Sausage and gifts, dogs and pigs

annie1992

10 years ago

OK, so that seems a strange combination, but not really.

Thanks to some very pointed hints from Peppi, Elery bought me a new Foodsaver as a Christmas gift. I had a "mini", the darned thing was/is a piece of carp. It worked about half the time, and you had to hold the bag in the machine while simultaneously holding down each corner of the device to activate the vacuum, a cinch if you have three hands, LOL. Then, nearly every time, the sealed package would come "unsealed" in the freezer, I hated the blasted thing.

So, Elery bought me this one. The reviews were great and it's a lot easier to use.

I got Elery gift certificates from Cabela's, he wants to buy a crossbow or a new deer rifle, so I told him we had everything we needed to package venison. Well, except the deer, LOL.

However, we had venison in the freezer from last year, so Elery decided to make some sausage. Jalapeno sausage, a bit too spicy for me to eat too much of, but still good. The casings were a bit large:

You notice Molly is just waiting to try it, she at least has learned not to counter surf while we're watching!

Because the casings were large, we cut the sausage into four kind-of-close-to-equal pieces.

Three got packaged with the new Foodsaver, but the last one got sliced into individual slices and then packaged up. Note that the one in the back is nicely sealed, but the front package had already lost vacuum. We're chalking that up to "learning curve" and eating it first. (grin)

Not to be outdone, and after sleevendog's discussion on boudin, I decided to make liverwurst. I started with the lpoli site and took a few liberties, as usual. The recipe called for finely ground pepper but I had some crushed black peppercorns from the Christmas Steak au Poivre, so I used them. It called for cure, which I left out, and I only had beef liver, so I used that along with ground pork:

OK, this was good enough that I was surprised. Since I have....oh....18 pounds or so of liver in the freezer, I'll be making some more, LOL.

Molly liked it so much she went right out to the farm and tasted a pig, just to see if it was ready to eat yet.

It's not. :-)

Annie

Comments (11)

rosewitch
10 years ago
Annie,

I get such a kick when reading a post like this from you! I always wish I was right there in the kitchen during the fun/work. I would gladly do the cleaning up just to be a part of it all!

Kat
nanny98
10 years ago
OH, Me too. Love your posts! And, would love to try some of the things you do. (Well, actually I have tried a few)
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Another post that is now public: I would like to make to a kind of Italian sausage (what else would a Jersey girl make) with the pork and venision -- I don't have a smoker... any suggestions? My reply: OK, start with lots of garlic, and you can even add things like rosemary, oregano, thyme, sweet peppers, onion, and even cheese. The onion and peppers I use are dried and don't add more water. The cheese I use is a high melting point cheddar that's cubed, available from one of my sources. All these are also available from the sausage making suppliers. If you like fennel seeds, add that too with a little anise seed. When I do fennel, I grind some in a small coffee grinder and use some whole as well. Also, ground black pepper and coriander are useful as is sage (easy on sage, its hot spicy). I use fresh and dried garlic and any recipe that calls for it I usually double or triple that amount. If the venison is gamey tasting, you can also add a little ground up juniper berries. They take away some gamey taste, but go easy. Italian sausages are usually all pork, no beef, but as mentioned, salami and pepperoni are OK with beef, and pork or venison, as is summer sausages. Things like hot dogs and bologna are pureed meat with cereal or soy added. For a smoky taste, I use liquid smoke. They sell small bottles of Wrights Liquid smoke in some supermarkets near steak sauces, but I usually buy a half gallon bottle from a sausage maker supplier and use maybe 2-3 tablespoons on a 10 pound batch, unless I want a lot of smoky taste. I also make a really good Canadian bacon that uses a whole boneless pork loin. I get a ham or bacon brine cure mixture and inject it into the pork. Then I place the injected pork in a big vacuum tight vessel and fill it with the brine and pull a vacuum on it for 1-2 days. THis last time, I added some maple syrup to give it a special tang. It too gets liquid hickory smoke flavor. Baked slowly at 200 degrees about 6 hours. Cooled, chilled and sliced. Then, I use a Food Saver machine to pack small amounts of it. Store cost about $6+ a pound, my cost under $2.00 a pound!! I have a decent digital scale that also weighs grams. I use Nitrites in all my sausages as they are not completely done in a refrigerated environment like they do commercially. The Nitrite amounts are tiny and that's what gives cold cuts their red color. They are tinted pink and are mixed with salt, so the ratio is easier and more accurate to measure. That's the main reason I don't use Morton Tender Quick, as you have little control if its added too much. I make pastrami out of corned beef, but simply coating them before they are slowly baked. A year ago, I made about 40 pounds of pepperoni and salami each, and the were not only baked very slowly (8 hours at under 200 degrees), but also dry cured for about a month at room temps and refrigerated. I used fibrous casings that are not edible, as I stuff these casings very tightly with the meats. Using edible collagen or fresh casings will burst if I were to use them. So, when I want to slice the salami and pepperoni I peel it first. I gave some to a kid who though it was a bit tough, until I asked him if he has peeled it beforehand.. DUH!! I have a professional meat slicer too as well as some vacuum systems I use to marinate and do a little home canning with. As mentioned, after mixing and before stuffing, cook a tiny sample and taste to see if it suits your taste buds.
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mustangs81
10 years ago
Fantastic looking sausage! Too funny about Molly and the pig, I'm sure she was just telling piggy where to hide out to avoid being Food Saved.

Elery is amazing; the HG doesn't know what that "thing" that sits on the counter is. Okay, maybe he does; I'll test him and report back.
caliloo
10 years ago
The sausage looks wonderful and I would love the kick of Jalapeno. Good luck to Elery with the new firepower - looking forward to hearing about other creative ways you will be using the venison and 18 lbs of liver! LOL!

Cute pup and the piggies are adorable!

Happy New Year!
Alexa
pkramer60
10 years ago
My dear, I only played Santa's elf. In fact, when I told him they were on sale, he told me you had one. Yeah, a lemon one. I just planted the seed, the rest was up to him.

Now remember, the open end need to be smooth and "grease" free for a good seal. Looks to me like you have a small wrinkle at the seal. And wrap the products in a baggie then into the bag.

As for the liver, grind some up and make liver dumpling soup, cook some for Miss Molly as a treat. You can bake it into dog treats for a dryer version.

Now if you have duck liver, make pate!
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
10 years ago
My food saver is having trouble. I'm pushing down one edge firm...just changed the two rubber seals....might have a clog in the air extraction but it does move along, just will not switch to 'seal'. Sometimes I will seal it, then slide it a bit out and give it a second seal.

Elery, (hands on my hips), needs to lighten up the hottie peppers so you can enjoy it! lol.

I gave a 40lb box of green coffee beans. Came just in time to slap a bow on it, lol.
I got a salt block, a biggie...8x8x2inch thick.

Not many gifts this year. Just quiet time and some home chores. And hopefully ovens installed soon.

Cute Molly seems to have settled in.
seagrass_gw Cape Cod
10 years ago
Annie,

Molly looks like an Aussie. Is she? We have 2 - a big old male blue merle and a nutso 2 year old black tri female. Lost our original girl in 2012.

Happy New Year,

seagrass
annie1992
Original Author
10 years ago
Kat and Nanny, you're welcome any time. I just finished canning broth and dehydrated 30 pounds of garlic, so my kitchen smells.....well, it just smells. (grin) I'd love to have you, and I wouldn't even make you do clean up.

Seagrass, I'm happy to see you again, I hope your holidays went well and you're feeling good. Molly is just a dog, I guess, we don't know what she is. She came from a local shelter who "thinks" she is a Sheltie/Beagle mix. I see the Sheltie a little, but not the beagle, maybe a spaniel of some type. She's just a dog, and has become Elery's constant companion. All 60 pounds of her will lie on Elery for a nap, LOL.

Sleevendog, I'd just purchased 10 pounds of green coffee beans, or I'd have considered that. We didn't do many gifts either, I got the Foodsaver and Elery got the Cabela's certificates, and that was it. As for the jalapeno, well, I'm a heat wuss, so it probably wasn't that hot, just too hot for me!

Peppi, I'm out of bags, and was using the leftovers, and that one was a bit small, so I think that was the problem. Molly did get her share of liver, but you probably knew that. I do have a recipe for liver dumplings, but no one will eat them except me. Well, I'll bet Molly would, now I think of it.

Alexa, other family members have taken half a dozen deer off the farm this year, it's about Elery's turn. The deer stand at the feeders with the horses and eat hay, so I think if I feed them, I get to eat them. The Princess did shoot her first deer this year, now I'm lobbying for her to learn to shoot geese or turkey, the other wildlife we have a zillion of.

Cathy, I'll be waiting to hear if HG knows what that thing is. He might surprise you. Then again, he might think it has something to do with gift wrapping or knife sharpening, LOL.

Annie
Cathy_in_PA
10 years ago
Well, Annie, I had DH read your post hoping that he would note the "Elery bought me a new Foodsaver as a Christmas gift." Alas, your beautiful sausage pictures and references to liverwurst took DH down a merry memory lane of eating incredible "braunschweiger and mustard" sandwiches as a kid. I tuned out because I had a feeling that "Wonder bread" was going to also be referenced:)

I enjoyed reading of your enjoyment.

Cathy in SWPA
bcskye
10 years ago
Bless Elery's heart for getting you something you really wanted and needed. Of course, he knows its to his benefit, too. And getting him the gift cards was a wonderful idea. Bet he gets a very good rifle.

Years ago everyone in our families decided that no gifts would be exchanged due to so many being in tight situations. We bought for our moms and my dad when they were still living and the kids. Well, there's only two kids left so we bought for them and were all able to get together on Christmas Day for a really good family day. It was wonderful.

I just love your sweet Molly. I'm afraid if she were mine, she'd be getting healthy treats all the time and be so very spoiled rotten.

Madonna
annie1992
Original Author
10 years ago
Madonna, we've pared down the gift ist and pared down the gift list. We mostly get gifts for the grandkids, we have 10 of them now between us, with #11 coming in June from/to Elery's youngest son.

Molly gets lots of treats, many of them healthy. I say many of them because we try to be careful but the kids feed her everything from bits of steak to peanut butter pie. No wonder she loves kids. She's a sweetie, though.

Cathy, I liked braunschweiger and mayo sandwiches on squishy white bread. Now I like them with grainy mustard on dark rye. Mmmmm.

Mother says my Grandfather used to eat fried liverwurst on pancakes. A pancake, butter, fried liverwurst and dark Karo syrup over the top of it all. Ugh. I'll stick with mustard and rye but I sent Mother home with a chunk of liverwurst today, she can do as she pleases with it, LOL.

Annie

Sausage and gifts, dogs and pigs

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