# Any good tips/ideas for home processed meats?



## FairwayCAL (Oct 27, 2006)

There are lots of recipes out there today! Does anyone have good tips on the whole "art" of processing wild game?

The one I have is: My grandfather always used binder flour to blend the two different types of meat used (venison & pork or beef). The mix ratio was dependant on what type of sausage being made. It varied from 2% to 5% the weight of the meat. An example would be: for bohemian short sausages 25lbs of meat total (15 venison 10 pork) the binder flour was 5% (20 ounces). This binder flour is used to blend the meat together easily for a more consistant texture. I still dabble with amounts used on other sausages, but I have found without it the meats tend to separate or crumble easily.


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## Norm70 (Aug 26, 2005)

Just kinda a general tip i guess. If you don't have one get a vaccuum packer they work wonders. And don't get a cheap one! Spend the cash becasue the cheap ones don't work near as well if at all.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Binder flour can be hard to find......dry powdered milk does the same thing.....2 cups per 10 lbs of meat.


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## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

- Add water to your meat mix you are putting into casings, it makes sausage stuffing so much easier.

- For tying off casings instead of tying string or using hog rings, plastic zip strips work great; ecspecially with summer sausage.

- For summer sausage and meat sticks we use the 80/20 pork. If it is for bulk, ring sausage, breakfast links, etc; something you will be cooking (rather than just thawing and eating) we use the 50/50 pork. Also, if you will be cooking it, don't be afraid to use fattier pork.

- If you add cheese to any of the mixes you will be smoking, hi-temp cheese works much better than regular cheese from the grocey store.


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## FairwayCAL (Oct 27, 2006)

Ken W

Doesn't the powdered milk give the meat a "flavor" of milk?


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## FairwayCAL (Oct 27, 2006)

MossyMo

A new meat cutter in my area once told me that a person can add too much water. The water when evaporating acts like a sponge and pulls a great deal of the "juicyness" out of the meat? Have you heard this too?


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

No it doesn't.....the seasonings and smoke flavor cover that up.In fact teh best Brat recipe I have uses both milk and eggs.

The milk helps keep the sausage juicy and also keeps it from shrinking which is why commercial sausage always looks so plump.


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## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

FairwayCAL
I haven't found that is make it drier, we use just enough to make it easier to mix and stuff.

KEN W
I like your milk and egg idea, I may try that. We do marinate our venison steaks in milk, that really helps keep them moist and tender.


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## FairwayCAL (Oct 27, 2006)

Does anyone have problems with the "old enterprise" stuffers? I have one that i have trouble with the meat squeezing between the push plate and the sidewalls. Any suggestions?


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## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

FairwayCAL
Make sure you are using the large plate and not the small plate; there are 2 available. Then there is a plastic ring seal available, we purchased ours off eBay for our 4 quart; that will take care of the problem. Thanks for reminding me, I just purchased this one offeBay for our 8 quart !!! - http://cgi.ebay.com/sausage-stuffer...goryZ976QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## stoeger (Aug 20, 2003)

MossyMO said:


> FairwayCAL
> I haven't found that is make it drier, we use just enough to make it easier to mix and stuff.quote]
> 
> Water mixed in helps emmensely, especially if you are stuffing with an old cast iron stuffer. One thing to remember though is if you use too much water, the more shrinkage you will have on your sausage casings and meat when smoking.
> ...


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