Deer bologna vs regular bologna: whats the difference in taste and nutrition?
Okay, so I decided to try making deer bologna this weekend. I’ve never done it before, but I had some venison in the freezer, and I thought, why not? Plus, I heard it’s a healthier choice than regular beef bologna, so that’s a bonus.
I started by thawing out the venison. It was a pretty big chunk, about half of what I had. Then, I ground it up. I don’t have a fancy meat grinder, so I just used my old food processor. It took a bit longer, but it got the job done.
After that, I mixed in some ground pork. I read somewhere that a 50/50 mix of venison and pork makes for a good bologna, kinda like that Hilshire Farms Summer Sausage, but you know, with the satisfaction of using meat from a hunt.
Mixing and Seasoning
Next, I seasoned the meat. I didn’t really follow a specific recipe, just threw in some salt, pepper, and a few other spices I had in the cupboard. I also added some water to help with the mixing.
- Ground the venison.
- Mixed with ground pork.
- Seasoned with salt, pepper, and other spices.
Then came the fun part – stuffing the mixture into casings. I got these casings from the local butcher. They were a bit slimy, but I managed. I used a sausage stuffer attachment on my stand mixer. It was a bit messy, but I got the hang of it after a while.
Once the casings were all filled, I tied off the ends and put them in the fridge overnight. The next day, I smoked the bologna. I have a small electric smoker that I use for making jerky and stuff. I set the temperature to around 200 degrees Fahrenheit and let it smoke for a few hours.
After smoking, I boiled the bologna for about an hour to make sure it was cooked through. Then, I cooled it down in an ice bath and put it back in the fridge.
Tasting
Finally, it was time to try it out. I sliced off a piece and took a bite. It was pretty good! The flavor was definitely different from regular bologna, a bit gamier, but in a good way. It also had a nice smoky flavor.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. I’ll definitely be making deer bologna again in the future. Now that I know it’s a healthier choice, with lower carbs and higher protein compared to other options out there, I’m even more stoked about it. I mean, I made some bologna that is only about 84 calories in one ounce! I feel so great! I’m already thinking about what spices I want to try next time.
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