Girl Hunter Part 26

1. Before you are ready to grind the meat, put it in the freezer for about 1 hour, until the meat is firm but not frozen.

2. Grind the meat and fat through a medium die, taking care to alternate pieces of meat and fat.

3. Place the meat in the bowl of a stand mixer and add everything but the water. Mix well with the paddle attachment for about 1 minute, or with your hands for longer.

4. Add half of the ice water and continue mixing until the meat and fat are emulsified. The meat will develop a uniform, sticky appearance.

5. Work the meat through your fingers, squeezing it against the sides of the bowl.

6. Continue adding water until the meat is loose but not watery.

7. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a small skillet. Cook 1 tablespoon of the mixture in the oil to taste the seasoning and adjust as necessary.

8. With a sausage stuffer, stuff the mixture into pork casings 6 to 8 inches long, p.r.i.c.king the casings with a sterilized needle as you go, to prevent air bubbles. Twist off the casing into links and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

9. To cook, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and sear over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, turning often. The internal temperature should be 160F.

Note: Also referred to as Prague powder, tinted cure mix, or Insta Cure #1, pink curing salt #1 (a mixture of salt and nitrite) is used in many types of cured meat products that are made and then cooked or eaten fairly quickly. The nitrite keeps the meat safe for a short period of time, and maintains the meat's red color as well as gives it that "cured" taste. Its main purpose it to prevent botulism poisoning.

Pink salt #2 is also known as Insta Cure #2 and Prague powder. It is a mixture of salt, sodium nitrate, and sodium nitrite, and used on meats that are dry cured over an extended period of time. The sodium nitrate breaks down over time to sodium nitrite, which then breaks down to nitric oxide, an oxidizing agent that keeps the meat safe from botulism.

Both mixtures can be purchased from many places on the Internet.

Smoked Venison Kielbasa

Makes 5 pounds Kielbasa is the descendent of an Eastern European sausage. The texture is different from a regular sausage in that it is emulsified, making it most similar to a large, smoked hot dog. This emulsification is done with the aid of ice and milk powder. It is important that this meat mixture be particularly cold before it is pushed through the sausage grinder, because it will be ground more finely than a typical sausage.

3 pounds venison shoulder or haunch, cubed

1 pound hog b.u.t.t, cubed

1 pound hog or domestic pig fat, cubed

1/2 cup diced bacon

1/4 cup kosher salt

1 teaspoon pink salt #1 (see Note, page 164)

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/8 cup finely ground white peppercorns

1/8 cup mustard powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 1/2 cups crushed ice

1/3 cup milk powder

Natural pork casings, soaked in a bowl of salt.w.a.ter

Homemade Mustard, for serving (page 235)

Homemade Sauerkraut, for serving (page 234)

1. In a large nonreactive bowl, combine the venison, pork, fat, bacon, salt, pink salt, sugar, white pepper, mustard powder, and garlic powder. Let sit overnight, if possible in the fridge.

2. Before you are ready to grind the meat, put it in the freezer for about 1 hour, until the meat is firm but not frozen.

3. Grind the meat, fat, and bacon through a medium die, taking care to alternate pieces of each of them.

4. Return the meat to the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

5. Grind the meat again, this time through a small die, while gradually adding crushed ice. Grind very small amounts of meat at a time. As the meat grinds, it should be cold enough to extrude on its own, without pressure.

6. Place the mixture in the bowl of stand mixer with a paddle attachment, and mix on the lowest speed for 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to clear the paddle as needed.

7. Add the milk powder and continue to paddle the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes on the lowest speed. Take care not to overmix, as it could result in a rubbery texture. (You may need to add some ice water to facilitate mixing-no more than 1 cup.) 8. Poach about 1 tablespoon of sausage in boiling water to test for seasoning and texture, adjusting as necessary.

9. Stuff the mixture into pork casings 6 to 8 inches long, p.r.i.c.king the casings with a sterilized needle as you go, to prevent air bubbles. Twist off the casing into links and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

10. Hot smoke the sausages at 250F for 45 minutes to 1 hour in a single layer until they are nicely red on all sides and firm. As they smoke, flip the sausages as frequently as possible.

11. Before serving, sear the sausages in a skillet until golden brown and warmed through. Serve with homemade mustard and homemade sauerkraut.

Axis Venison Loaf

Serves 6 to 8 My grandmother Frances Pellegrini is a home cook extraordinaire. Whenever she invited me to dinner growing up, I always requested her meat loaf. This is her recipe, taken from a family recipe book, as best as it can be put into words. She never was one to take measurements; it was always about whim and intuition. And there is something in her kitchen air that made this meat loaf turn out a special way that I have never been able to duplicate. This recipe uses venison, in this case axis venison, which is very lean, a little sweet, and a very beautiful color.

1 carrot

1 large onion

1 celery stalk

2 cups b.u.t.ton mushrooms (one standard package)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 1/2 pounds ground axis venison