Make Italian sausages with wild game! Venison makes a delicious homemade sausage, and the classic Italian seasonings amp up the flavour.
We love to make our own sausages. There's no extra preservatives beyond salt and sugar, and you can add literally any herbs, seasonings, or extras you like. Use any type of wild game or even mix in some beef or pork. This is a great intro to wild game for those curious family members.
This recipe takes advantage of Italian herbs to make it a great grilling sausage, or even pair it for breakfast. I also have a true maple-seasoned Venison Breakfast Sausage. Then there's Maple Fennel Sausage which is perfect for lunches.
Key Ingredients
Venison - Use up that "stew meat" or any bits and pieces you trim off from making steaks and roasts when butchering your deer.
Fat - Venison needs some added fat in the form of pork lard here. I think it keeps it from being too dry or tough.
Seasonings - Fennel is what truly makes this "Italian" in most peoples' minds. Oregano, basil, thyme, and garlic round things out.
How to Make Venison Italian Sausage
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Dice meat and fat and keep semi-frozen.
Step 2: Use a meat grinder or food processor.
Step 3: Make sure the fat and meat are well-marbled.
Step 4: Sprinkle on all seasonings and herbs, then mix well with your hands.
Step 5: Form into round patties or use a sausage stuffer to place in casings.
Step 6: Freeze if saving for later, or pop in the fridge for the next day. Fry up when ready to enjoy.
FAQs
You can use these seasonings and method for any type of meat. Sometimes people can get a bit squeamish with wild game, so I highly recommend serving it in familiar ways like a delicious sausage in a bun with all the toppings. I definitely tell people what it is so they can consent to tasting, but they will be more likely when it looks like a sausage! Feel free to mix in other types of wild game or try half pork and half venison.
Mix things up and fry up a mini meatball to get a taste for it. Then you can easily add more seasonings to the remaining mixture to be sure the final product is tasty. You can also play with swaps like using maple or honey instead of granulated sugar. Try onion salt instead of garlic salt. It's great to be able to make your own! Feel free to add in spicy bits like crushed red pepper flakes.
Photos by Dante from Shire by the Sea
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Venison Sausage with Italian Herbs
Ingredients
- 2 pounds venison cut into cubes and semi-frozen
- ½ pound pork fat semi-frozen
- ½ tablespoon sea salt
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- Sausage casings for traditional sausages optional
Instructions
- Freeze venison and pig fat for better processing, but make sure it is not too frozen, and cut all into 1-inch chunks.
- Feed chunks into meat grinder or food processor. Catch in a pan beneath. Try to mix a bit of each at a time so that the hamburger comes out with a good mix of fat with the meat.
- If you are using a food processor, don't fill it up but about ¼ full and pulse it until you have a nice crumbled grind.
- Once meat is well ground, add your salt, sugar, and herbs, sprinkling over the entire grind.
- Mix well together with your hands, adding some turns of black pepper if you want a bit more bite.
- Form into small burger-sized patties and lay out on/wrap with butcher paper on trays if you intend to freeze or refrigerate for later.
- Alternatively, you could add to a sausage stuffer if you have one. Make sure your sausage casings are thoroughly rinsed and soak for at least 20 minutes. Place casing on sausage stuffer and add meat inside, slowly pressing into casings. Twist and cut off ends into desired lengths.
- If cooking some immediately, heat skillet and fry on both sides over medium heat until a nice golden-brown colour.
Notes
- A generous dollop of seedy mustard served up with a side of fried eggs is our favourite way to enjoy these scrumptious mildly Italian sausages.
- These freeze beautifully for later, especially in casings. We eat them for any meal of the day.
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