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The Hunter Valley Branch held its third annual sausage making day in late June, and this year we decided to mix things up a bit. Not only did we get stuck into making snags, but we also tackled the breakdown and butchering of a sambar spiker. I was lucky enough to harvest the sambar the week before, and after a few creative tweaks to my meat fridge at home, I managed to fit the whole dressed carcass inside.
The day kicked off at 9am, with everyone gathering around the fire for a chat and to get to know each other before the real action began. Martin Thann kindly hosted the event again, providing not just the venue but also a bunch of essentials that helped make the day run smoothly. Members brought along extra gear—mincers, tables, sausage fillers, and seasonings—so we were well set up for the job.
We started by providing some laminated diagrams showing the main cuts on a deer, with a detailed breakdown of the hind quarters on the back for everyone to follow. The sambar breakdown was a team effort, with myself and a few members who hadn’t yet had the chance to break down a deer in the field sharing the honours. We removed the front shoulders and explained where to find those elusive flat iron (oyster blade) steaks. The backstraps and tenderloins were set aside for lunch. Next, we took off the neck, followed by the spine at the pelvis, split the pelvis in two, and removed the H bone. We pointed out the rump steaks before breaking down a hind leg into its four main muscle groups.
Once the hard work was done, our 40-odd attendees split into groups to turn the deer into manageable strips for mincing. We added three fallow hind quarters and a bit more sambar to the pile for good measure. Three stations were humming along with mincers and sausage stuffers, while a fourth station had two vacuum chambers bagging up the finished products. Stuart Farrelly, one of our members and the man behind local brew show Noble Barons, brought along two kegs to keep everyone hydrated (very important work!) and supplied plenty of seasoning, skins, and sauces. Word to the wise: go easy on the ring of fire sauce unless you’re feeling brave!
By the end of the day, we’d churned out around 140kg of sausages with a 20% fat ratio. Lunch was a feast of smoked backstrap, tenderloins, and fresh sausages, all topped off with Noble Barons’ sauces. The day wasn’t just a roaring success; it was a brilliant chance for new members, old hands, and hopefully a few soon-to-be members to get together, have a laugh, and learn a thing or two. Everyone went home with a generous stash of sausages, and the clean-up was a team effort.
This day is a real highlight on the Hunter Valley Branch calendar, and we’re keen to keep the tradition going. Huge thanks to everyone who pitched in and made it such a cracker of a day. Who knows—maybe next year we’ll have a crack at making salami. Watch this space!
Odin gives a demonstration of how to break down a deer carcase.
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