Grandpa & Grandma B's Venison Sausage

A no-nonsense family sausage recipe that’s been around long enough to earn the grandparent title. Equal parts ground venison and ground pork mixed with garlic, salt, pepper, and a bit of water. Simple as it gets, and that’s exactly the point.

The 50/50 ratio of venison to pork is critical. Venison on its own is extremely lean and dries out when cooked as sausage. The pork fat keeps the mixture moist, juicy, and gives it that familiar sausage richness that pure venison can’t deliver.

Adding water to the mix might seem odd, but it’s a standard sausage-making technique. The water helps distribute the seasoning evenly through the meat and keeps the final texture tender. Without it, the sausage can end up dense and tight.

Pro Tips

• Mix the meat and water first, then add the spices. Getting the two meats blended before seasoning ensures a more uniform mixture. Adding spices too early can make the meat sticky and hard to work with.
• Use pork with a decent fat content. Lean pork defeats the purpose. Something around 70/30 or 80/20 is ideal.
• Fry a small test patty before forming or packaging the full batch. Taste it, adjust the salt and pepper, then proceed. You can’t unsalt eight pounds of sausage.
• This is bulk sausage, not cased. Form it into patties, crumble it for breakfast, or freeze in one-pound portions for later use.

Variations

• Sage breakfast sausage: Add a tablespoon of dried rubbed sage for a classic country breakfast sausage flavor.
• Hot Italian style: Add red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and a pinch of paprika for a spicier sausage that works great in pasta sauce or on pizza.