Recipe: Festive Fresh Venison Sausage

by
posted on January 16, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
recipe-festive-fresh-venison-sausage_lead.jpg

Sweet, savory and a hint of fruit is a great combination for the festive season, or anytime of the year. Fresh venison sausage with a taste of cranberries and orange will have hunters looking to customize the taste to personal or family preferences. The sweetness does come through and helps to ensure the sausages brown properly when cooked.

Allspice and cloves are easily overlooked as spices for wild game but add subtle flavors to tantalize your taste buds. It’s nice to make fresh sausage in small batches and use it up without putting it in the freezer. Keep it simple and form patties, or stuff it in casing for a more traditional look and feel.

Ingredients
• 1½ lbs. ground venison
• 1½ pounds ground pork
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground sage
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ⅓ cup cold orange juice

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a plastic mixing container and blend well. Put the mixture in a plastic or glass bowl or tub and refrigerate for an hour to let the salt and spices penetrate the meat evenly, and to firm it up for proper texture in the sausage.

2. Form the sausage into patties. You can make 16 patties that weigh 3.5 ounces. Alternatively, stuff the mixture into 30mm hog casings. Once the casing is full, pinch the casings between finger and thumb at the preferred length and twist to create separation between individual links.

3. For best results, place the sausages back in the fridge overnight on a rack to air dry. Eat, package for the freezer or keep in the fridge for a few days before grilling, frying or baking.

4. Fry the sausage in a Camp Chef cast-iron frying pan with oil and butter. The meat will brown nicely without overcooking the inside.

*Readers interested in MEAT! (meatyourmaker.com) game processing equipment can use the code HUNTER15 for a 15% discount.

For more delicious wild-game recipes, click here.

Latest

001 TRCR26 W Cover 01 (1)
001 TRCR26 W Cover 01 (1)

Range Review: Tippmann Arms M4-22 RCR-26 .22 LR Rifle

This lightweight, competition-grade semi-automatic from Tippmann is an ideal all-around sporting rimfire.

New for 2026: Woox Elegante Stocks

The Elegante is Woox's first purpose-built bolt-action platform for both sport shooters and hunters who build or upgrade their rifle to keep and pass on for generations. While most manufacturers put chassis systems inside synthetic or mass-produced wood stocks, Woox utilizes a single hand-selected piece of hand-oiled Claro American Walnut on the outside with an aerospace-grade aluminum mini-chassis on the inside.

Recall: Stop Use Order for CVA Paramount Series Muzzleloaders

CVA is issuing a safety recall for all Paramount, Paramount HTR, Paramount Pro, and Paramount Pro V2 muzzleloading rifles. This recall pertains.

An Ode to the Double Rifle

There are few who appreciate double rifles more deeply than our regular contributor, Phil Massaro. From the guns' storied history, to their heft and utility, the double rifle has fascinated Phil for a lifetime, and he has carried them in pursuit of game at home and abroad. Read on for his tribute to the classic design.

New for 2026: Spartan Precision Equipment Valhalla Gen 2 Bipod

Spartan Precision Equipment has announced the Valhalla Gen 2 Bipod, a shooting support system engineered for exceptional stability, rapid deployment, and lightweight performance for hunters and long-range precision shooters.

D.C. Legislators Who Understand Hunting and Shooting’s Role in Conservation

Yes Virginia, there are members of U.S. Congress and the Senate who hunt, fish or participate in the shooting sports despite their Beltway jobs.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.