"High" game.

[Wohoki]

A friend of mine just gave me a double fore-quarter of roe deer to turn into smoked sausage. It'll be brined, and then the meat will have salt and cure #1 added (as well as a good amount of pork/pork fat, spices and some rusk) before being cold smoked for 24-48 hours, and then cooked (either in the oven, fried or on a charcoal grill.)

Unfortunately, it has been hung for a little longer than I would hang roe.

I know that it'll be OK to eat, I just wanted an opinion as to eventual flavour. Is well-hung meat suitable for smoking, or would I be better using it in a fresh sausage?

(& no "well-hung meat" gags, if you please )

[mosler]

I would vote with both hands for smoking it. I think the more mature flavor of the meat now will benefit from a strong smoke flavor right beside it. A fresh sausage would just be overpowered by the game meat.

[welsh wizard]

Hi Wohoki

I make quite a lot of Bambi sausages and have done so with quite whiffy meat in the past, but there again I like that sort of thing (no jokes please). If I am making smoked sausage I would cold smoke for an hour or two and then just cook as normal. To somke or not to smoke that is the question, well I think it really depends on your taste. I like well hung game so strong flavours for me are the order of the day but smoked sausage is a wonderful thing!

Why no try a bit of both?

PS if you freeze the strong game sausage the taste will abate slightly.

Cheers WW

[Wohoki]

Thank you both!

I've decided to go for it, adding cure #1 and 1.5% salt should deal with the bacteria, and I'd happily roast/stew the meat so why not?

I'll post results, unless I die.

[welsh wizard]

Go Wohoki go

Please post the results, that is if youre not stuffed in the great sausage in the sky!!


WW

[georgebaker]

Hi Welsh Wizard

How do you get the Bambi? Is it available in shops over there? If so how much?

George

[welsh wizard]

Hi GB

Bambi is quite readily available from butchers here but it is very expensive. I have a friend who sells it to me at �1 a lb but for that I have to take the whole carcus then skin and butcher it, but this is not as difficult as it seems. Just think of the beast as a large rabbit and you wont be far away.

When this is done the butchers tend to sell it fot the following:

Strip loin c�18Kg
Haunch c�16Kg
Dice (meat off the shoulder) c�8Kg
Skirt, neck etc (if you can get it) c�5Kg

From this you can se �1 a Lb is very reasonable. However you do sometimes get a shock. Last month I asked if he had one hanging and he said he did but when I got there it was 127Lb ! My freezer is now full. If you want to have a go I suggust you go for a Roe deer to start c30Lb - 40Lb.

If you ask in a gun shop they will usualy have a smal list of deer stalkers in the area and just give one a ring and see if he would be prepared to sel you one, quite a few will as they are not always the easiest things to move on. Anyway good luck

Cheers WW

[Wohoki]

Game keepers are always worth being nice too as well. Round here they will often let you have vermin (bunnies, rooks and squirrel) for free, pheasants for a pound a brace, hare for �4, and roe for around �20-�40 a carcase, skinned and quartered. If you tried to buy a whole saddle of roe from a butcher it would cost more than that.
Jus phone the nearest shooting estate and ask if there is a surplus, it's a few extra quid for them (agricultural wages aren't good, and beer is expensive ) and a great meal for you