Rabbit Sausage!

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

RoughandReadyRanch

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2012
Messages
352
Reaction score
62
So I just smoked 3' of rabbit sausage today with cherry wood in a barrel wet smoker and I am shocked to find it dry. Chicken I also smoked with it was the moistest chicken I have ever had and was literally blowing bubbles in the skin waiting to pop juice out. I used a basic recipe I found online that didn't have any pork added. I found the lack of fat added to be a but odd so I added a tablespoon of olive oil to try and combat the lean meat factor. The sausage tasted amazing but dry as all hell. Anyone got any tips, tricks, advice for this. I am not sure my smoker thermometer is good but if it is this smoked in the 250-275 range the whole time and was on for about 2 hours. I have never had drying issues with this masterforge due to the liquid basin above the charcoal. thanks in advance
 
I think part of the reason it dried was the lack of fat. I smoke a ton of wild game. If I grind it I always add some pork fat. Next time you make sausage add some pork sausage to the mix. I normally go for 90% game to 10% pork. Jimmy Dean maple sausage goes very well with deer an elk, and their sage goes great with rabbit, squirrel and other small game.
 
I think part of the reason it dried was the lack of fat. I smoke a ton of wild game. If I grind it I always add some pork fat. Next time you make sausage add some pork sausage to the mix. I normally go for 90% game to 10% pork. Jimmy Dean maple sausage goes very well with deer an elk, and their sage goes great with rabbit, squirrel and other small game.

Might have to try that on the next batch. We raise our own rabbits and we have heritage hogs growing right now as well but I couldn't wait for them and should have grabbed some sausage from the store. Funny thing is I actually had deer sausage in the freezer. Go figure right.
 
And if the sausages you have already made need a little love... I think they would make killer sausage and peppers heros. Peppers, onions, and bite sized chunks of your browned sausage links in a simple tomato sauce simmered and simmered and simmered.

Actually... suddenly I want to come to your house ;)
 
I've heard of folks adding rabbit liver to their rabbit sausage to add some fattiness... but then you might get a liver flavor you might or might not care for.

For the record, if I were making rabbit sausage and needed some pointers, I would call in the dream team of passedpawn and Subsailor.
 
Mmmmm. After you add some bacon fat to it it will plump up and just be tasty. Man I just ate and am hungry again.

I would start with about 15% fat and work up from there.
 
Actually, now that I think of it, I dont know if a smoked sausage in sausage and peppers is the way to go.
 
Also, could you conceivably make anything from rockchuck fur? I know you can with rabbit. I am not a big fan of the fur industry, but if it is used secondarily after eating said critter I say go for it.
 
Nope the fur is really coarse and not worth anything. Fly fishers use the tail hair though for tying flies. I cut a couple of tails off every year for a buddy of mine who fishes.

I am going to have you out Creamy and go chuck hunting one time. We can eat the chuck when we are done and have a few brews:)
 
That sounds like a whole lot of fun Varmint. I'd like that a lot.

We don't really have varmint here. Least not on my property. I actually raise the rabbits so my ammo goes to deer, turkey, ground squirrel, dove, quail and goose. I don't eat the ground squirrel but the rest are tasty. Our property doesn't have wild rabbit on in so raising them is the only way. I saw all the recipes for using fat back and didn't have any so I just went for it. Was hoping the oil would pick up the slack. The peppers and onions idea is gold and I think that is going in the crock pot tomorrow morning but I am going to toss in this overly hopped pale ale I got ready for keg in it and some tomatoes, peppers and onions. Gonna be killer. Thanks for the idea:D
 
Did you ever wind up making sausage and peppers R&RR?

I did and it helped the dryness a bit but not enough to really write home about. Funny thing was I just clipped 5 bunnies the other and have 5 more I need to get to after this heat wave drops off next week and I was thinking round two was in order. I am going to go pick up some fat back this weekend and give this whole rabbit sausage game another go I think.
 
Not yet. Well just went dry today. Worst heat wave I have been in here and I have no mister to help them survive. I am currently shuttling icepacks out as quick as I can freeze them and praying I don't loose all of them. Currently the heat wave has claimed 1 mom, 5 babies and without the mister that was keeping them semi cool I am thinking this is going to be the end of my rabbit breading days. Today is slated for 103F and tomorrow is 109F. Lack of insulation in our home has left us at a constant 86F inside with out ancient AC unit working overtime. Been a pretty $hitty week.
 
RRR, Sorry about your rabbits! That heat you all are getting is rediculous!

With ultralean wild meat, like others have already said - you must add fat! Pork, Beef, even schmaltz has been used. Try to keep the ratio at about 85% - 90% lean meat to 10% - 15% fat. We tend towards the leaner ratios.
We also go to the meat store intown and pick up bulk pork/beef/animal fat, it's pretty cheap.
Don't be afraid to experiment because in the vast majority of the test sausages, even the failures can be eaten or used in something else!

Vman, we tried the Bacon grease suggestion, when we experimented, we kept it and the meat very chilled while grinding and blending. And we did discover that you can have too much of a good thing in a couple of batches. Picture in your mind; sausage skins splitting, exploding bacon grease geysers! Ah, the early days of meat experiments! We now just use actual bacon, I like jowl bacon when I can get it for my sausages.
I am a bit of a bacon fanatic. (we need a BACON Smiley!)

Vman and Cg, I am a flytyer and experimented with marmot (body and tail) furs and I kind of like the buggy look it gives to my nymphs. It is not the greatest but for the cost of a .22 round, it is cheap. Marmot is basically Alaskan Rockchuck. Long and slow cooking with herbs and onions, carrots, taters and celery.

Cg, thanks for vote of sausage confidence! I am by no means a master as much I am a mad meat experimenter! Thankfully, my wife still lets me use the kitchen and still tries many of the meals I offer her.

tnoodle, I haven't tried adding pre made sausage before, heck, I never even thought of it but I may use that for some sausages later this year. A neat shortcut for flavoring some sausages - thanks.
 
Back
Top