INGREDIENTS FOR 25 POUNDS OF SUMMER SAUSAGE If you like your sausage to be a little more moist you should use a 50-50 mix of red meat beef or game and pork.. For a dryer sausage use a 70-30 mix. Everybody has different tastes so the following is what I have used over many years and have found it to be the most favored combination This sausage was traditionally made with 100 percent beef and the seasoning will work well for that also. If using game meat only, add about 10 percent beef fat to the mix. If you use beef only, use at least 85 percent - 90 percent lean beef.

15 lbs - Lean beef, elk, venison, or antelope if using wild game, be sure to trim away all fat and cartilage as this will give your sausage a poor taste.

10 lbs. - Pork trim 80 percent lean

3 pts. - Cold water

Seasoning - Born's seasoning for 25 lbs. Summer Sausage

STEP 1:DICING AND MIXING
Be sure the meat temperature stays at 34°F to 40°F during preparation. Work rapidly with cold meat or refrigerate small batches as necessary. Grind all meat through a half inch or three quarter" plate or dice the meat into 1" cubes. Mix the sodium nitrate curing agent with Born's Summer Sausage seasoning. Sprinkle the spices evenly over the meat and mix the meat and spices thoroughly using a kneading motion similar to mixing dough.

STEP 2:CURING OPTIONAL
After the spices are thoroughly mixed with the meat, pack the meat, not over 6" deep, into a non-metallic tub. Be sure the meat is packed down very tightly to eliminate all air pockets. Hold in refrigerator at 35°F to 40°F for 24 to 48 hours. This process helps tenderize the meat, gives it flavor and helps to preserve it.

STEP 3:GRINDING AND STUFFING
Grind the cured meat through 1-8" or 3-16" plate depending on your desired texture. After grinding, add 3 pints cold water and mix the meat thoroughly, kneading it like a dough mixture. When it is thoroughly mixed, it is ready for stuffing. Stuff into 2 half inch to 4" pre-flushed fibrous casings. Theses casing should be pre-stuck, if not you will need to put holes in the casing for proper smoking and cooking. Tie the stuffed casings at the desired length or use hog nose rings to crimp the casing when stuffed. Be sure the casing stays tight when tying. Hang them, evenly spaced, not touching, on a smoke stick. Follow the directions for smoking or refrigerate immediately if you plan to have someone else smoke the sausage for you.

STEP 4:SMOKING
Before smoking; dry sausage in the smoke house at smoke house temperature of 100°F to 110°F for 1 hour. Then smoke cold, 100°F to 110°F smoke house temperature for 2 to 3 hours. Then raise smoke house temperature to 165°F to 170°F until an internal sausage temperature of 145°F is reached. Hold internal temperature at 145°F to 160°F for 30 minutes. Next, cool the sausage to 120°F at room temperature and refrigerate. Excess fat should be wiped from the outside of the casing with a warm damp cloth before freezing.

ANY SAUSAGE THAT WILL NOT BE CONSUMED IN 2 WEEKS SHOULD BE WELL WRAPPED AND FROZEN.