Smoked Summer Sausage
20 lbs. Deer Meat (80%)
4-5 lbs. Beef Fat (20%)
11 oz. Excalibur Wisconsin Style Summer Sausage seasoning with cure
1 – 2 cups water
½ cup Whole Mustard Seed
Casings (1” to 3” diameter)
Optional Ingredients (*)
* 1 – 2 Tbsp. Whole or cracked peppercorns
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 6 – 12 minced Jalapeno peppers – adjust to desired hotness (use plastic gloves!!!)
* One 5 lb. package of high-temperature cheese
Prepare Sausages: Grind deer meat and beef fat. Mix in all seasonings as per directions (on seasoning bottle). Stuff into casings, about 2 1/2” diameter by 18” long. Let set in refrigerator for 24 hours.
Smoke Cook: Fill smoker tray with hickory, maple, or cherry wood chips. For 2 1/2” diameter rolls of sausage, place 3 on the bottom racks and 4 on the top rack of your Dakota Grill. Insert probe 2-3” into center of sausage on top rack of grill. Plug other end of probe into grill. Set probe temperature for 160 ºF and set grill temperature for 230 ºF. (Do not preheat!)
This will slowly smoke and cook the sausages in 4 ½ to 5 hours (slightly more for sausages thicker than 2 1/2” diameter). Top and bottom sausages may be interchanged and rotated after 3-4 hours for more even cooking, if desired. (Meat on the bottom level cooks a bit faster – it will be 175 ºF when the top is 160 ºF).
When cooked, remove from grill and chill in fridge. Cut into portion size desired and vacuum-seal or wrap in freezer paper. Be sure to date and label each variation, such as jalapeño, extra pepper, or cheese, as well as the type of wood chips used for each batch. Either freeze sausages or refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Very nice flavor and texture – as good a summer sausage as you can find.
Smoked Bratwurst
80% Deer Meat—20 lbs.
20% Beef Fat—4 to 5 lbs.
8 oz. Excalibur W 1503 Bratwurst Seasoning
Casings if desired
Grind deer meat and beef fat. Mix in seasoning as per directions. Stuff into plastic 1# or 2# wild game bags and freeze. Thaw as needed, form into patties, and grill or smoke. Or, you may stuff into individual brat casings, wrap in freezer paper and freeze. (We prefer the patties.)
For smoked bratwurst, fill smoker tray half-full with hickory wood chips. Place brat patties or brats on grill, insert probe in meat and connect other end into grill. Set probe temperature for 175 ºF and set grill temperature for 320 ºF. Expected cooking time for 5/8” thick patties or 1” diameter links is 40 minutes total (no preheating).
This makes very good bratwurst either smoked or just grilled.
Smoked Jerky (a work in progress)
Round Beef Roasts or good deer meat—25 lbs.
10 oz. Excalibur Remember When Complete Jerky Seasoning with Cure
Slice roast into even 1/8” thick strips about 1 1/2” wide. Following directions on seasoning, mix 1 oz. Cure with 10 oz. Seasoning (use no water). Dust both sides of meat slices, layer in plastic container, cover. Refrigerate 12 hours.
Half-fill smoker tray with hickory chips. Place meat strips directly on grates. Grill at 150 ºF for 4-6 hours. Remove, cool, and enjoy. Or vacuum-seal and freeze for later use.
* This is a work in progress and has not been tested.
(You may need to prop grill lid open 1/2” to 1” to allow jerky to dry out sufficiently. Grill temperature may need to be set for 180 ºF to 220 ºF – see how it smokes and dries at 150 ºF , then adjust accordingly.)