From The Sausage Book by Richard Gehman
Published by Weathervane Books, NY 1969
The hardest part of this recipe is shooting a deer. The way to do this is to go with my great-uncle, Ambrose Archibald Cauller, to Cain or Potter counties in Pennsylvania. He gets a deer nearly every late autumn and usually gives me some meat.
It does not matter what cut he offers. It nearly always needs marinating, which is not hard duty. All that has to be done is to put the venison in a good sturdy crock and to marinate it in wine which has been dosed with:
| 2 | leaves | bay leaf | |
| 12 | whole | black peppercorns | |
| 1 | Tbsp | sage or thyme | |
| 1 | peeled | carrot, cut up | |
| 2 | stalks | celery, destringed | |
| 1 | onion | the size of a No. 10 Downing Street door knob |
The meat should be permitted to sweat and ferment in this marinade for at least four days. If you are patient enough, or if you have shot your own deer and have been eating steaks, chops, etc. you will permit it to marinate longer. Skim the marinade every once in a while, please. Penicillin may form if you are not careful. The crock, I forgot to mention, should be covered with a good-sized hunk of cheesecloth, and the meat weighted with a washed stone.
The hour comes. Go to the butcher and buy some casing. I prefer pork casings. Some people like beef casings better. Some purists hold out for veal casings - why, I cannot tell.
When you feel that the venison has had its benison from the marinade, grind it. Then grind it again with cumin, mace, dry mustard, salt and shredded bay leaves.
Let the grinder take care of the peppercorns. Now put it through the grinder again with – if it weights, say, two pounds:
½ lb pork fat or well-fatted fresh pork.
If you cannot get either of these, good sturdy smoked bacon, Jordan’s preferably, will do.
Put it through the grinder a third time. Use the finest cutting blade you have. Take the meat out of the bowl into which have ground it and stuff it into the casings.
This is strong meat. Some like it plain, some like it smoked. That is entirely a matter of taste. The links ought to be tied so that they are about five or six inches long.
Venison sausages are cooked like any others - started in a little water and allowed to simmer when the water is gone. They should be pricked so that the pork fat can run out and torture them. The kitchen blower or deodorizer ought to be turned on or the place will smell for days as though a herd of deer has just run through, pursued by my Uncle Brose.
While the sausages are behaving as fiercely as they can, you can take a cupful of the marinade, strain it, thicken it with flour or cornstarch, and allow it to simmer gently. I have often added slices of pared and cored apple to it, and I have known some people who have added dried prunes or apricots.
The venison sausages will be ready to eat in about twelve minutes. (While you are waiting, you can have a drink of dandelion wine.) Serve very hot, pouring the thickened marinade over your sausage. Grits or mashed potatoes go well on the side. Some put mustard and/or pickles. I never do. I like the assertive taste of venison and wish my Uncle would go hunting more often.