To make venison snack sticks, the basic process involves mixing ground venison with seasonings and sometimes pork fat, stuffing the mixture into casings, and then smoking and cooking the sticks until they reach a safe internal temperature. Here is a general guide:
Ingredients
- Ground venison (around 2.5 to 3 pounds or more depending on batch size)
- Optional pork fat or shoulder (to keep sticks moist, typically about 20-30% of total meat)
- Seasonings such as kosher salt, garlic, onion flakes, black pepper, dry mustard, brown sugar, and chili flakes
- Curing salt (Prague powder or pink salt) for preservation and safety
- Sausage casings (natural or collagen) to stuff the meat mixture
Instructions
- Prepare the Meat and Fat : Mix ground venison and pork fat if using for juiciness. Keep the meat cold during mixing.
- Mix Seasonings : Combine your spices and curing salt with the ground meat thoroughly. This can be done by hand or with a mixer.
- Stuff the Casings : Load the seasoned mixture into sausage casings using a sausage stuffer. Be careful not to overstuff to avoid bursting.
- Cure and Rest : Refrigerate the stuffed snack sticks for about 24 hours to allow the cure to work.
- Smoke and Cook : Smoke the sticks initially at a low temperature (around 100°F) for a couple of hours, then increase the smoke temperature to about 150-200°F. Continue smoking until the internal temperature reaches 155-165°F for proper cooking.
- Cool and Store : Let the sticks cool, then refrigerate or vacuum seal for storage.
Additional Tips
- Cold smoking can be done first for flavor, followed by hot smoking for cooking.
- Use a digital meat thermometer to check internal temperature.
- Slice into 4-6 inch sticks for serving and storage.
This process yields flavorful, lean, and smokey venison snack sticks that can rival store-bought versions.
