Processing some Game

[Montana Rancher]

I just finished butchering my cow elk, and dammit my dedicated chest freezer (20cf) is stuffed full, plus my other chest freezer which usually has my butter, store bought meat, cheese, etc (24cf) has the overflow of meat, and crap I found several packages of elk backstrap in the upstairs refrigerator freezer (gah)

sucks to be me I guess

Anyway before season (since I work at Cabelas part time now) I decided to check out the local spices and did this

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Smokehouse-Snack-Stick-Seasoning-Kits-150-25-lbs/734566.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3D searchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProduc ts%26Ntt%3Dgame%2Bprocessing%2Bkits%26WTz_l%3DHead er%253BSearch-All%2BProducts%26x%3D0%26y%3D0&Ntt=game+processing+kits&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

I did the "Hot Sticks" receipe at 25 pounds. Since I didn't have a lot of pork "trim" I put in 5 pounds of pork sausage into the mix and then smoked them in hickory for about 4 hours.

The end result is some of the best tasting with a little bite pepper sticks you have ever tasted!

So since my freezers are packed I am going to make a batch of breakfast sausage, and some summer sausage, and some jerky all using cabela's spices. Normally I just make up my spice recipies and although it is cheaper, I think for the few extra dollars the boxed recepies are better.

More to follow, I still need to get out there and shoot a buck, maybe another elk and a wolf, so it may take a couple weeks to get them all done.

P.S. If I get another elk I'm giving it away, no way I can store it, but it would be cool to shoot 2 elk back to back in 2 years, that I have never done.

[shootbrownelk]

Montana Rancher, I did that last year. And may make it 3 years in a row this year. I still have a cow tag good untill Dec.1st. And we're finally getting some weather (snow) and from what the weatherman says, lots of it. Good deal, that'll get them moving.

[Deebo]

You fellas want my address?
I will repay the shipping fees

[Infidel]

MR have you checked out LEM (http://www.lemproducts.com/)? Their summer sausage is awesome and their hot snack sticks are great too. Their fresh Bratwurst is excellent also if you like bratwurst. I always go a little heavy on the spice so if the mix calls for 5 lbs I use 4-4.5lbs I use a 50/50 mix of venison and pork shoulder, this allows me to stretch the meat a little further. 2 years ago I did bratwurst for me and 3 other guys and ended up making somewhere in the neighborhood of 100lbs of it. They all loved that bratwurst. I use prepackaged spices for everything, it's easier on me and I can keep the spices on hand and ready to go that way.

-Infidel

[Montana Rancher]

I did a short look at their site, it looks like they sell processed meat, correct me if I am wrong.

I am talking about using the meat we have and adding a bit of nitrates and spices and making sausage for about $1 a pound.

Correct me if I didn't understand your post.

[omegabrock]

You fellas want my address?
I will repay the shipping fees

This...I am willing to help with these storage problems

[Infidel]

I did a short look at their site, it looks like they sell processed meat, correct me if I am wrong.

I am talking about using the meat we have and adding a bit of nitrates and spices and making sausage for about $1 a pound.

Correct me if I didn't understand your post.

I think they may sell some pre-processed stuff but they're primary business is processing equipment and seasonings. They also carry a full line of sausage casings. They are my preferred retailer for anything related to sausage making. They sell everything from grinders to stuffers and everything in between.

-Infidel

[Montana Rancher]

895

I just took the finished summer sausages out of the smoker, the recipe said cool them in a cool water bath, but WTF as it is 9 degrees on the back porch, I rinsed them off and stuck them outside.

I haven't tasted them yet, but I'm sure they will be stellar

BTW I process all my ground meat on a Cabela's 3/4 hp grinder, it comes stock with sausage stuffing tubes and 2 grind plates, and will grind anything as fast as you can feed it. I highly recommend this unit.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Commercial-Grade-34-hp-Electric-Grinder/713906.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3D searchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProduc ts%26Ntt%3Dgrinder%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts%26x%3D0%26y%3D0&Ntt=grinder&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

Oh and BTW if you clicked on the link it mentions a 10% cabelas bucks for buying it, you need to have the credit card to get the $47 back in bucks on your next statement...

Yes you need to have the visa card to get the reward, but how many do you have that give you $50 back on a single purchase?

If you know how to shop Cabelas you can make some really awesome deals. I posted my $423 Bushmaster AR deals 2-3 months ago.

[Infidel]

That's a nice machine, I've got a 1/3hp machine that works pretty well. I bought mine from Weston 5 or 6 years ago and it still works like a champ. When it finally quits on me I'll upgrade to either a 1/2hp or 3/4hp machine for the larger neck size. My grinder only has a no. 8 neck which IMO is just a little too small, a 12 would be just about perfect. I need to pick up a foot switch for mine one of these days, that'll make stuffing a whole lot easier.

-Infidel

[Montana Rancher]

[QUOTE=Montana Rancher;13573]895

Just a follow up on the "summer sausage".

Holy freeking cow, this is seriously good tasting stuff. I took a half a stick to cowboy church on Wednesday and they ate the whole thing, I was supprised as usually my game treats get moderate response.

I took some more to Cabelas and left it in the break room and spent the next 4 hours talking to employees about setting up to make their own, what grinder, what smoker, what about dehydrators?

As employee's we can buy the spices fairly cheap so everyone was interested.

I finished stuffing about 12 lbs of breakfast sausage today and will finish them up tomorrow. I am using the small casings for sausage "links" but I have already fried up a patty and it was very good.

My dad came over and gave me about 20 lbs of halibut and salmon that we brought home on our last Alaska fishing trip in.... 2010. They are vaccume packed and look pretty good but I am going to brine them and smoke them, should be fun

[RWalls]

I just finished butchering my cow elk, and dammit my dedicated chest freezer (20cf) is stuffed full, plus my other chest freezer which usually has my butter, store bought meat, cheese, etc (24cf) has the overflow of meat, and crap I found several packages of elk backstrap in the upstairs refrigerator freezer (gah)





Ship it to me then.

[Baglady]

I had Elk when I lived in Alb. N.Mexico.
So much better than deer!!