How to fix a bad batch of sausage

[lafn96]

Tried making some venison breakfast sausage last night, and really don't like how it turned out - very strong tasting. Used Cabela's box mix, 20 lbs venison and 5 lbs pork fat. Could I fix it by mixing in some pork butt and additional seasoning? Venison is from a 2.5 yo buck I shot in muzzle loader; field dressed 30 min after shot. It was in the 50's that day, so immediately butchered and froze. Really don't want all that meat to go to waste, but I don't think I'd eat much of it as is.

Just picked up a hog at the butcher last week, so I've got plenty of pork to use.

 

[uncle_loue]

from my experience a strong venison taste is tough to cover, but what you've described is likely your best shot. adding more neutral tasting meat and seasoning should reduce the strength of the musky buck taste.

fwiw: if i shoot a buck close to/during rut or a hot day where conditions are ripe to create gamey tasting meat I butcher into quarters so still have large cuts intact and hang in my garage fridge for at least a week before freezing and that helps. if you do not have a fridge to hang in you can keep them on ice in a large cooler and keep the drain open so they don't sit in water. check daily and add ice as needed. some folks do this as long as 3 weeks. ive never gone more than 7-9 days. hope that helps.

 

[lafn96]

from my experience a strong venison taste is tough to cover, but what you've described is likely your best shot. adding more neutral tasting meat and seasoning should reduce the strength of the musky buck taste.

fwiw: if i shoot a buck close to/during rut or a hot day where conditions are ripe to create gamey tasting meat I butcher into quarters so still have large cuts intact and hang in my garage fridge for at least a week before freezing and that helps. if you do not have a fridge to hang in you can keep them on ice in a large cooler and keep the drain open so they don't sit in water. check daily and add ice as needed. some folks do this as long as 3 weeks. ive never gone more than 7-9 days. hope that helps.

Thank you; and planning on getting a used fridge this year specifically for hanging deer

 

[DoubleRidge]

Pork butt will work to cut it....also I know guys who will buy the cheapest bacon thats on sale and they will add it in and grind.
Agree, dont want to waste it...keep adding pork meat and fat until the taste is acceptable.

 

[uncle_loue]

i run into this a lot with tenderloins from mature bucks. they're a treat cause they're big and always tender but they tend to have a much stronger flavor than the backstraps. i soak them in a weak salt brine for an hour or two the day i plan to grill to draw out the blood and it makes a huge difference.

 

[Omega]

I usually go 70/30 (ish) venison/hog fat for a decent sausage flavor so 10.5lbs venison 4.5lbs pork fat for my summer and breakfast sausage, also brats. For burgers I go 50/50 to keep shrinkage down.

 

[Lt.Dan]

If you froze the venison with any amount of fat on it, it will be gamey tasting and there is not much you can do.

Always remove all of the tallow/ or fat from venison. It will make your meat taste so much better.

Like others have said, add some pork meat and fat. I do a 60/40 (venison/ pork fat) or more when making sausage. Adding some sage may help also.

 

[lafn96]

If you froze the venison with any amount of fat on it, it will be gamey tasting and there is not much you can do.

Always remove all of the tallow/ or fat from venison. I will make your meat taste so much better.

Like others have said, add some pork meat and fat. I do a 70/30 or more than making sausage. Adding some sage may help also.

Zero fat on the meat before I vacuum sealed it

 

[Lt.Dan]

Zero fat on the meat before I vacuum sealed it

Hmm. Well now that would get a guy to wondering. That's usually the only reason I've found for venison to get an off taste.

I use Backwoods seasoning for all my sausage. Comes in breakfast, mild Italian and hot Italian blends. I add some sage to the breakfast blend. In the breakfast and hot I double the suggested amounts. In the mild I use as the instructions direction.

 

[backyardtndeer]

I have used cheap bacon with sausage and it works well. Never really had issues with overly strong gamey taste, even on old big bucks. I try to keep quarters in a cooler for at least a week before processing.

 

[Jcalder]

What little I've dabbled into making various sausages from venison, I've yet to have a bad experience with the meat itself. But I trim a lot off. And by a lot, I'm probably a bit wasteful, but it's basically straight lean venison. Bucks, does, fawns, doesn't matter. But I do cut it at least 70/30 with venison to Boston butt. Helps to give it fat content and not be so dry. Things that should be fatty, or greasy, like brats and I'll bump that up to say 60/40 or even 50/50. If I was trying to salvage a batch, you might try adding regular pork sausage 50/50 to what you already have.