Venison Sausage-Making Workshop

Description

In this four-hour hands-on workshop, participants will learn about different styles of sausages and the equipment, ingredients and techniques needed to make them at home. 

The class will be led by avid hunter and home sausage-maker Jacob Zeuske. Jacob grew up hunting in the Green Bay area and at his family’s cabin in Forest County. He learned to make sausage with his family during annual venison sausage-making gatherings. Over the years, his interest in sausage-making has expanded to focus on traditional European-style smoked and fresh sausages of German and Polish origin, as well as curing and smoking other products such as bacon, cheese and fish. He likes to focus on simple techniques and spices that allow the meat and smoke to be the highlights of the final product rather than hiding these flavors behind spice. Each year after the hunting season is over, he enjoys making quality batches of sausages and bacon.

This workshop will cover the basics of sausage-making and briefly discuss some intermediate skills, such as making semi-dry sausages, cold-smoking and fermentation. No previous experience is required to participate. Participants will make one fresh venison and pork sausage (brats) and one smoked, fully-cooked venison and pork sausage (kabanosy or similar style). All supplies and equipment will be provided.

Workshop Agenda
Discussion about equipment, ingredients, and resources (30 minutes):
•    Stuffers and grinders
•    Casings
•    Types of sausages (fresh, smoked and cooked, semi-dry, fermented semi-dry and dry)
•    Cures for smoked products, spices
•    Recipes and resources
•    Meat selection (pork and venison)
•    Smokers and smoke generation
Technique discussion and hands-on guidance (3 1/2 hours):
•    Participants will grind, cure, and stuff fresh and smoked sausages.
•    Discussion of smoking technique (cold vs. hot smoke). Participants will hot-smoke sausages at the workshop.
•    Discussion of different ways that sausages can be finished to a safe internal temperature. 
•    Participants will poach sausages at the workshop.
•    Discuss applying techniques to other meats and products (fish, cheese, etc.).

Registration is required. To register, go to gowild.wi.gov and log in or create an account if you don’t already have one. Click on the Manage Safety Education tab, click “Search for Class” and select "Learn to Hunt” as Course Type and “Columbia” as County in the drop-down tabs. Register with your Customer ID number.

**Note that if the class is full, it will no longer appear in Go Wild. In this case, please email Emily.Iehl@wisconsin.gov to be added to the waitlist or for any help with registering.