Hunters Must Know What’s Inside Their Sausage

Last week the UPS man handed me a package at the doorway and then proceeded to hand me something else I was not quite prepared for.   It was a nice gesture on his part.   Rolled up in some butcher paper was venison stick sausage he had just made the previous weekend.

“Go ahead, take one” he said.   In my mind I thought…do I have to?   I mean, the visual was gross upon first inspection.   Worse yet…when I picked up a meat stick the casing was loose and all slimy.   My stomach started to churn and I suddenly became queasy about the prospect of eating it.   Honestly, I have seen coyote bait I would be more tempted to put in my mouth than this gift now being offered to me.

Being the gracious customer I am, I took a stick…thanked him…closed the door…and quickly walked to the trash can where it was deposited with a slam dunk.   YUCK!   As I washed my hands I wondered how could anyone put such a disgusting item inside their mouth?   Hell, I didn’t even want to touch it with my bare hands.

During our brief conversation he admitted this was his first attempt at sausage making and didn’t really know what he was doing.   Really?   I would have never guessed.

Unfortunately, this scenario plays itself out thousands of times each year with sportsmen looking to save $300 or more by doing their own meat processing.   Now, while I applaud the effort…it takes more than just desire to be a good sausage maker.   In fact, it takes more than just watching a YouTube video, reading an article on the web or even following a good book on the subject.   Sausage making is an art form and the mere act of squeezing ground up venison into a sausage casing does not in itself make for a culinary masterpiece at the table.

Initially when I attended the University of Minnesota back in the early ’80s I had an emphasis in meat science.   Of course, I’m not saying that a person has to be college educated in the science to be capable at producing good, wholesome meat products.   Yet, it doesn’t hurt.   In fact, I would say that to handle meats on only a casual basis just one or two times a year is a recipe for failure.   What may seem simple can be much more complex than meets the eye—especially when sausage products are involved.

It takes the right equipment.   It takes the right seasonings used in the proper proportions.   It takes the right cuts of meat from certain areas of the animal to produce optimal results.   But moreover, it takes the know how to pull it all together and make for a delicious final meat product that folks will truly enjoy.

I get it that hunters don’t savor the idea of paying anywhere from $5–15/pound for sausage when THEY HAVE SUPPLIED THE MEAT and a commercial processor does their magic.   Still, I contend that saving a few dollars per pound on meat that is barely edible compared to meat expertly handled by a true professional is not a good value.   The point at which a hunter has to decide if they are going to pay someone else to process their meat or do it themselves is a critical decision point.

318First off, let me clarify something here.   This post is not talking about the hunter who simply butchers his/her own deer up into roasts, steaks, and ground meat product.   Instead, I am talking more about the hunter who intends to cure, smoke or somehow fashion a specialized meat product using casings.   This goes far beyond the basics of butchering as, depending on the product produced, you are now preparing meat where some fundamental knowledge of food science is required.

Please understand I’m not trying to scare people off from processing their own meats at this higher level.   Heavens no.   What I am suggesting, however, is if you want to extend your skills beyond the basics of butchering a hunter has to be prepared to take on a new skill that is not always easily or quickly learned.

I still contend that far too much meat handled by hunters soon becomes a product not wholesome by current accepted meat industry standards.   That is another issue for another day…but it is critical to this entire endeavor.   Once meat has gone bad there is no amount of seasonings, smoking or preparation techniques that will save it.   Good venison begins once the animal is shot.   In fact, one might say it begins even before that by taking proper shot placements on the critter.315

As I told my UPS man you can’t just go to a Cabela’s or other type of outdoor store to buy the equipment and automatically expect favorable results.   A hunter needs to take a class or somehow get the proper training.   Heck, my hunch is many meat processors would be willing to give a hunter an hour or two’s worth of training in exchange for some helpful assistance.   That’s what a person has to do if they are serious about home sausage making.

In Minnesota, much like I’m sure is available in many other states, the DNR has a fall class in cooperation with the University of Minnesota Meat Science Department to learn how to properly handle venison and make sausage products.   For more information on 2015 fall classes click HERE to inquire.

Moreover, once a person learns about the sausage making craft it’s highly likely their skills and interests will venture far beyond the basic supplies available at typical sporting outlets.   One good source I’ve found is PS Seasoning & Spices in Iron Ridge, Wisconsin.   Contact them to request their most recent catalog.   It will inspire you with new product ideas AND it will open up many new avenues of equipment to correctly get the job done.   Certainly other fine sources are also available, such as Nassau Foods or The Sausage Maker.

So, are you curious about what my UPS guy did wrong in his first sausage making attempt?   First off, he used the wrong casing for the meat product he intended to make.   He used a casing intended for use with a fresh meat product (to be cooked or grilled) not one that was intended to be smoked (and then eventually consumed cold).   He didn’t know…all he cared about was buying a sausage casing not realizing there were differences.   He certainly learned his lesson the hard way.   So did the people who tried to stomach his venison food gift.

For safety’s sake when it comes to food handling all sportsmen deserve to know what they are doing.   Don’t guess.   Learn.   It’s one thing if the meat is only going into your digestive system.   It’s entirely another potential risk when you serve others, particularly the elderly or young children.   I’ll be the first to admit there is nothing wrong with taking your venison to a professional processor.   On the other hand, if you aren’t completely sure about your skills handling your own venison you have no business taking on such an important task until you do.

The Tool Every Sportsman Should Have In Their Kitchen

Can you believe one of my favorite tools as a sportsman isn’t a gun…or a knife…or a flashlight…or even a multi-tool of some sort.   Nope.   It’s a gadget, and quite honestly a device that should be found IN EVERY KITCHEN!   I’m talking about a trusty thermometer used specifically for cooking.

Now, let’s get something straight.   Most kitchen thermometers suck.   That’s right…if you have the old dial thermometer that takes 15–20 seconds to slowly react to the cooking temperature, that’s not good enough.   Let me put it to you this way…if you were shooting at a flock of geese and pulled the trigger with a long delay in firing would this situation please you?   More importantly, a gun with a long hang-fire time such as this scenario holds the potential for being a true safety hazard in the field.

Well, guess what…a slow thermometer not only slows you down as a cook.   But chances are quite good that it’s slow in reacting because it doesn’t incorporate the latest in thermocouple science.   This could mean it’s simply not accurate.

For the past couple years my go to device has been the Splash-Proof Super-Fast® Thermapen® produced by a company called ThermoWorks.   I wholeheartedly endorse this product and I can say this IS NOT A SPONSORED EVALUATION.   I can honestly say I spent the $96 plus freight to get the product just like you would.   In fact, I am so impressed with a whole host of this company’s products I have purchased several types of thermometers, timers, etc.   The entire product line appears to be top notch in quality.

It’s important to note you can’t purchase these products in stores or even on Amazon.   Well, technically you can buy it on Amazon, but it simply directs you to their corporate store.

So, why invest nearly $100 in a thermometer?   Good question.   My first response would be because the safety of your family deserves it.   If you’re cooking any type of perishable meat or fish attaining the correct minimum temperature is not something you should be guessing about.   In fact, see the graphic (below) and click on it to enlarge.   This gives you the minimum temperatures as established by The National Restaurant Association and provides a good guideline.

TemperaturesforFoodSafety

As you will see, in general if you are cooking any large muscle like a steak or a roast the minimum internal temperature should be 145 degrees Fahrenheit.   Ground meat which has had more surface area exposed to knives or cutters is more prone to bacteria growth and must attain a temperature of at least 155 degrees Fahrenheit.   Poultry and most any game birds are even more highly susceptible to nasty organisms and should be cooked to a minimum of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Just a few simple rules to observe for safety.   Also, one of the main benefits of using the Thermapen is the slender probe to easily penetrate muscle.   Yet, the main benefit in buying quality is this probe reads the temperature at the very tip of the probe.   Other cheaper types of devices use different measuring technology and the reading could be an inch or two higher along the probe shaft.   With the Thermapen there simply is no guessing as you know what the temperature is within a split second…not several seconds later.

Check out most cooking shows on TV and you will see how many professional cooks tend to gravitate to the Thermapen because of the superb quality.   But what prompted me to write this post today is something new ThermoWorks is offering.   Check out the new ThermoPop at almost 1/4 the price ($24 introductory price) of the Thermopen.

ThermoPop

Sure, you sacrifice a bit of speed(this probe states a reading in 5-6 seconds), but the quality of this device very likely is second to none you will find in any store near you.   I’ll be getting several of these to test out in upcoming weeks to come.

In closing, we all know about the importance of food safety when it comes to cooking and checking temps.   But there is another important quality factor involved in the cooking process.   To be a consistent cook it requires taking the guess work out of where things are at during the cooking process.

As many of you know, I come from the world of competition BBQ and often times when a piece of smoked muscle attains a specific temperature it gets pulled from the smoker to rest.   Even a 5 degree variance can spell the difference between food that is outstanding and food that is simply just good.

And when you are constantly checking temps you want to do things fast.   As the saying goes, “when you are looking, you’re not cooking.”   Hence the need to open door, insert probe, get the reading and shut that oven door quickly once again.

As a sportsman, you should take as much pride in how you present things at the dinning room table as you do in the field or the waters where the food is obtained.   If you’re one who downplays the importance of a good meat thermometer, than you’re missing out on an important element of enjoying the total sportsman experience.   In other words, why sacrifice good food to a $3 piece of junk when you’ve already likely spent several thousand dollars to bring that meat into your home.

©2014 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Yeah, I Ate Breakfast In The Deer Stand

To some folks they might think this is silly.

Other folks might even go so far as to say any serious deer hunter would never do this.

Yet, after spending 35 years of deer hunting your mind gets to do a lot of thinking over that time.   Indeed, I’ve often said to myself all this deer stand needs is another creature comfort from home.   In fact, I’ve always thought how neat would it be to sit in the deer stand hunting while also cooking up a hearty breakfast.

Well,….

Yeah, I did it.   The peak morning hunting hours had already come and gone…so, I wasn’t worried about that.   Even so, I was still technically deer hunting and I’ve learned stranger things have happened in the deer woods.

Back in 1994 I was the camp cook for a large group of hunters up near Perham, Minnesota.   I was the last to leave the camp after cleaning up the breakfast mess.   I was also the ONLY hunter that year to tag a deer from our camp.   How did it happen?   Less than 30 minutes after cleaning dishes and sitting in a stand 75 yards from where I cooked.   BINGO!

So, don’t tell me how doing a little cooking while out deer hunting is silly or a foolish activity if you’re a serious deer hunter.   You just don’t fully comprehend the power of bacon cooking—at times even for the deer.   Ha!

©2013 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.