Deer sausage is among the most flavorful and wholesome options available. It distinguishes itself from similar beef dishes with its deep, earthy flavor.
This type of sausage is available in your neighborhood deli or grocery, or you may prepare it yourself.
If buying it from the supermarket, you may wonder: Is deer summer sausage cooked? The short answer is yes! It’s cooked, and you can use it right away.
If you want an in-depth explanation, it’s best to scroll down this article by Health’s Kitchen. It also recommends some helpful tips for cooking deer summer sausage.
Let’s get started!
Is Deer Summer Sausage Cooked?
The answer is yes! This food is already dried, cured, and smoked before it is sold in stores or supermarkets.
Deer summer sausages, also known as deer sausages or venison summer sausages, are prepared from deer hind legs and are flavored with spices and herbs. Although not prepared traditionally, these sausages are not raw either.
Heat, smoke, spice, and curing mix work together to bake the meat while preserving it. It is a concoction of substances that prolongs meat’s lifespan.
Sodium nitrate, a potent anti-botulism agent, is one of the cure’s ingredients. So, you don’t need to store this food in the fridge.
However, after opening these sausages, it’s best to keep them in the fridge for a better shelf-life within three weeks.
You can serve this food as an entree, snack, or side dish. They are delicious and work well with other ingredients.
Do You Need To Cook Summer Sausage?
As shared earlier, deer summer sausages are dried, cured, and smoked with spices and herbs.
Because of many preservation methods, this kind of sausage has a very extended shelf life, making it stand out.
It means that you don’t usually have to cook this food. You can unbox it and enjoy it immediately after buying it from the grocery store.
Nevertheless, you may get the exact answer on the packaging or labeling of the deer sausages you purchased.
Depending on your interest, you might add some heat by pan-frying or quickly smoking your deer sausages.
How To Cook Deer Summer Sausage?
Whether it’s a store-bought or homemade deer sausage, it is always a delicious treat for all your summer holidays.
This meat is pre-seasoned, making the cooking process a fast and easy process that almost anybody can handle.
If you want to cook this food, let’s consider two standard methods below:
Method 1: Grilling
Step 1: Preheat the grill at a medium temperature
Set the grill to around 350 °F if it’s gas or electric.
If it’s a charcoal grill, start a small fire.
Step 2: Apply olive oil to the grill grates or your meats.
Instead of cleaning the grates if they are dirty, oil them by rubbing a towel dipped in olive oil all across the grates.
Step 3: Use tongs to flip the sausage pieces over after 2 – 3 minutes.
Step 4: Cook your meats until they reach 160 °F.
It’s best to use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the food. If it reaches 160 °F, it’s safe and ready to eat.
Method 2: Pan-frying
Step 1: Preheat a pan to medium-high heat for roughly 15 minutes.
Step 2: Fill the pan with olive oil (30ml). Wait until the oil sizzles.
Step 3: Put sausages into the pan.
Step 4: Use tongs to turn the meat pieces around every two to three minutes to prevent burning.
Step 5: Mix in some onions to offer your meat a bit extra flavor.
Step 6: Keep cooking and flipping the sausages for 10 – 15 minutes.
Step 7: Use a meat thermometer to check the inner temperature. If it reaches 160 °F, you can safely enjoy it.
How Long Should You Cook Deer Summer Sausage?
If your venison summer sausage is pre-made, you can just put it on the grill with some meats you’re cooking to warm it all up for a couple of minutes.
However, it’s a different story regarding homemade deer sausages. The smoking time will be much longer, within 3 hours or more.
It’s better to start smoking at 140°F and then heat it to 160°F after an hour.
Use an internal temperature thermometer to check the temperature inside the meat.
When the inner temperature hits 160-165°F, turn the smoker’s temperature up to 180°F.
What Temperature Is Ideal For Cooking Deer Summer Sausage?
The inner temperature of deer sausage must reach 160 to 165°F before it is fully cooked, whether you cook it on a smoker or in an oven.
If you use an oven, preheat to 185°F and let the meat cook until it achieves the perfect temperature.
You can use an internal meat thermometer to determine whether your sausages are done.
If you opt for a smoker, set the temperature at 140°F to preheat it first. After that, place the meat on the smoker and wait for around one hour.
Increase the heat to 160°F, add the oak wood pellets, and continue smoking it for an extra hour.
Set the heat to 180°F at the beginning of the third hour, and test the inside temperature frequently.
How To Tell If Deer Summer Sausage Is Cooked?
An internal meat thermometer is the best method to check whether your deer sausages are fully cooked.
The fattest link’s middle should be heated to 160 ℉. That area is the safe range.
Otherwise, you can check the doneness with your naked eyes.
Sliced sausages should reveal a pink, hot center and have a faintly browned but never scorched surface.
Final Thoughts
This article has ultimately reached the bottom of your headache question: Is deer summer sausage cooked?
Again, this food is already dried, cured, and smoked with various herbs and spices. It is safe to eat it after purchasing from the supermarket.
You can apply grilling or pan-frying methods if you want to cook this food. Always use a meat thermometer to check its doneness.
Thanks for reading!
