Wild game sausages are a kind of sausage made with the meat of a wild game animal, such as a deer or an elk. There are several varieties of wild game sausage because of the large number of recipes for traditional sausage and the wide variety of wild game animals. In most regards, most traditional sausage recipes can be modified to use wild game as the main ingredient. Typically, these sausages are made by hunters and usually are not available in large grocery stores.
The average sausage is a food item prepared by packing ground meat into a synthetic or natural casing. Ingredients such as garlic, onions and pepper are often added to the ground meat for additional flavor. Once the meat has been packed into the casing, the sausage may then be cured, smoked or simply left as is. This process also applies directly to wild game sausages, the only difference being the source of the meat.
Wild game sausages are popular with hunters, because sausages provide a means of using small pieces of meat that otherwise might go to waste. In the processing and butchering of game animals, the meat that is left once the main cuts are taken is typically ground. This ground meat can be used for making sausage or a variety of other dishes, including meatballs and chili.
As with regular sausages, there are a number of ways to prepare wild game sausages. The type of animal or animals taken from the hunt, available spices and the method of finishing the final product are all factors in the preparation of these sausages. Recipes can be found in cookbooks and online.
Although almost any game animal can be used to make wild game sausages, the most common choices are the ones that provide meat similar to the kind found in domesticated animals. Feral hogs, for example, are commonly hunted for their meat. Although deer differ greatly from cattle, venison is often used as a leaner substitute for beef. Wild fowl, such as duck and turkey, can be used to make wild game sausages, although this is not as common.
Wild game sausages are usually not available in large quantities in grocery stores. When they are offered, they tend to be more expensive than their counterparts made from beef, pork and chicken. Game animals are not as accessible as domesticated animals and more effort is required to process them. Wild game sausages are most often made by hunters or processors directly after a successful hunt.