HOW TO COOK FATBACK RECIPES

Steps:

• Prep. Soak casings in a big bowl of water for at least an hour or overnight before stuffing. If they are packed in salt, run cold water inside to rinse before soaking.
• Grind. Combine the dry seasonings and mix with the diced venison cubes and diced pork fat cubes in a large bowl. Make some room in the freezer and place the meat inside to chill. The meat and fat must be very, very cold before grinding. Let chill for 30 minutes or longer, but don’t allow to freeze solid.
• Use the large die attachment to grind the meat and fat. Return the mixture to the large bowl. Grind again, this time using the small die attachment.
• Stir in the cold milk to make the bind. Mix with a large spoon or use your hands. You want the bind to stick together in a large ball and not crumble; the texture should feel tacky. When finished, place the mixture in the fridge to stay cold while you clean up the meat grinder and set up the sausage stuffer.
• Stuff. Pull the casings out of the water and squeeze out any excess liquids. You still want the outside to be a little wet because it helps it slide better. Feed all of the casing over the stuffer’s tube, leaving a few inches off the end. Tie the end in a knot.
• Feed the meat into the sausage stuffer. Keep feeding it through at a consistent pace as it extrudes the meat into the casing. Don’t overstuff. As the stuffer continues to extrude meat you can start to coil the sausage.
• Form links by pinching at equal distances (about 7 inches) and twisting several times. Turn each link in alternating directions (or tie with butcher’s string). Do this throughout the entire casing. Refrigerate or freeze immediately afterward.
• *You can use a classic sausage ratio of 30% fat by doing 3 1/2 pounds of venison and 1 1/2 pounds of pork fatback. If you want to cut in pork trim, use 3 pounds of venison, 1 pound of pork trim, and 1 pound of fatback.

Steps:

• Slice the meat against the grain between 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch thick. This is easier to do when the meat is chilled in the freezer for an hour or hasn’t fully defrosted. Place all the sliced meat in a large, resealable bag.
• If you have a mortar and pestle, smash the garlic cloves until you reach a rough paste. Mix the garlic with the water, soy sauce, pink curing salt (Prague powder #1), red wine vinegar, black pepper, and sugar until well blended.
• Pour the liquids into the bag with the meat and mix to coat each piece on both sides. Marinate in the fridge for at least 12 hours and up to two days, tossing and mixing the bag periodically.
• Prepare a smoker according to manufacturer’s settings using your choice of wood. Pre-heat to 160 degrees.
• Remove the meat from the marinade and squeeze off excess liquid. Lay each piece of meat on a metal grid or pizza screen. If you have the time and space, let the pieces air-dry for a few hours in the refrigerator so it will absorb more smoke.
• Smoke the venison for 3 to 4 hours. It should be fully dry but still pliable. If your smoker cannot get below 180 degrees, you can opt to smoke for 1 hour to impart flavor, then switch to a traditional dehydrator set at 145 to finish. This will prevent the jerky from becoming bitter or too brittle.
• Once completely cool, store in an airtight bag for 1 to 2 months. The jerky can also be refrigerated for 3 to 6 months or frozen for a year.
• Note: Pink curing salt (also known as Prague Powder #1) is a blend of sodium chloride (table salt) and sodium nitrite. It is used to prevent the growth of botulism bacteria, impart the savory flavors of cured meat, and give it a pink color when smoked. Although it isn’t required, I recommend it if you’re storing the meat for more than a few weeks. Do not use more than a teaspoon per 5 pounds of meat.