Category:
Main Courses

Seasons:
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

I got this old family recipe from D’Hanis hog farmer, deer hunter and sausage-maker Dennis Herrmann. Use this recipe as a guide, but if you’re serious about making sausage, try to get invited to a few sausage-making parties, where you can learn from the pros. I consider sausage-making a culinary art that takes time, persistence and a good smokehouse. It’s also a great reason to get together with friends and family to celebrate a Texas food tradition. (Equipment note: The equipment for sausage-making is a big investment. At the very least, you will need a meat grinder with a sausage-stuffer attachment.).—Amy Crowell

(“Don’t use the synthetic casings! They’re just not as good,” says Dennis.)

For 15 Dozen(s)

100 pounds ground meat (60% lean pork/40% venison or 50% fatty pork/50% venison)
1 1/2 pounds salt
3/4 pounds black pepper (or substitute ¼ lb. cayenne pepper)
1 1/2 pounds coriander
1/4 cups mustard seeds (optional)
5 heads of garlic (peel cloves and place in a blender; add
2 cups water and blend.)
Hog casings

Pork-Venison Sausage Directions

Mix meat and spices together—preferably by hand—and pour the garlic-water mixture over the top. Remember—always season the meat before you grind!

Load the meat into the grinder, crank it through the sausage stuffer and fill the casings. Vacuum-pack the finished links for freezing, or smoke them once or twice for dried sausage. You can also cook and eat the sausage right then and there.