Homemade Summer Sausage
This recipe is for a homemade version of summer sausage, a type of cured sausage that is typically made from beef or pork. The recipe calls for ground hamburger, liquid smoke, Morton’s Tender Quick salt, coarse ground pepper, minced garlic, and mustard seeds. The ingredients are mixed together by hand and then left to refrigerate for 24 hours. After that, the mixture is kneaded again and shaped into four logs, which are baked for 3 hours at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The finished sausage is then wrapped in wax paper and aluminum foil and chilled in the refrigerator before slicing and serving. The recipe notes that venison can also be used, but that it should be mixed with some fat in the form of ground hamburger to make the sausage moist.
Ingredients:
5 lb ground hamburger (no lean burger)
5 Tbsp liquid smoke (found near barbecue sauce)
5 Tbsp morton salt tender quick (found in dark blue bag in spice aisle)
2 Tbsp coarse ground pepper
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp mustard seeds
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Directions:
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients with your hands like making meatloaf.
Cover and Refrigerate 24 hours.
Take out and knead one more time then make 4 (14×2 inch) logs.
Put them on a cookie sheet with 1-2 inch sides.
Bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours.
Take out and wrap in wax paper with aluminum foil around that.
Refrigerate until well chilled.
Serve by slicing and eating alone or with crackers and cheese.
NOTE:
When rolling logs into shape, make sure you knead the meat and form a tight log so there’s no cracks forming while baking.
IF USING VENISON:
Venison is very lean. This recipe needs some fat in it so use 3 lbs venison and 2 lbs hamburger.
