Been doing some processing, antelope sausage, elk burgers...

[Tod osier]

I've been doing some processing the past couple weeks. I love seeing what everyone does, so I'll put up some pics of how I do it.



I got a couple antelope this fall, so I wanted to make a big batch of antelope breakfast sausage - strong ginger-sage-garlic-black pepper. I usually make breakfast sausage into logs and slice to cook, but I had the ridiculous idea of stuffing them in lamb casings (which I always regret doing once I start). I made up 25 pounds of sausage (15 pounds antelope and 10 pork belly - my standard ratio for fresh sausages) and stuffed away.



Stuffing and forming links.

I freeze the sausages before vacuum sealing because the chamber vac will crush them.

Final batch, that is about 20 pounds, I made a few sticks too.

I also made 30 pounds of elk burgers. These are elk-bacon (5 elk : 1 bacon).



Like the sausages, I form the burgers and freeze and then seal. They keep really well this way, but the burgers get eaten pretty quick. We sous vide the burgers at 125F and then sear in a pan. I love burgers this way, they aren't a classic hand formed grilled burger, but they are an amazing tender juicy piece of meat.



Forming burgers.

Frozen burgers from overnight in the deep freeze, I thaw the burgers just quick to get rid of the surface ice before vac seal.

I've found that if you quick hit the sealed packs with heat (hot water or heat gun) the surface ice melts and you get just an awesome beautiful product.

Pile of burgers, I think we ended up with 35 packs of 3 (we are a family of 3).

Need to make some snack sticks still.

 

[NB7]

Nice work. I usually make about 25 lbs of brats out of venison every year. I used to freeze them before vac sealing so it did't crush them, but eventually after doing a few without freezing realized it didn't matter much as the casings kept them in good shape anyway. Simmer them in a pan of beer and then brown them at the end and man are they good

 

[Tod osier]

Nice work. I usually make about 25 lbs of brats out of venison every year. I used to freeze them before vac sealing so it did't crush them, but eventually after doing a few without freezing realized it didn't matter much as the casings kept them in good shape anyway. Simmer them in a pan of beer and then brown them at the end and man are they good

Thanks! Our chamber vac puts a hurting on them if they aren't frozen. Plus, we sous vide almost everything (including the sausages), and they go in from frozen, so there isn't a chance to reform the flattened ones.

 

[Tod osier]

Egg and sausage lunch today.

 

[Relentlesspursuit]

Looking good man. Reading this while fasted so going to have to eat now lol.

 

[Azone]

Tod, what brand chamber vac do you use?

 

[Tod osier]

Looking good man. Reading this while fasted so going to have to eat now lol.

I fasted through the morning, so I hear you on that.

 

[Tod osier]

Tod, what brand chamber vac do you use?

Vacmaster VP215, love it. Massive amount of vacuum, seals bags with a wet seal area, seals when there are pleats in the seal area. Would only go bigger, but no need really unless there were 2 seal bars to double the speed.

 

[Lou (Louis)]

I've been doing some processing the past couple weeks. I love seeing what everyone does, so I'll put up some pics of how I do it.



I got a couple antelope this fall, so I wanted to make a big batch of antelope breakfast sausage - strong ginger-sage-garlic-black pepper. I usually make breakfast sausage into logs and slice to cook, but I had the ridiculous idea of stuffing them in lamb casings (which I always regret doing once I start). I made up 25 pounds of sausage (15 pounds antelope and 10 pork belly - my standard ratio for fresh sausages) and stuffed away.



Stuffing and forming links.




I freeze the sausages before vacuum sealing because the chamber vac will crush them.




Final batch, that is about 20 pounds, I made a few sticks too.






I also made 30 pounds of elk burgers. These are elk-bacon (5 elk : 1 bacon).



Like the sausages, I form the burgers and freeze and then seal. They keep really well this way, but the burgers get eaten pretty quick. We sous vide the burgers at 125F and then sear in a pan. I love burgers this way, they aren't a classic hand formed grilled burger, but they are an amazing tender juicy piece of meat.



Forming burgers.




Frozen burgers from overnight in the deep freeze, I thaw the burgers just quick to get rid of the surface ice before vac seal.

\I've found that if you quick hit the sealed packs with heat (hot water or heat gun) the surface ice melts and you get just an awesome beautiful product.
Pile of burgers, I think we ended up with 35 packs of 3

Need to make some snack sticks still.

Nice work, sir!

 

[Tod osier]

I got hungry for burgers after posting about them today.

Threw them in to cook an hour before dinner at 125F.

Pretty unappetizing.

Still not great.

Looking better. Two with Roquefort, one with Cheddar - all with chipotle.

Finished product.

 

[ndsportsman]

Nice work. I usually make about 25 lbs of brats out of venison every year. I used to freeze them before vac sealing so it did't crush them, but eventually after doing a few without freezing realized it didn't matter much as the casings kept them in good shape anyway. Simmer them in a pan of beer and then brown them at the end and man are they good

Care to share your brat recipe? Been looking for options to use some of my extra ground meat.