year and my sausage was a little bland. I am thinking my seasonings lost something over the year. Note: I stored them in the fridge.

Fish On!

This is the exact reason I season before the second grind. Also, I like to put some mustard seed in a couple batches to "Liven it up a bit", but not make it hot. Putting the mustard seed in prior to the second grind allows some of the seed to get crushed and mixed in the meat which evens out the flavor by preventing what I call "hot spots" in the finished product. A "hot spot" is when you find a blob of spices in a small portion of sausage. Just about makes a guy gag when you find one. Not a good look for a sausage maker when someone's eyes pop out when they bite into some of your product.

Yes, seasonings will lose their potency after a while. I only save seasoning for 1 year. If I don't use it in the next years sausage making, it hits the garbanjo can.

 

[NDSportsman]

You guys grind up the hams? WTF! That's a lot of wasted steak!

 

[fly2cast]

You guys grind up the hams? WTF! That's a lot of wasted steak!

Agreed. Brown the outside and put in a 400 degree oven until internal temp is 130. Very good steak.

 

[riverview]

when I was young making sausage with my mom and dad we used everything we even cut the rib meat out and put in in sausage. sausage was what you did with the scraps and I don't remember any of the sausage being bad. I do a lot of trimming for sausage today.
Only bad sausage I ever had when I was trimming pork butts I got some shoulder blade bone, spent a year chewing very carefully because of bone bits in my sausage.

 

[deleted member]

Pretty decent buck this year. I am meticulous about taking meat off of the carcass. Everything down to the bone except the rib meat. Neck meat included. I would say i am average when it comes to what is allowed in the sausage pile. Definitely no heavy silver skin, talow, tendons and blood clot meat though. Totals:

10 lbs of loin backstraps. I dont trim the silver skin off before packaging in these since it gets trimmed before cooking. I consider it a bit of a protective barrier from freexer burn.

12 lbs of very clean whole muscle jerky meat that comes from some specific cuts.

6 lbs of those 2 ham roast things. Caveat... i forgot to weigh these before i took them out to the garage freezer. So, this is a guesstimate.

39 lbs of sausage meat.

8 pounds of garbage scrap from trimming up all of the above.

 

[LBrandt]

67# Good buck. Must have been a 3 or four year old.

 

[deleted member]

My buddies have had him on camera. They figure 4.5. Scored just north of 160. Not thick. But, a long lean fella.

 

[Iceman]

My buddies have had him on camera. They figure 4.5. Scored just north of 160. Not thick. But, a long lean fella.

Deer pic please