hungry?

[Dirty Sanchez]

righteo,

got myself errr.... the missus a kenwood food processor with suasage mincer / maker.

Has anyone got any recipes that they do themselves and vouch for ?

Ive looked on the net and the search hits are overwhelming, too many to comprehend.


Im trying to master several recipes in my sausage repitoir.


Ive got a pile of venison (red) bits left over. Will have a pig in the freezer soon enough.
I managed to find some roo from the gourmet section in the local supmarket
from most of the recipes ive read the pork makes it to most snags for fat content. So i want to master;

1. a roo based one.
2. a venison one.


any experiences tips regarding ingredients, skins, my sausage machine

[Antarcher]

sent you a pm

[Luke]

C'mon Ant, why no sharey the recipe?

Is it that good you have to keep it top secret 8) :lol:

Luke :D

[jindydiver]

We hade the same problem when we started, there is so much info and all the recipes you find on the net sound like they will taste like fat dipped in salt. I suspect that a lot of recipes people post are just ones they have heard about and they have never actually tried them. :roll:


Our favorite sausage recipe so far

1.5 kg Fallow buck meat
250 grams pig rib meat
125 grams basil pesto
30ml salt
10 tablespoons rice flour
300 ml water

The rib meat is for the fat, it is the tail end of bacon and good stuff is about 50% fat.

The basil pesto we have been using is the “Copperpot” brand from the supermarket (with cashews).

The rice flour holds it all together, and the salt is essential to make it firm, we use a 20ml cup full per kg. We tried to get by with just a teaspoon or two per batch but the water separates out a bit without it and the sausages are crumbly.

The water is adjusted so that the meat becomes like a slightly wet dough.

When you think you have a good mix, cook some in a pattie on the stove to test the taste before you make the sausages. Without the salt in it will hold together brilliantly as a pattie, but in the skins it steams and isn’t any good.


We have a local butcher that does gourmet sausages and he is very helpful and sells us the skins. We make thick ones and the skins cost $30 for about 50 of them and we use 3 when we make 2 batches of snags. The rest are just kept in lots of salt in the fridge. You prepare them by separating one out and washing it on cold water and sticking the end on the tap and giving it some water inside too. You just need a couple of litres inside and you push it through.
When you first start the filling you need to prick a hole in the end you tied so the air in the machine can get out. Don’t over fill them or it is hard to tie them into links, you will risk busting the skins.

Thaw your meat before you grind it. If it is still frozen you will grind it very fine.
I grind it when I am cutting up the deer and make 500 gram batches in freezer bags, like big salami size. I do the same with the pig rib meat and then when I feel like making some snags I get the right amount of bags from the freezer and let them defrost in the bottom of the fridge. They are long and thin so they thaw well but stay very cold.

Each batch goes into a mixer with a bread hook and all the bits are added and it is mixed for 20 minutes or so. Then it is into the skins. To get the last bit of meat out of the sausage filler, have some bread near by and stuff it into the machine at the end. It will force the meat out so none is wasted.


When you find a butcher to sell you the skins he can also sell you the commercial binder. It is basically just rice flour and salt with some dried spices included. It cost $12 or more for a kilo, brown rice flour at the wholefoods shop costs $4 a kilo.

Make thick ones first go and cook them slow in the oven first time so you can see how your snag skills are going. You would know how critical cooking times can be with deer steaks, and you want to be testing your making skills alone and not your cooking skills first time. :wink:



Have fun

I have probably forgoten something, ask away if you have any questions

[Luke]

Now I just gotta go shoot me a fallow :D...sounds like a good challenge :twisted:

[jindydiver]

I wouldn't waste good meat on snags Luke. You need to knock over a few before you have enough waste to bother.

The meat that goes into the snags is all the bits we can't make into roasts or steaks, and all the meat off older animals we get. A mate shot a nice buck this rut and the meat is sweet as, but it is a bit stringy (wouldn't worry a lot of people, but we are a bit spoilt) and so a lot of the buck went into snags.
Fallow shoulders are a bit light on for meat too, but you can get about 1.5 kg from one animal so it can be worth taking if you make snags

[Antarcher]

Jindy when you shoot an old stag, or billy for that matter, and the meat is a little to chewy then sausages and jerky are the main go in my opinion.

OK Luke here it is for everyone to see and if people want to know how to make jerky then I will put that up too.


First I have 70% game meat and 30% lean pork.

For every 10kg of meat I add 1kg of beef or pork fat. Otherwise they will be way too dry.

Every 1kg of meat add 25grams of salt.

Every 10kg of meat add one head of crushed garlic.

Every 10kg add 200g of sweet crushed paprika with seeds.

Add some sweet smoked paprika to colour to your liking. Not too much as it can get a bit hot.

Hang the sausages for 10 to 14 days and they will be right.

Alternately (and preferably) smoke the sausages if you have access to a smoker or a butcher that does it for you. They will be even better then.

Make sure you mix it all up very well, to get an even distribution of seasoning and meat, before you mince it.

You can either lightly fry or eat the sausages in their seasoned form.

I have made both goat and deer sausages this year and they are both excellent. Jerky is another excellent way to enjoy game meats.

I have also made a new recipe for back straps where you turn them into Prosciuto. This would be one of the better tasting ways to eat game meats I have ever tried. Very hard to beat and not hard to make.

Cheers, Antonio.

[Luke]

Thanks for sharing mate! 8)


Luke

[jindydiver]

I am keen to hear how you go with the back strap prosciutto. We have been wanting to try to make a speck too. We think the buck’s loins would have made great prosciuttohttp://www.madmick3006.com/Gif_pics/forum_fun/thumbs_up.gif

[Antarcher]

Jindy: I have to consult the father in law for the exact details as I was merely a spectator and happy recipient of the speck. Will put it up when I know all the finer details. It will be worth it let me assure you.

[hawkeye]

yep, next time i expect a sack of sausages instead of half a carcass to cut up DS and can you supply a bottle of red (west aust of course) to go with as well. ta. :wink:

[Dirty Sanchez]

Jindy, yet again u have proved to be the guru of game cuisine.

Im eagerly awaiting the proscutto recipe from Antarcher :wink:

Thanks guys, cant wait to givem a go.

Hawkeye,
dont worry, u will be a suitable guinea pig to try my first several batches....
Ive been in on a few sausage making afternoons, where a few crew turn up with variuos bits of their victims and do a big batch of different recipes etc. All good fun while a few cans are being downed

Hawk, have you done any roasts yet ?my missus has just about finished off all the thin shcnitzel leg steaks i cut off one leg :shock:

.

[Antarcher]

Well guys, here is the recipe for making the speck (prosciutto). It is very simple yet very tasty and one of my favourite ways to make use of venison. Particularly tough old ones. Works excellent for pigs too.

Take a whole back strap of venison, cut it in half to fit it in a bucket. Crush a head of garlic and add it. Cover the whole meat with alot of salt and mix it in. Over 36 hours turn it 4 or 5 times.
Take it out of the salt mix and wash it down with warm water.
Hang it in the breeze or cool room for at least 10 days, usually a little more. Though whilst it is hanging you can feel it for preference. Alternately you can smoke it for quicker results.

You can add some chilli to the salt mix or other herbs and spices if you like. But the way it is described tastes great as it is. Enjoy.

[jindydiver]

Ant
I have been exploring getting a coolroom for home so I can keep up the meatworks projects over summer. I reckon I will have to try the backstrap speck for sure :D

[jindydiver]

I thought I better put in my latest recipe, roast with gravy sausages.

1.5kg venison
.5kg pork rib meat
1 x 30gram package of “Maggi Tuscan Beef”
1 pack of pre made gravy (in the maggi section at the supermarket, just heat and serve stuff)
8 tablespoons of rice flour
20ml of salt
100ml of water or stock (I use venison stock we made ourselves)

Using stock gives it some onion and capsicum flavour too, just like when you are roasting vegi's :D

I use fat sheep intestines and after they are made they drain for a couple of days and then if any are left they go in the freezer.

These make great rissoles too, and the bits left in the grinder are cooked up straight away and my son finishes them off before anybody else gets a chance to have some.

When the snags are cooking you can smell the hint of roast with gravy, it is a welcome smell for the wife when she gets home from work :D

[Puk]

Oh hell,
You guys are making me so hungry.....

Jindy, you said something about knowing how important cooking times are for venison steaks.
To quote Schultz from Hogan's heroes: "I know nuthink!"

I have had a few people say they have tried venison and it was awful. I assumed this had to do with the preparation or cooking not being right, as i have heard others say how beautiful it is.

could you please enlighten a few of us about how to prepare/cook venison, either as kebabs, steaks, whatever?

Puk

[Jacob Goodwin]

I thought I better put in my latest recipe, roast with gravy sausages.

Jindy, I'm afraid I must insist on a new forum rule that if you post recipes like these, you'll have to send out samples to everyone. :wink:
I'm reading these at my desk at work and suddenly find myself gnawing on my arm and slobbering all over my key board!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Jake
[/quote]

[Antarcher]

Puk, here is an excellent way to cook venison.

Braised Venison

First cut venison into medallions about 10mm thick place into large bowl.

Get two large onions and cut them into 6 wedges.

Cut up three cloves of garlic. Quite chunky.

Add italian mixed herbs. Get them in the spice section at woolies.

Add pirri pirri spice. It's hot so flavour to your taste.

A pinch of salt and mix it all up together.

Lightly fry till the venison gets a little brown. Then add enough white wine so that the venison is completely covered. (Could pour a full can of beer if no wine available)

Turn the heat down so that the wine simmers and place a lid over the pan (electric frypans work well for this). As the wine thins out after about 1/2 hour, add the same amount of wine, or beer, again. This time add a table spoon of paprika and cook the same for another 1/2 hour.

The meat will melt in your mouth and the sauce is magic to soak up with bread.

Cheers and enjoy, just writing has made want to cook it again. Antonio.

[Puk]

Ohh yeah. Sounds fantastic.
I have got to get me a deer.

Too bad there isn't an emoticon of someone drooling.

Puk

[jindydiver]

I like the braised venison Ant. One thing with braising is that the pot shouldn’t be simmering too hard, if it is boiling it can toughen the meat.


Anyway, onto the steaks.
I find the most important thing when cooking venison steaks is to seal them quick smart. If you let them sit in a warm pan until they are cooked all the way through you might as well not bother, just buy chewing gum, it is cheaper.

You need a pan that holds the heat well and you need it to be hot enough that the steaks will seal well and be not that hot that the meat burns. Because the steaks don’t have any fat in them the meat can go from mouthwatering cut with a fork to shoe soles in a short time. The best way we have found to get just perfect steaks is to use one of those George Forman style presses. Ours has a sandwich (flat) bottom and we have it on about ¾. The steaks are cut to between 20 and 25 mm and they are mixed in a bowl with a little olive oil to wet them and then thrown on the press, the lid is closed and the kitchen timer set for 3 minutes. When the timer goes off the lid is raised and then they are given about 30 seconds before they go on a warm plate and covered.
These come out slightly pink in the middle, but cooked enough that you can easily see the grain right through.

We do them in a fry pan too. About 3 minutes on each side, you flip them when you start to see juice coming up out of them. You need a good pan so it is still good and hot when you flip the steak and then it seals right up and stays moist. In the last 2 minutes of cooking my wife likes to throw on some Masterfoods Smokey marinade.

If you are going to do kebabs on the barbie you need to help keep the meat moist by adding some bacon to the skewer next to the venison. Keep the pieces of venison (and all the other bits) small so that they cook fairly fast. A good way to BBQ them is to wrap the meat in bacon like you would a scotch fillet steak.

All of this works better the smaller your deer is. As the deer gets older we find other ways to cook them.

This 7 month old buck became steaks
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/jindydiver/bambi2.jpg

Nearly 40kg worth from the beginning of June
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v243/jindydiver/aboxfull.jpg


I think I better go get some more so I can start my smoking experiments

:)

[Antarcher]

Most of the recipes I use for my venison are appropriate for goats too. The sausage and jerky one's especially. You don't have to hang out for deer Puk. Just go get yourself a goat. Preferably smaller than the big beast you have already slain.

[Sparra]

Smoking experiments??? :shock: :shock: :shock: 8) 8) 8) ...

[Puk]

Smoking experiments???

First he lets the deer feed on his "special patch of plants".
Then he prepares them in his "secret herbs and spices"
Then he just goes and eats whole packet of Samboy's by himself for dessert while noticing that "dude, my hands are really huge" :wink: :wink:

Puk :lol:

[jindydiver]

Smoking experiments??? :shock: :shock: :shock: 8) 8) 8) ...

I have been smoking trout for some time now and I reckon I can do the same with the venison. The problem of course is getting it just perfect and so there is going to be a hell of a lot of taste testing going on :lol:

I might have to buy a couple of boxes of beer and have a deer smoking party :D

[ado250]

Jindy,

My mum does home made pesto and it's absolute Dynamite!!! Better than anything that you get from the shops IMO. They tend to use lesser quality ingredients etc etc.

If you are interested then I can get you the recipe. Let me know in a PM

[Mozza]

Luke maybee you could move this to the recipies section
I have tried the snags in Antonios recipe and they were awesome 8)

[jindydiver]

Ado
We make our own pesto here too, you wont believe how well basil grows with a carp buried under it :D

Put your mum's recipe up mate, I am always looking for new things to try :)

[ado250]

Just ran inside and asked :lol:

Bulb of garlic
3 cups chopped basil
salt (to taste)
1 cup toasted pine nuts (can substitute but these are very nice)

Process all of the above first (either with processor or by hand :shock: )
After you have coursely processed, add olive oil slowly as processing. This helps the pesto really absorb the oil (secret touch). Stop when smooth.

Needless to say, the more virgin the olive oil, the better :D

Really nice with the pine nuts :wink:

[ado250]

Oh yes, and I will pass the carp trick on to Mum, I'm sure she will be right into it :roll: :D

[johnno]

I have been smoking trout for some time now and I reckon I can do the same with the venison. The problem of course is getting it just perfect and so there is going to be a hell of a lot of taste testing going on

Just my two cents worth..I have some experience in smoking meats and whilst the usual woods, hickory etc do a fine job IMO its hard to beat muskeet, it was originally used by the North American indians and you can sometimes be lucky and get it at "bar b cues galore" or if you ask nicely thay may order it in for you. Gives the meat a wonderful flavour. :D

[ado250]

Also,

Noticed the Icekool box. How long can you keep meet/ice in this box in warm weather? Wanted to get an LPG/Electric fridge eventually but seems as though this might do the job for a couple day trip.

[jindydiver]

Also,

Noticed the Icekool box. How long can you keep meet/ice in this box in warm weather? Wanted to get an LPG/Electric fridge eventually but seems as though this might do the job for a couple day trip.

Kept out of the sun that box will keep ice for a week (7 days).

[Puk]

Mesquite, Johnno?

Puk

[jindydiver]

I have been smoking trout for some time now and I reckon I can do the same with the venison. The problem of course is getting it just perfect and so there is going to be a hell of a lot of taste testing going on

Just my two cents worth..I have some experience in smoking meats and whilst the usual woods, hickory etc do a fine job IMO its hard to beat muskeet, it was originally used by the North American indians and you can sometimes be lucky and get it at "bar b cues galore" or if you ask nicely thay may order it in for you. Gives the meat a wonderful flavour. :D

I smoke trout using rice and tea leaves. We add whatever spices we think might come up good and we haven't had a bad one yet.

We smoke them in a big wok on the gas burner. The wok is lined with foil and the rice and tea put on another piece of foil in the bottom. The trout is put on a metal rack and foil placed over before the lid goes on. The gas is turned on and 15 minutes after the smoke appears the heat is turned off and the unit is left to cool for another 15 minutes.

The foil is to stop the wok getting filthy from the smoking material.
We got the idea for using rice from a Donna Hay recipe book

[jindydiver]

When people find out for the first time that my family lives on venison if they are not a hunter they invariably make some comment about the quality of the meat. They often have had venison that was left over from some cousin’s mate’s brothers big stag they shot last season and were totally unimpressed with the flavour and/or texture. I found an interesting item today that goes a long way to explaining their feelings

That's the title to an article I just finished reading in the Dec. 2002 issue of the Calif. Dept. of F & G "Hunter Education Quarterly". I thought you guys might get a kick out of it. It credits the source of the article as from the Colorado Division of Wildlife, author unknown, submitted by New York officer Tom Lutz. It's a little bit of reading, maybe just something for the "post deer hunting blues" season..........(after reading the article you might believe as I do that it might be a long year ahead................)

"Controversy has long raged about the relative quality of venison and beef as gourmet foods. Some people say that venison is tough, with a strong "wild" taste. Others insist that venison is tender and that the flavour is delicate. To try and resolve this issue once and for all, a blind taste test was conducted by a certified research group to determine the truth of these conflicting assertions. First, a high-choice Holstein steer was selected and led into a swamp approximately a mile and a half from the nearest road. It was then shot several times in various locations throughout the carcass. After most of the entrails were removed, the carcass was dragged over rocks and logs, through mud and dust, thrown into the back of a pic-up bed and transported through rain and snow approximately 100 miles before being hung in a tree for several days. During the aging period the temperature was maintained at between 25-60 degrees. Next the steer was dragged into the garage and skinned out on the floor. PLEASE NOTE: Strict sanitary precautions were observed throughout the processing within the limitations of the butchering environment. For instance, dogs were allowed to sniff at the steer carcass, but were chased out of the garage if they attempted to lick the carcass or bite hunks out of it. Cats were allowed in the garage, but were always immediately removed from the cutting table.

Next half a dozen inexperienced but enthusiastic individuals worked on the steer with meat saws, cleavers and dull knives. The result was 200 pounds of scrap, 375 pounds of soup bones, four bushels of meat scraps for stew and hamburger, two roasts and a half a dozen steaks that were an inch and a half thick on one end and an eighth of an inch on the other. The steaks were then fried in a skillet with one pound of butter and three pounds of onions. After two hours of frying, the contents of the skillet were served to three blindfolded taste panel volunteers who were asked if they were eating venison or beef. Every one of the panel members was sure they were eating venison. One of the volunteers even said it tasted exactly like the venison he had been eating at the hunting camp for the last 27 years. The results of this trial showed conclusively that there is no difference between the taste of beef and venison".




http://www.madmick3006.com/Gif_pics/forum_fun/lmao2.gif

[Puk]

are you saying that preparation has a little do do with it Mick? :shock: :wink:

Puk

[ado250]

Preperation?? :?

I thought the point was shooting it in the swamp?! :D

[Dirty Sanchez]

I hanvt got round to trying out my sausage maker yet, but plan to when i get home in a wek or two.
a bit of a rewind....
Jindy,
Make thick ones first go and cook them slow in the oven first time so you can see how your snag skills are going. You would know how critical cooking times can be with deer steaks, and you want to be testing your making skills alone and not your cooking skills first time.

once u make the sausages, i thought they would be like normal snags due to the fat that u almost cant stuff up unless u burn them ? do u still have to cook these snags rare etc like cuts/roasts of venison? :?

[Dirty Sanchez]

hey antarcher,
ive been researching your proscutto recipe. it looks so easy, surely there is a catch or a trick ?

the seraches ive done on the net all refer to a whole leg of pork and take months of hanging etc ? yours only takes a few days, is that due to the small volume of meat (just straps) in the bucket?

how does the venison go compared to pork without all the fat ?
i cant wait to try this one, i love prosscutto :P

[jindydiver]

I hanvt got round to trying out my sausage maker yet, but plan to when i get home in a wek or two.
a bit of a rewind....
Jindy,
Make thick ones first go and cook them slow in the oven first time so you can see how your snag skills are going. You would know how critical cooking times can be with deer steaks, and you want to be testing your making skills alone and not your cooking skills first time.

once u make the sausages, i thought they would be like normal snags due to the fat that u almost cant stuff up unless u burn them ? do u still have to cook these snags rare etc like cuts/roasts of venison? :?

You cook them through, it is not a good idea to have any mince meat rare.
These snags don't have as much fat in them as a lot of the store bought ones (or as much water) so it pays to be carefull with them. And it is pointless going to a big effort to make a nice snag if they are just destined to be burnt to a cinder on the BBQ.
We cook them in a frypan, but the heat is quite low and they are turned often.

[Antarcher]

Hey Dirty. Hanging it a minimum of 10 days is dependent on the weather or if you have a cool room with a fan. I have sometimes hung for 20 days. I just feel them and let them harden up a bit. Sometimes i like them a little softer and lightly fry some slices too.
With the sausages you can get away with a little less cooking as the seasoning has already cured the meat. We made up a batch recently with hardly any fat and about 80% venison. Smoked them for two days then vaccum sealed them. These are the best frying sausages I have ever tasted. Couldn't eat these raw though as theydidn't get enough time to cure.

[jindydiver]

Do you cold smoke them Ant?

[Antarcher]

yes mate. Just to get the flavour into them. Have done with the speck for pretty good results.

[Antarcher]

I looked back through the threads and found this one that had generated a few recipes. I've dug it up as I have a new one to share and would like to keep them all together. This one tastes absolutely beauitful. I got it off my mates Portugese mum. Top cook.

Cockles and Venison

I'm not to precise about the measurements, but use a good sized pot to cook it all in. You can make as much or as little as you like. Just double up or half the ingredients.
A tip for the cockles is to put them in the sink with water and salt to get the sand out of them. You also add a spoon of flour which seems to help too.

Firstly: Cut up about a 750 grams to a kilo of venison into cubes about the size of dice.

Marinade overnight in a dry white wine with 2 or 3 chopped cloves of garlic, All Spice (bought it at woolies and that is what it is called on the jar), some salt and a bay leaf. Cover the meat completely with the wine so that it is swimming in it.

Next day: Take the venison, bit by bit, from the marinade and squeeze it off. Then fry it in olive oil. Just brown it up and put it to the side.

Now dice up two onions and get the garlic from the marinade and fry these together, adding a little more oil. Once they start to colour up, add a large scoop of tomato paste, a glass of the marinade and a full beer. Put some chilli in their too. As much as you can handle.

Get the mixture boiling then add the meat. Cook until the meat gets soft. It should be pretty quick due to the marinading.
Once the meat is ready, stir in your cockles. (enough to fill your decent sized pot). When the cockles all open up then it is ready and you are done with the cooking.

Hope you enjoy and I think you could try this with various other game meats like pork, goat and rabbit. This should feed a few.

Cheers.