No pork needed here! Why do you add pork?

[fowl smacker]

I've been experimenting with my summer sausage and pepperoni recipes.  I've done some with pork before.  I did all this years with no pork, and it has been as good if not better.  So my question to you is...why do you add pork?  I don't think I ever will again.  Most recent batch of jalapeño & cheddar deer summer sausage.

[Taco280AI]

Mind posting your recipe?

[fowl smacker]

Mind posting your recipe?

I just buy the ready to go seasoning kits at Bob's.   I do 15lbs at a time to make things easier.  Then you just use one of the packets of seasoning and one packet of cure instead of measuring (which isn't that big of a deal), and I add high temp cheese (1lb per 10lb of meat) so I use 1.5 one lb packages per batch.  Start on the smoker at 120 degrees with no smoke for 1 hr, then 140 degrees with smoke for an hr, then 160 degrees with smoke for half hr, followed by 180 degrees until internal temp reaches 156 degrees.  I will stair step up from 180 5 or 10 degrees up to 205 to help speed up reaching final temp.  Making your own is actually really easy.

[C-Money]

That looks amazingly good!!

[GASoline71]

Are you using the fat off the deer?  Deer fat can have obnoxious flavor, is why I will tyrim off all deer fat and add a bit of pork or pork fat to my sausage recipes.

Gary

[fowl smacker]

Are you using the fat off the deer?  Deer fat can have obnoxious flavor, is why I will tyrim off all deer fat and add a bit of pork or pork fat to my sausage recipes.

Gary

No, I am meticulous about removing fat and silver skin from my critters.  Just makes for a better end product.

[JWBINX]

Looks really good-Yummy!

[GASoline71]

Are you using the fat off the deer?  Deer fat can have obnoxious flavor, is why I will tyrim off all deer fat and add a bit of pork or pork fat to my sausage recipes.

Gary

No, I am meticulous about removing fat and silver skin from my critters.  Just makes for a better end product.

Excellent.  The final product looks fantastic.  I'm going to have to experiment with that on my next summer sausage we make.  How is the texture?  It isn't too "solid" is it?  Tough isn't the right word here, but I think it would have a bit more "chew" to it with zero fat in it.

Gary

[fowl smacker]

Are you using the fat off the deer?  Deer fat can have obnoxious flavor, is why I will tyrim off all deer fat and add a bit of pork or pork fat to my sausage recipes.

Gary

No, I am meticulous about removing fat and silver skin from my critters.  Just makes for a better end product.

Excellent.  The final product looks fantastic.  I'm going to have to experiment with that on my next summer sausage we make.  How is the texture?  It isn't too "solid" is it?  Tough isn't the right word here, but I think it would have a bit more "chew" to it with zero fat in it.

Gary

Seems very close to the same as with pork.  The cheese probably helps.

[Karl Blanchard]

That looks fantastic!

I've done it both lean and fatty and I now have settled on adding fat because in my sausage making I've found it binds everything better and gives it better flavor and texture

[Karl Blanchard]

Are you using the fat off the deer?  Deer fat can have obnoxious flavor, is why I will tyrim off all deer fat and add a bit of pork or pork fat to my sausage recipes.

Gary

No, I am meticulous about removing fat and silver skin from my critters.  Just makes for a better end product.

Excellent.  The final product looks fantastic.  I'm going to have to experiment with that on my next summer sausage we make.  How is the texture?  It isn't too "solid" is it?  Tough isn't the right word here, but I think it would have a bit more "chew" to it with zero fat in it.

Gary

Seems very close to the same as with pork.  The cheese probably helps.

cheese is the answer to almost everything minus ice cream 

[nwwanderer]

Trade pig fat for cow fat, cheese, looks great!!  Thanks

[Karl Blanchard]

Trade pig fat for cow fat, cheese, looks great!!  Thanks

I made the switch to beef fat a few years ago and I'll never go back. So good!

[highside74]

Pork adds fat, flavor and moisture. Is it necessary? No. But it's yummy

[hunter399]

I don't add any pork.
Of course trim off as much fat as possible.
A few years ago ,I did some bear summer sausage.
Didn't add anything,turned out great,bear meat kinda greasy anyway.
So I started doing it with deer also,turned out great also.

I haven't done the cheese,but have used green olives,or jalapeno.
In my summer sausage with success.
But ya I don't add any pork or beef anymore.
Plus it's an all wild game product,tastes just as good without.
Less greasy, Honestly I believe It would last longer unrefrigerated without the extra fat.

Looks like you found out the truth,it's pretty good without it.
I found that out,I'll never go back to adding pork or beef.

[carpsniperg2]

That looks fantastic!

I've done it both lean and fatty and I now have settled on adding fat because in my sausage making I've found it binds everything better and gives it better flavor and texture

This is my thoughts as well.

[baker5150]

I add pork fat as a binder.  All my sausage is made by my wife using her own recipes and hand made spice mixes.

We won't use commercial kits as most are full of MSG, Veg oils or Corn syrup. 

[bearpaw]

That looks fantastic!

I've done it both lean and fatty and I now have settled on adding fat because in my sausage making I've found it binds everything better and gives it better flavor and texture

This is my thoughts as well.

I've made lean sauages too, they are ok tasting and probably healthier that way, I would like to try any goo recipes for lean sausage, but the best tasting sausages I've had all have fat added for the reasons already mentioned.

[huntnnw]

I’ve also done both and there is a reason why I did it once  I will always add fat. Fat in it self is not that bad for you in comparison to sodium and curing salts your consuming. If your that health conscious than eating sausage shouldn’t be in your diet.

[fowl smacker]

I’ve also done both and there is a reason why I did it once  I will always add fat. Fat in it self is not that bad for you in comparison to sodium and curing salts your consuming. If your that health conscious than eating sausage shouldn’t be in your diet.

I just think it tastes better, plus I don't need to buy anything else to put in it. 

[emac]

I've been experimenting with my summer sausage and pepperoni recipes.  I've done some with pork before.  I did all this years with no pork, and it has been as good if not better.  So my question to you is...why do you add pork?  I don't think I ever will again.  Most recent batch of jalapeño & cheddar deer summer sausage.

I have been making pep sticks for about 5 years without adding fat and I haven't noticed any difference.  I haven't done any summer sausage yet.  Maybe this weekend.

Sent from my SM-S906U using Tapatalk

[hunter399]

I don't think there is a wrong way.
Similar to the shank thread.
It's just what someone prefers over the next guy.
It's all good anyway you slice or grind.