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Jalapeno Hottie Cheddar Summer Sausage
Prep:
1 hour
Cook:
5 hours
Total:
30 hours
Craving a smoky, spicy summer sausage with a bold twist? Jalapeno Cheddar Venison Summer Sausage delivers the heat. This hearty sausage combines lean venison and pork with fiery jalapenos, rich high-temperature cheddar, and a zesty Jalapeno Hottie seasoning, all encased in durable collagen casings and smoked to perfection.
Ideal for charcuterie boards, camping trips, or hearty snacks, this sausage is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Pair it with crackers, mustard, or a robust beer to enhance the flavors. Each slice offers a perfect blend of smoky, spicy, and cheesy goodness that’s hard to resist.
This straightforward recipe balances savory meatiness with a kick of heat and a melty cheese finish. Whether you’re prepping for a gathering or stocking your freezer, Jalapeno Cheddar Venison Summer Sausage is sure to impress. Try it out and share your results—we’d love to see your take on this classic!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prepare Casings: Soak collagen casings in lukewarm water for at least 1 hour to soften, following package instructions, then drain and rinse before use
- Grind the Meat: Chill your meat grinder parts in the freezer for at least 30 minutes beforehand, partially freeze the 7 lbs venison and 3 lbs pork (aim for 28-35°F) to keep them super cold and prevent fat smearing, then grind them using the meat grinder with a coarse plate first if desired, followed by a finer plate if needed—avoid over-grinding to prevent breaking down proteins and making the mixture overly sticky or mushy, and return any unused meat to the fridge or freezer immediately
- Mix Ingredients: Place the ground meat in a stand mixer or meat mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (chill the bowl and attachment beforehand), add 2 lbs high-temperature cheddar cheese, 3-4 finely chopped jalapenos, and the 2 seasoning packets from the Jalapeno Hottie package (which contains two 5-lb kits for a total of 10 lbs of meat), then mix gently on low speed just until combined, keeping the mixture as cold as possible by working quickly or chilling intermittently to avoid warming
- Add Cure: While mixing on low, slowly sprinkle the 2 cure packets from the Jalapeno Hottie package evenly over the mixture, gradually pour in 16 oz cold water, and continue mixing until fully incorporated and the mixture becomes sticky (a sign the proteins are binding, which is normal after adding the cure)—do not overmix to avoid extracting too much protein, which can lead to a rubbery texture, and chill the mixture if it starts to warm above 40°F
- Stuff Casings: Keep the meat mixture cold (ideally below 40°F) while using a sausage stuffer to fill the prepared collagen casings evenly, avoiding overstuffing to prevent splitting or understuffing to minimize air gaps—twist or tie off sections as needed and prick any air bubbles with a pin
- Smoke Sausages: Preheat smoker to 165°F and smoke sausages for 2 hours, then increase smoker temperature to 185°F and smoke for an additional 2 hours, before raising to 205°F and continuing until the internal temperature of the sausages reaches 155°F (total smoking time around 5 hours, depending on smoker and sausage size)—monitor with a thermometer and ensure good airflow to avoid moisture buildup
- Cool and Set: Remove sausages from smoker and immediately submerge in an ice bath for 20 minutes to rapidly cool to around 75-80°F and stop the cooking process, then hang in a cool, dry place (like a fridge or cool room at 40-50°F) for 24 hours to allow casings to set, flavors to meld, and any bloom to develop for better texture and safety.
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