How to Make Canada Goose Italian Sausage

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Sourcing your own game meat for delicious and nutritious meals is natural and exciting. Hunting and preparing your own sausage from game meat, like Canada goose, is a sustainable and cost-effective way to obtain lean, high-quality protein.

Game meat, including Canada goose, offers high nutritional value and it is leaner than traditional, domestic meats, making it an excellent source of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Game meat is naturally low in fat, making it an ideal choice for those looking to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. It's rich in essential nutrients like iron, zinc, and B vitamins, contributing to overall well-being. Game meat also offers a diverse range of flavors, influenced by the animal's diet and habitat.

Hunting plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy balance of wildlife populations and preserving natural habitats. Responsible hunting helps control animal populations, preventing overpopulation that can lead to habitat degradation, "population overflow" into towns and cities and disease.

Hunters contribute financially through licenses and permits, which fund critical wildlife conservation and habitat restoration projects. Many avid hunters also contribute to and support wildlife and hunting organizations that work and do research to promote and protect wildlife, their habitats and hunters rights.

Hunting aids in maintaining the ecological balance by controlling populations, which can impact other plant communities and other wildlife.

Homemade Italian Sausages with Canada Goose - A Step-by-Step Tutorial and Recipe

Note: This tutorial is designed to help hunters utilize their harvests in different, delicious ways. I am no expert, but this method works for me and can be adapted to suit your preferences.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb finely ground meat (20% very fatty pork, 80% Canada Goose)
• 1.5 oz powdered skim milk
• 1 oz cold water
• 1 tsp paprika, garlic powder, and parsley
• 1/2 tsp basil, salt, oregano, thyme, rosemary
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, black pepper, thyme
• 3 feet natural hog casing

Equipment:

Meat grinder
Sausage stuffer attachment
Mixing bowls
Parchment Paper
Scissors
Needle

Step 1: Prepare Your Ingredients and Equipment

Ensure that your Canada Goose meat and fatty pork are very cold, even slightly frozen. Place them in the freezer for 2 hours before use. The meat will be much easier to cut, grind and stuff with when it's colder.

Chill your mixing bowls, grinder parts, and sausage stuffer attachments in the freezer or refrigerator for at least an hour. This helps keep the meat cold during the grinding and stuffing process.

Step 2: Cut and Grind the Meat

Slice the chilled meat and fat into chunks, roughly 1 to 2 inches in size. Keep the fat pieces slightly smaller than the meat chunks to ensure even distribution during grinding.

Assemble your meat grinder with the fine grinder attachment. Grind the meat and fat chunks together through the grinder into a mixing bowl. Be sure to alternate passing pork and goose meat through the grinder for better and more even distribution.

Step 3: Mix Spices and Prepare Liquid

In a separate bowl, combine the cold water, paprika, garlic powder, parsley, basil, salt, oregano, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and thyme.

Mix the powdered skim milk into this spice and liquid mixture until fully combined. Powdered milk helps your sausages retain moisture and keep their form during cooking. It's a great binding agent.

Step 4: Combine Meat and Spice Mix

Add your Italian spice and liquid mixture to the finely ground meat. Mix thoroughly until the spices are evenly distributed throughout the meat. You're going to want to use a big mixing bowl so you can really mix the meat well without spilling.

Step 5: Prepare the Casing

Rinse the salt off the natural hog casing and soak it in cold water until you're ready to use it. Before stuffing, flush water through the casing to clean the interior and open the casing so the meat can fill it better. You can use synthetic casings, but I personally prefer the natural casings. You can find these at almost any grocery store, in the butcher section or any butcher shop. You may have to ask someone working behind the counter for these.

Step 6: Load the Sausage Stuffer

Lubricate the nozzle of your sausage stuffer with cooking oil.

Slide the rinsed casing onto the nozzle, leaving an overhang to tie a knot at the end. Tie a secure knot and poke a small hole in the tied end to allow air to escape during stuffing.

Step 7: Stuff the Sausages

Begin feeding the meat mixture into the sausage stuffer cylinder, packing it tightly to minimize air pockets.

Slowly and evenly feed the meat mixture into the casing, guiding it with your hand. Be careful not to overstuff or understuff the casing; practice will help you find the right balance. If any air bubbles occur, you can gently poke a hole in the casing with your needle. Take your time and don't hesitate to shut the grinder off if you need to catch up.

Step 8: Link the Sausages

To create individual sausage links, hold the sausage with one hand and pinch it gently where you want the link to end.

Rotate the sausage three times away from your body, forming the link. For the next link, pinch it with your other hand where you want your link to end and rotate it three times toward yourself.

Repeat this process along the length of the stuffed casing.

Once you've linked all the sausages, refrigerate for 12 hours to help them "set" before using sharp, sterilized scissors to cut them apart.

Step 9: Seal and Store

Vacuum sealing sausages is a great way to preserve their freshness and extend their shelf life. Whether you're preparing sausages for long-term storage or just want to keep them fresh for a little longer in the refrigerator or freezer, vacuum sealing is a simple and effective method.

Important Tips:

Make sure your sausages are slightly frozen before vacuum sealing. This helps them keep their form in the bags. You can flash freeze sausage by laying them out on parchment paper covered cookie sheets and setting them in the freezer for a couple of hours.

You can find these machines at kitchen supply stores or online. There are two main types: handheld and countertop models. Countertop models tend to be more powerful and versatile.

Choose bags or rolls that are designed for use with your specific vacuum sealer machine. Make sure they are suitable for food storage and safe to use in your chosen environment (e.g., refrigerator, freezer, or pantry).

You can use permanent marker to label the bags with important information like the date of sealing and type of sausages.

You're going to have a much better and easier time if you're doing this on a clean countertop or table with some space to work.

Step 10: Enjoy

When cooking your sausage, ensure that the internal temperature of the sausages reaches 160°F (71°C) using a meat thermometer. Check out my other wild goose recipes for fun ways to use these sausages.

Remember that practice makes perfect, and don't be discouraged if your first batch isn't perfect. Adjust the seasonings and techniques to suit your taste over time. Enjoy your delicious homemade sausages and please let me know if you need any clarity or have any questions.

Smoked Goose Sausage

When it comes to smoked sausages, most people immediately think of classics like pork or beef. However, the meaty and flavourful goose sausage needs some recognition as well. Smoking the sausage really enhances it's flavour.

Smoking is an age-old cooking technique that combines the elements of heat, wood, and time to transform ordinary meat into something extraordinary.

Preheat your smoker, set it at 225 or 250 degrees Fahrenheit, and gently smoke for just under 2 hours or until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Goose sausage stands apart from the traditional grocery store pork sausage due to its distinct meatiness. The meat, with its denser texture, readily welcomes the flavors of the smoking process.

Smoked goose sausage offers a unique and versatile addition to any meal. It pairs well with a wide range of dishes, from hearty stews to rice and pasta dishes.