Deer trimmings...

[double_a85]

My wife and I just finished cutting up the last of the game for the year. I always put off grinding up the meat for a later date. While putting everything in the freezer, I realize I have A LOT of burger already...

What does everyone do besides using the trimmings for burger? I do not have a smoker... but would like to do something besides burger... give the taste buds and freezer a little variety.

I imagine I have close to 30 lbs or so of trimmings.

Any help? Ideas? Suggestions?

I told my wife it was time to go buy a smoker so I could experiment with sausage... but I got THAT look... so no go there.

 

[LopeHunter]

Pepperoni. If that requires equipment you lack...find a buddy with the gear who will do a 50/50 deal on what you produce.

 

[elkantlers]

I really like to bottle my extra venison. You can use it just about anywhere you use burger. It also doesn't take up any freezer space.

Basically you just trim the meat real well, cut it up in small pieces, fill a clean pint bottle with meat. Put on a lid and ring. Place in a pressure cooker and pressure for 45 minutes. (start timing after it is up to pressure).
You can add all sorts of stuff to the meat for flavor. I usually just add a little salt and pepper and a tbsp of beef base. I have tried jalapeno, garlic, taco seasoning and other stuff.

 

[JohnCushman]

I always make a variety of sausages. Italian and a breakfast always go well in my house.

 

[Paul in Idaho]

Tonight I am making 22 pounds of venison salami. This is my favorite snack food to make with game meat. It requires no special tools except the meat grinder.

It's a modified version of my grandmother's recipe.

4 lb. ground venison (I never add domestic meat or fat to this)
short 1/4 cup Tender Quick curing salt
2 Tbsp liquid smoke (if you're using an oven instead of a smoker)
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp crushed peppercorns
1 tsp chipotle powder

Mix well, cover and chill at least 24 hours. Then form into logs about 1 pound each. Place on a broiler tray and bake 4 hours at 225˚.

The original recipe called for more curing salt and less spice, and to use netting to keep the rolls shaped. I have found with lean venison there's no need for the netting.

 

[cowboy]

- Breakfast sausage - besides using as a patty for breakfast we use it a lot for taco's, chili's, spaghetti etc., anything that you want a little extra taste to rather than using normal burger.

- jerky, you can make it in your oven and get a finished amount about 1/2 of what you started with

- stew meat. Just cut into small cubes, freeze it. Can use in stir fry, soups etc. also.

- pepper sticks, buy yourself a jerky type shooter to load meat into the 1/2 casings if you're doing small quantities. Can do the same thing to make brats.

- long ago before I had all the fancy stuffers etc. we used to make lots of salami. Mix it all up, hand roll it into 1-1/2"-2" diameter about 6-8"long, wrap the new hand rolled tube with aluminum foil, bake it in the oven, let it cool off, freeze it for future use. Thaw it out, drink 2 beers, put on cheese/crackers and wash down with a couple more beers.

PS: Paul was faster than me.

 

[nidahunter]

This year I tried canning it and it turned out great! Like elkantlers said you can use it anywhere you use burger,but is nice to shake it up once in awhile. I but some smoke flavor in the jars then canned in presser cooker and turned out very tender and tasty.

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

I make and freeze Burritos out of the Deer Burger. Fast easy lunches. John

 

[MKotur325]

Get a Jerkey shooter. It looks like a Calk gun designed for making "jerkey" out of ground meat. Take some of the extra burger and make yourself some jerkey!

 

[duckhunt]

I do a variety of sausages. The types that need heat such as snack sticks or summer sausage you can put in your oven at 300 degrees. Use a meat thermometer and get the meat temp to I believe 120. Dont quote me on that temp, I have it wrote down at home. You better double ckeck. Thats for any type of sausage that you unthaw and eat. I do all my own and have alot of fun doing it.

 

[.280 Remington]

I usually take mine into a processor and have sticks or sausage made.

 

[duckhunt]

I buy all my supplies through LEM products. You can get online and check it out.

 

[double_a85]

Thanks for all the replies guys--- my wife does some canning--- I may try some of that--- will help on the stuffed freezer space as well.

My wife is a bacon fan, but I prefer breakfast sausage patties--- I don't know why I hadn't thought of using some of this for that!

Keep the ideas coming--- and for a beginner on the specialty stuff--- keep in mind "K.I.S.S." for me!

 

[JohnCushman]

You can get sausage kits from Bass Pro Shop and those stores. The ones that need casings come with them. I used a bratwurst kit from Bass Pro and they came out awesome. I added some cheese in them and a little bit of beer instead of water. There are also charcuterie books on amazon with recipies for various sausages, both bulk, and cased, and dry cured. I'm going to try cherizo this year from a recipe in one of my books.

 

[double_a85]

You can get sausage kits from Bass Pro Shop and those stores. The ones that need casings come with them. I used a bratwurst kit from Bass Pro and they came out awesome. I added some cheese in them and a little bit of beer instead of water. There are also charcuterie books on amazon with recipies for various sausages, both bulk, and cased, and dry cured. I'm going to try cherizo this year from a recipe in one of my books.

So when looking at some of these recipes... are you just subbing in deer/elk/ect for pork then?

 

[Dave N]

I make salami with some of my burger. Get my fixins from Sausagemaker.com and make it in my smoker, but you can use an oven as well. My recipe uses 8 pounds of venison burger per batch. Of course, you need to freeze the salami that you don't eat so may not free up that much space.

 

[sagebrush]

+1 on the canning to free up freezer space. Whenever you want a quick meal and there's nothing quick in the fridge, pop open a jar and make a burrito or a venison salad sandwich. We also can our chickens when they slow down on the egg production. A three or four year old layer comes out tender as can be from a jar. I also do summer sausage and chorizo is a real favorite. This year I may try some salami as well.

 

[JohnCushman]

So when looking at some of these recipes... are you just subbing in deer/elk/ect for pork then?

2 of my books have a wild game section

 

[cowboy]

.

My wife is a bacon fan, but I prefer breakfast sausage patties--QUOTE]

There are a number of companies that sell kits to make deer into bacon. Tried it once - was good but the pure deer meat seemed a little too dry for bacon for me.