CFK Farms Venison Chorizo

• 12 lbs lean venison (about 5.5 kg)
• 3 lbs pork fat or pork shoulder/brisket trim (about 1.4 kg)
• 105 grams kosher salt, about 3 tablespoons
• 45 grams sugar, about 1 tablespoon
• 18 cloves fresh garlic
• 18 grams Mexican oregano, about 2 tablespoons
• 15 grams ground cumin, about 2 teaspoons
• 4 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 84 grams dried pasilla & ancho chile peppers, about 3-4 each
• 6 tbsp ground annatto seeds 1% powder (about 70g) or achiote paste 2% (about 140g)
• 1.5 cups Worchestershire sauce 5% (about 360g)
• Dry bread crumbs 4% by weight (about 300g)

Remove seeds from peppers and toast in a dry hot skillet for a few minutes until they release their aromatics.  Do not let burn — remove from heat at first small wisps of smoke and add just a bit of water to pan to soften the peppers and transfer to blender.  Blend to a thick paste.

Cut the meat and fat into chunks that will fit into your meat grinder. Combine the salt, sugar, pepper paste and all the dry spices (except for the ground annoto seeds or achiote paste) with the meat and fat, mix well with your hands and chill it until it’s almost frozen by putting it in the freezer for an hour or so.

Mix the Worchestershire sauce with the ground annatto seeds or  achiote paste and chill it in the fridge.

Grind the meat mixture through your meat grinder (you can use a food processor in a pinch, but you will not get a fine texture), using the fine die, about 4.5 mm. If your room is warm, set the bowl for the ground meat into another bowl of ice to keep it cold. Make sure the meat mixture is very cold before moving on to the next step: You want it between 27°F and 35°F.

Working in batches, add the Worchestershire sauce-annatto seed/achiote paste mixture and mix thoroughly either using a KitchenAid w/paddle on low for 60 seconds then switch to high for 10-15 seconds to emulsify well. This is important to get the sausage to bind properly. Once it is mixed well, put it back in the fridge and clean up. Bag for freezing or stuff into casings.