To break the funk, Heather and I went to the Iowa Deer Classic and got fired up on some of the turkey hunting tips and tactics from Outdoors Dan. I also picked up a great turkey hunting DVD from Jen and Matt with TrailCam Trophies. It was great to catch up with old friends and sample all the jerky, sausage and hot sticks.
All that food in my belly got me thinking - why don't I process the rest of my venison to pass the time while the ice melts? I get so much satisfaction from bringing my own food to the table. It's a lot of work, but I feel a sense of gratification and accomplishment that makes every bite taste better. There's also an element of culinary creativity that I enjoy during the process.
This year I made a variety of venison products including my usual 80/20 ground deer and deer jerky.
New this year, I attempted summer sausage and hot stix. I ground 45 lbs of deer with 10 lbs of beef, 20 jalapenos, and 4 lbs of cheese and mixed it with a store bought sausage mix. If you're going to go, go all out right?
Well, the summer sausage turned out fantastically! I baked it in the oven until the internal temp was 165F and the garden grown jalapenos gave it a wonderfully smooth heat.
I gambled on the hot stix - and lost. I tried smoking them, but my smoker couldn't get above 150 (an unfortunate combo of impatient operator error and cold temps). I had to finish the batch off in the oven to get that 165F internal temp, and they dried out a bit. Between that and the "harsh" smoke that comes with a colder fire, they're edible but below average. I guess I'll choke 'em down, or just give them away ;-)
So if you're left wondering what to do when Winter just wont quit... relive the harvest! From shot to finish, processing your own food can bring even more satisfaction from the hunt.
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