Venison, rosemary & garlic sausages

After a successful venison hunt, prime trimmings are ideal for mincing and can be put to good use in bolognese, lasagne and pie fillings. Venison also makes excellent sausages, with rosemary and garlic a favourite combination. This recipe can be adjusted to suit individual tastes and prepared using a domestic kitchen meat grinder.

Serves: Approximately 3kg of sausages
Duration: Approximately 3 hours, plus overnight refrigeration

Chef’s note: Keeping the meat and equipment very cold, almost frozen, is essential when making sausages. Cleanliness is equally important, particularly when handling the mince and casings. Venison is exceptionally lean, so don’t skimp on the lamb fat. This recipe uses considerably less salt than many traditional butcher’s recipes, so sausages should be eaten fresh or promptly frozen rather than kept for extended periods. Natural pig casings work well, although synthetic alternatives are available. Most local butchers will sell individual lengths of casing for just a few dollars.

Ingredients

• 2kg venison, cubed
• 700g–1kg lamb fat, diced
• Leaves from 3 large sprigs of rosemary
• 6 cloves garlic
• 150ml white wine
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 30g salt
• 10g ground black pepper
• Approximately 4m sausage casing (natural or synthetic).

Method

1. Cut the venison into approximately 2″ cubes and place in the freezer until nearly frozen. Cut the lamb fat into smaller cubes, roughly 1″ across.
2. Combine the venison, fat, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper, then return the mixture to the freezer for 45 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, soak the sausage casing in lukewarm water.
4. Fit the chilled meat grinder with a coarse grinding plate. Pass the meat mixture through, collecting the mince in a clean, chilled bowl.
5. Quickly mix the wine and balsamic vinegar through the mince, then return the bowl to the freezer to keep cold.
6. Clean the grinder attachment and prepare it for sausage stuffing, then place it in the freezer for approximately 20 minutes.
7. Fit the chilled attachment and slide the sausage casing onto the nozzle. Begin feeding the mince through until any air pockets have been expelled. Pull approximately 6″ of casing off the nozzle and tie off the end.
8. Continue feeding the mince through, using a loose grip to regulate how quickly the casing slips off the nozzle. Avoid filling it too tightly or allowing it to remain too loose.
9. Allow the sausage to coil into a large, clean bowl. Once all the mince has been used, tie off the remaining casing.
10. Leave the sausage in coils, similar to South African boerewors, or pinch and twist into individual links.
11. Drape the sausages over clean wooden dowels and allow them to dry and set for approximately an hour, keeping them refrigerated.
12. Refrigerate overnight, either hanging the sausages or placing them on layers of paper towel in a large, clean plastic or ceramic container.
13. Package and freeze any excess sausages, then cook and enjoy the remainder fresh.