Hunters enjoy their own butchered meat but often rely on meat processors for their special blends and sausage. Great sausage can be made close to home. It’s not hard and does not require much.

Here is a great Maple Sausage recipe to try, using your wild game grind. It’s easy and tasty!

• 5 lbs. elk or venison
• 2 lbs. bacon, or pork shoulder. Bacon does make everything taste great.
• 4 tbsp salt
• 3 tbsp fresh black pepper
• 3 tbsp dried Sage
• 1 tbsp Chili flakes
• 2 cups of Pancake Syrup. Maple syrup is the best.

Cut the meat and bacon into 2-inch chunks. Place into a mixing bowl and add /mix the dry spices. Let the meat rest for 2 hours, so the spices can infuse the meat. 

Before you grind the meat, place the cutting components in a freezer for 30 minutes. Now grind the meat in a medium die. Place the grind into a chilled bowl. I prefer glass or metal bowls. Now, add the syrup and mix thoroughly. 

If you are using frozen grind, allow it to partially thaw, then pick up the recipe where you add the spices. 

Now you want to Emulsify the sausage. Add 2 cups off ice cold water, adding just a little at a time. Mix with your hands. Wearing a rubber glove. A thorough blend takes about 5 minutes of mixing. The meat will become tacky and stick to the sides of the bowl. 

Cook a small patty and do a taste test to see if you need any additional spices. Now allow the meat to rest for an hour or so. 

Make this sausage into patties about 3-4 0unce sized. They can be frozen as individual patties, or you can make a chub. The Chub is a good portion for biscuits and gravy or maybe chili or potato soup. Usually, a pound of sausage does the trick. Vacuum seal the spread-out patties. This allows you to cut out just a couple at a time rather than thawing a huge package at the same time. 

If you wanted to make Italian Sausage, use the same recipe but infuse more Italian Spices like garlic, oregano, basil, etc. This meat can be used for meat sauces, lasagna, etc. 

Link sausage is another option, but butchers are best at making links. The more you fill casings the better you get. Don’t over or under stuff the casings. This is a matter of feel. If the casing breaks, start over. A 4–5-inch link is perfect. Alternate the twists between sausages so they won’t unwind. Keep the links as a chain for what a meal potion would be. Smaller links tend to cook faster and easier. There is no law saying you can’t put 2 on a bun at the same time. 

You will always have missing Links!

Montana Grant