How much pork do I add when making Venison Sausage?

Mike from Centereach, NY asked:

When making venison sausage, do you mix pork in there? If so how much? I've tried it a couple of times and can't seem to get it right. Thanks!

Thanks for the great question Mike! Yes, I do mix in pork. I prefer to add 50/50 pork trim to my products rather than 100% back fat. Based on 10 lb batches, here is what I recommend:

50/50 trim: I add 6lbs of venison and 4lbs of 50/50 to make a 10lb batch of product
100% fat: I add 8lbs of venison and 2lbs of fat for a 10lb batch of product


Good luck this season Mike!


"The Meat Man"
Brad Lockwood

Love of the Hunt TV: Venison Stuffed Peppers

This is a segment from Love of the Hunt TV. In this clip, Brad shows you how to make venison stuffed peppers from the variety of fresh peppers in his garden. In this clip, he uses: Outdoor Edge Knives Hi Mountain Seasoning Cancooker Jr. Weston Commercial Meat Grinder Weston Sausage Stuffer Weston Meat Mixer

How to Make Venison Hot Dogs

Peter from Oshkosh, WI wrote in:

Hey Brad,
I was wondering if you have a good recipe for making venison hot dogs. I have been looking, but can't find any seasoning mixes for hot dogs. I appreciate your help!



Peter,

As a matter of fact, I even have a video:


When I'm making my own hot dogs, I use Hi Mountain Old Fashioned Bologna seasoning. Makes for a great venison hot dog - I highly recommend it!

Thanks for your question Peter & good luck this season!

"The Meat Man"
Brad Lockwood

Love of the Hunt TV: Elk Stroganoff

This is a segment from Love of the Hunt TV. In this clip, Brad is at the Weston Products headquarters making Elk Stroganoff (twist on Beef Stroganoff). The elk meat is from his New Mexico Elk Hunt with Weston owners Jason Berry & Mike Caspar. In this clip, Brad uses: Realtree Outfitters #8 Electric Meat Grinder by Weston Weston 44 lb Flat Top Scale Roma Traditional Style Pasta Machine by Weston Look delicious? Here's the Elk Stroganoff recipe from Weston.

Black Bear Recipes & Tips

Josh from Peoria, AZ asked:

Hi, Brad!! I was wondering if you might be able to give some recipes and tips about black bear meat. What cuts are the best, or is it the same as deer and elk? I hear that it is delicious when cooked right. Also, if you could give some insight on "cooking it enough." I say this because I hear that it is imperative to cook this meat long enough in order to kill parasites.

Thanks and I am looking forward to your response!


Josh,

Bear meat can be one of the best or worst eating experiences! It largely depends on the product you choose to make. I have had great success with bear meat by treating it like pork and making mainly pork type products from bear meat.

Products like kielbasa, pepperoni, salami and summer sausage are great items to make from bear meat. As a matter of fact, I would refer you to a couple of video clips:

Bear Breakfast Sausage from a Coastal Black Bear Hunt in Alaska with Blaine Anthony & David Bloch:


German Style Bear Sausage made on the deck of a lodge in Quebec Canada with Mike Caspar & Jason Berry:


Marinated roasts work well with bear also. It can be a great eating experience as long as you pick a recipe that is traditional to pork.

When cooking bear, you are correct about cooking it long enough: treat it like pork and be certain it's cooked well. Aim for an internal temperature of 160.

Good luck and thanks for the question!

"The Meat Man"
Brad Lockwood