There’s something about trying a recipe straight out of an old-school book like Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing by Rytek Kutas that just feels right. Simple, straightforward, and you kind of learn as you go. That’s exactly what this venison salami run felt like.
The only thing was… the smallest batch in the book was 10 pounds, and that’s just not how I like to do things. I’d rather have a bit of everything in the freezer than a mountain of one thing, so I scaled it way down. I had a pack of 55mm fibrous casings on hand, and they said about 1.75 pounds per casing. So I figured two casings would be perfect and aimed for about 3.5 pounds of meat… ended up at 3.75 just to make the math easier.
For the meat, I went with a 70/30 mix of moose and pork. You could easily swap in venison or even beef if that’s what you’ve got – it’ll all work. I ran it through the grinder twice, first on a medium plate and then again on a fine one to get that nice salami texture.
While I was getting everything ready, I had the casings soaking in warm water for a couple of hours so they’d be soft and ready to go.
Once the meat was ground, I mixed everything in – ice water, salt, cure, binder, black pepper, nutmeg, garlic powder, corn syrup solids, and corn sugar. Nothing fancy, just taking the time to mix it well so everything is evenly distributed and the meat gets that sticky feel you’re looking for.
Then it was time to stuff.
I loaded up the stuffer and got going, and right away ran into a bit of a hiccup. It helps if you can pinch the casing right at the end of the stuffing tube to keep the meat from pushing back, but my fingers didn’t quite make it all the way around the tube. So every now and then I had to stop and push the meat back into the casing where it started creeping out.
I packed those casings as tight as I could, and here’s the funny part – the first casing held almost 3 pounds, way more than the 1.75 it claimed.
At the end of the second casing, I tried a little trick and dropped a water-filled balloon into the stuffer to push the last bit of meat through. In theory, great idea. In practice… I filled the balloon too tight and it burst. That meant I had water inside the casing, so I had to deal with draining that out before tying everything off.
After that, I tied the casings off and put the salami in the fridge to let the cure set and the spices blend.
Next morning, I went to hang them in the smoker and realized that 3-pound casing was longer than I planned for. Wouldn’t quite fit, so I just formed it into a coil and made it work.
I started the smoker at 130°F with the vent wide open to dry the casings. After about an hour they felt dry to the touch, so I bumped the temp up to 150°F, closed the vent down to about a third open, and started the smoke.
After a couple hours, I raised it again to 165°F to work toward that internal temp of 152°F. It was taking its time, so for the last stretch I pushed the smoker up to 175°F to finish it off.
Once the salami hit 152°F internally, I pulled it and dropped it straight into an ice water bath for about 20 minutes. That stops the cooking and helps set everything up. After that, I hung it to dry overnight.
Now, because of that balloon mishap, the last couple inches of one salami had wrinkled casing from the extra water during the smoke. The rest though turned out nice and smooth, exactly what you’re hoping for.
All in all, I’m glad I tried it. It’s a solid recipe, and even with a few hiccups along the way, it came together just fine.
Some lessons I learned:
- Tie the casings short enough so they actually fit your smoker
- Use a stuffing tube you can comfortably get your fingers around
- Don’t overfill the balloon
It’s one of those batches where you learn a few things, fix them next time, and end up with an even better run.
Venison Salami
Ingredients
- 5 lbs fine ground meat (70/30 venison/pork)
- 1 cup ice water
- 2.5 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp cure
- 1 cup binder
- 0.5 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp corn syrup solids
- 1 tbsp powdered dextrose (corn sugar)
- 55mm fibrous casings
Instructions
Mix the spices, water, and meat thoroughly. You know it’s properly mixed when it will stick to your hand when you hold it upside down.
Stuff tightly into casings.
Put in the fridge overnight.
Next morning, hang in the smoker at 130°F with vents wide open for ½ to 1 hour until casings are dry.
Raise temperature to 150°F, close vent to 1/3 open, and apply smoke.
After 2 hours, raise smoker to 165°F and bring sausage to 152°F internal temperature. You may need to raise to 175°F to finish.
Immediately place in ice water for 20 minutes.
Dry and return to fridge for 2–3 days to let smoke and flavors meld.
Print RecipeFrequently Asked Questions
Can I use venison without pork in this salami?
You can, but adding pork helps with fat content and texture. Pure venison can turn out a bit dry, so most people keep at least some pork in the mix.
Do I really need to let it sit in the fridge overnight?
Yes, it helps the cure distribute properly and gives the spices time to settle into the meat before smoking, unless you use a cure accelerator.
What if my casing holds more meat than expected?
That can happen depending on how tightly you stuff it. Just go by weight and feel rather than relying strictly on casing estimates.
Why did you start at 130°F in the smoker?
That lower temperature helps dry the casing first so the smoke adheres better and you avoid case hardening.
Do I have to ice bath the salami after smoking?
Yes, it stops the cooking process quickly and helps set the texture so it doesn’t overcook from residual heat.
How long should I leave it in the fridge after smoking?
Two to three days is ideal. It lets the smoke mellow and the flavor come together properly.
What temperature should the salami reach inside?
Target 152°F internal temperature. You may need to raise the smoker up to around 175°F near the end to get there.
Can I skip the smoking step?
No, smoking is part of both the flavor and preservation process for this style of salami. You don’t have to use smoke, but it adds to the flavor, and it does need to be cooked.
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