Summer Sausage Seasoning

Start with 25 lbs. of lean beef or a blend of 50/50 venison and beef, or venison and pork, to achieve an approximately 85% lean meat mix. Seasoning & Curing: Open the cure pack (found inside the seasoning bag) and mix it thoroughly with the seasoning. Add 2–3 cups of distilled water to the meat and blend in the seasoning mixture. Mix until the meat becomes sticky and tacky in texture. Refrigeration: Cover and refrigerate the seasoned meat mixture overnight. Prepping for Stuffing: Before stuffing, add 1 oz. of distilled water per pound of meat and work it in gently—avoid over-mixing, as you don’t want the mixture too sticky. At this stage, you can fold in cheese if desired. Stuffing: Stuff the meat tightly into casings, ensuring there are no air pockets. Secure each end with a hog ring. Smoking Process: Preheat smoker to 100°F. Place sausages inside with both upper and lower vents fully open. Dry the sausages for 1–2 hours, or until the casings are dry to the touch. Adjust vents: upper damper to 1/8 open, lower damper to 2/3 open. Begin smoking at 110°F for 3 hours, ensuring the wood supply is adequate. Raise the temperature to 130°F and smoke for 2 hours. Increase to 150°F for another 2 hours. Finally, raise to 170°F and continue smoking until internal temperature reaches 152–155°F. Cooling & Packaging: Remove sausage from the smoker and immediately spray with cold water until the temperature drops below 100°F. Let sausages rest at room temperature for a few hours. Refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours, allowing the casings to fully dry. Once dry, package as desired.