Venison + Ramp Sausage with Creamy Polenta

We made it through another week. Tomorrow might be one of those days filled with dread and anxiety, but right now is filled with the simple comfort of a big plate of creamy polenta, venison + ramp sausage, and a fried farm egg. This dish transports me back to the table with my parents and grandparents and hits on all the nostalgic notes that you could ask for. Video of the process is below.

The Sausage

I use about 40% pork fat to mix with the ground venison in this recipe.

2.8 lbs freshly ground venison

1.1 lbs ground pork fat

10 grams dehydrated ramp powder (recipe can be found here)

Dried chili flakes to taste

15 grams salt

2 tsp fennel seeds

15 grams brown sugar

Natural hog casings

Instructions

1. Mix together, by hand, all of your filling ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Carefully slide the sausage casing up onto the stuffing tube. Insert whatever joke you want here. Leave the end untied to allow air to pass through. You’ll tie it off at the end.

3. On the slowest setting, carefully feed the sausage mixture down into the hopper. You’ll want to work slow and steady, and pause whenever you have any complications. The goal is to have a uniform filling all the way through the casing, without it being packed too tight where the casing will break apart or burst. If you’re attempting this recipe, you’ll likely have made your own sausages before.

4. When you’ve finished stuffing your sausage now it’s time to tie your links. I typically will make small batches, so I’ll tie each link individually, gently applying pressure with my fingers where I want there to be a break, and then twisting it around to create a nice clean break between links. There are much more elegant and efficient ways to do this and lots of great Youtube videos from professional butchers who can help visualize this process.

5. Heat up some olive oil in a skillet and brown the sausage on all sides. Transfer the sausage to a pot of simmering red sauce to continue cooking for another 20 minutes. My classic red sauce recipe can be found here.

Creamy Polenta

1 cup coarse cornmeal

1/2 stick Butter

1 cup cubed provolone cheese

1 cup whole milk

2 - 3 cups chicken stock

Salt

Instructions

1. Bring 1 cup of milk and 2 cups of stock to a simmer and add the cornmeal.

2. You’ll need to constantly stir the polenta to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

3. Add in the butter and cubed provolone and keep stirring until it melts. Add salt to taste.

4. If it starts to feel a little too thick, add some reserved stock to thin it out. Keep adding more stock to maintain the right creamy texture. In total it will take about 30 minutes start to finish.

Sourdough English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich

This might look like an ordinary breakfast sandwich, but this thing has a lot going on. Sweet and spicy venison + pork sausage patty, melted cheddar cheese, and a fried egg on top of a homemade sourdough English muffin. This is my version of Thomas’ English Muffin where I tried to replicate the textural experience with a naturally leavened dough. They’re super easy to make once you have an active starter and dare I say better than the original. Video of the process below.

The Sourdough English Muffins

Day 1 Evening

Make your sponge with 110 g active starter, 260 g bread flour, 276 g whole milk and set out to rest overnight at room temperature for approximately 8 hours.

Day 2 Morning

Add another 75 g bread flour, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1.5 tsp of honey, and 1.5 tsp of melted butter. Knead for about ten minutes until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Flour your working surface and roll the dough out to about half an inch thick. Using a circular form, punch out circles of the dough and dust them with a light coat of semolina. Set aside and let proof for about 45 to 60 minutes. 

Lightly oil a cast iron skillet and set to medium/low heat. Cook muffins directly in the pan for about 7 minutes on each side until golden/toasted brown. Cool on a wire rack and split open with a fork.

The Sausage Patties

   1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

    1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme

    2 teaspoons light brown sugar

    1½ teaspoons kosher salt

    1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds

    ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

    ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

    ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika

    .5 pound ground pork 

    .5 pound ground venison

Mix sage, thyme, brown sugar, salt, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika in a medium bowl. Add pork and venison and work spice mixture into meat with your hands until it's very well blended.

Using your hands, form approximately 3 - 4 inch patties about ¼ inch thick. Griddle sausage over medium-high heat until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook 2 minutes more. Use a grill press to ensure a thin and crispy patty.

The Sandwich

Lay your split English muffin open on a cast iron skillet and top with good quality cheddar cheese. Set into a broiler until the cheese melts. Meanwhile fry your egg in another pan with a generous amount of butter. Set the sausage patty on top of the melted cheese followed by the fried egg gently placed on top so it doesn’t break. Season with salt and pepper and the top half of the muffin. The sausage is already a little spicy but add hot sauce to your liking.