Deer pepperoni

[In4TheHunt]

This is my first post...

I was wondering if anyone out there processes their own meet?

What I'm looking for is a recipe for deer pepperoni.

Please advise

[mark]

I butcher my own deer, but take meat to a sausage maker to get done!

[newhunterette]

we cut up our own game meats and sometimes make our own sausages and pepperoni etc depending on time - we also take it in to be made as well

[132mile]

I have been doing it for about 3 years. I would suggest looking at www.stuffers.com. Just give them a call and they have great pre-mixes that do 10lb batches. Good Luck.

[In4TheHunt]

Thank you all for your replies.

That at least gives me an idea of how to go about it the next time I bag something.

The last one I got I processed it myself and got about 80 lbs of sausage, but I would have liked some more variety.

Thanks again

[newhunterette]

homemade pepperoni
7 lbs venison cubed
3 lbs pork cubed
5 tblsp salt
1 tblsp sugar
2 tblsp cayenne pepper
3 tblsp sweet paprika
1 tblsp crushed anise seed
1 tsp garlic, very finely minced
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 tsp ascorbic acid
1 tsp saltpeter
6 feet small (1/2-inch diameter) hog casings

or you can purchase seasonings premixed at Stuffers in Langley as well as the casings.

Sausage Mix:
Grind the venison and pork through the coarse disk separately. Mix the meats together with the salt, sugar, cayenne, pepper, paprika, anise seed, garlic, red wine, ascorbic acid, and saltpeter. Spread the mixture out in a large pan, cover loosely with waxed paper, and cure in the refrigerator for twenty-four hours.

Prepare the casings. Stuff the sausage into the casings and twist off into ten-inch links. Using cotton twine, tie two separate knots between every other link, and one knot at the beginning and another at the end of the stuffed casing. Cut between the double knots. This results in pairs of ten-inch links. The pepperoni are hung by a string tied to the center of each pair. Hang the pepperoni to dry for six to eight weeks. Once dried, the pepperoni will keep, wrapped, in the refrigerator for several months.

Preparing the Casing:
Snip off about four feet of casing. (Better too much than too little because any extra can be repacked in salt and used later.) Rinse the casing under cool running water to remove any salt clinging to it. Place it in a bowl of cool water and let it soak for about half an hour. While you're waiting for the casing to soak, you can begin preparing the meat as detailed above. After soaking, rinse the casing under cool running water. Slip one end of the casing over the faucet nozzle. Hold the casing firmly on the nozzle, and then turn on the cold water, gently at first, and then more forcefully. This procedure will flush out any salt in the casing and pinpoint any breaks. Should you find a break, simply snip out a small section of the casing. Place the casing in a bowl of water and add a splash of white vinegar. A tablespoon of vinegar per cup of water is sufficient. The vinegar softens the casing a bit more and makes it more transparent, which in turn makes your sausage more pleasing to the eye. Leave the casing in the water/vinegar solution until you are ready to use it. Rinse it well and drain before stuffing.

[Ron.C]

Sounds good! I think I'll try my hand at it this weekend and see how it goes

[Ron.C]

One question on the dry curing process, which ingredient actually provides the curing function that kills the nasty food borne illnesses that can occur when drying meat products? I am a complete newby to this but have read other sites that say "Cure#2???" is required for dry curing pepperoni?? I have no idea what this is.

[newhunterette]

saltpeter and ascorbic acid are curing agents

[Ron.C]

thanks....