Meat Grinder Sausage Casings and Fat Ratios: How Much Fat to Add to Lean Venison Before Grinding

meat grinders wild game processing equipment · October 28, 2026

Why lean venison needs added fat before it hits the auger

Deer, elk, antelope and most other wild game carry almost no intramuscular fat, and the fat they do have is hard, waxy and tallow-flavored. Ground straight, the meat cooks dry and crumbly in a burger patty and turns rubbery or mealy in a sausage. Added fat supplies the moisture, the binding and the mouthfeel the muscle lacks.

Fat also changes what the grinder does. The auger (worm) pulls meat toward the plate by friction against the hopper tray and the head. A load of pure lean muscle with silverskin tends to wrap the knife and stall, while a properly blended load with cold fat cubes mixed in feeds more evenly. The fat acts as a lubricant for the trip down the auger, which is why blending before grinding usually works better than grinding the lean and stirring fat in afterward.

Pork back fat versus beef suet versus pork trim

The fat you choose affects flavor, texture and how it behaves in the head.

Pork back fat is firm, white and mild. It is the usual choice for venison sausage because it grinds cleanly, binds well and does not compete with the game flavor. Ask a butcher for fatback rather than rendered lard.
Pork belly or shoulder trim carries some lean along with the fat. It gives a softer, juicier result and a slight pork flavor, and it is forgiving if your fat-to-lean math is imprecise because the lean portion counts toward the blend.
Beef suet is the hard fat around the kidneys and loin. It is firmer and has a higher melting point than pork fat, so it holds up in a hot pan but can leave a waxy coating on the palate once a burger cools. It suits burger and rustic patties better than delicate sausage, and it is usually best trimmed free of membrane before grinding.

Do not use the fat from the deer itself. It turns tallowy and strong, and it goes rancid sooner than domestic fat in the freezer.

Starting ratios for burger, bratwurst and summer-style sausage

There is no single correct ratio, and honest guidance is a starting point that you adjust to taste and cooking method. A common approach is to weigh the lean and the fat separately, then think in parts: for burgers many people start around one part fat to four or five parts lean venison, which gives a patty that holds together on a grill without being greasy.

Fresh sausages such as bratwurst, Italian or breakfast links usually want more fat than burger, often closer to one part fat to three parts lean, because the casing and the longer cook demand juiciness. Dry-cured or smoked summer sausage also leans fattier for texture, but those products carry food-safety requirements for curing salts and temperature that go beyond a fat ratio, so follow a tested recipe rather than improvising.

If you cannot weigh, a kitchen scale is the best small purchase before you start. Eyeballing cubes by volume misses badly because fat and lean differ in density. Make a small test patty, fry it, and adjust before committing a whole batch of trim.

How fat content changes plate choice and feed

Plate hole size is where fat load and grinder choice meet. For burger, most people run a coarse plate with large holes, then grind again through a medium plate if they want a tighter crumb. For sausage, a medium plate is common for a rustic bite and a fine plate for a smoother, emulsified feel. If you are unsure which plate number fits your head, check whether it is a #8, #12, #22 or #32 style before ordering.

A fatter blend smears more easily on a fine plate. Fat that warms up melts into the holes, coats the face of the knife, and clogs the plate, which narrows flow and heats the load further. The sign is a paste emerging instead of distinct strands, and a motor that labors even though the meat is not frozen. Keep the plate and knife sharp and bolted tight, since a dull knife mashes fat rather than shearing it.

A useful method is a two-pass grind: first pass the cubed lean and fat together through a coarse plate, then, for finer sausage, chill again and pass the mix through the smaller plate. Grinding twice through a coarse and then fine plate gives better distribution than forcing a single pass through a fine one.

Keeping fat cold so it cuts instead of smears

The whole process depends on temperature. Cut both lean venison and fat into cubes small enough to enter the throat, spread them on a sheet pan, and chill them in the freezer until the outside is stiff but the center is not frozen solid. Fully frozen chunks can overload the motor, while warm fat smears. The auger, hopper tray and head can also go into the freezer beforehand.

Work in small batches so the meat stays cold throughout, and put the tray back in the freezer between loads. If the fat starts to look greasy or shiny on the cut face of the grind, stop and rechill. Pure hard back fat generally tolerates a slightly colder temperature than soft belly trim.

Trim silverskin and sinew from the lean before cubing. Connective tissue wraps the knife, slows the feed and leaves chewy threads behind regardless of how well you balanced the fat.

Fat ratio, binding and sausage casings

When the blend goes into a casing, the fat load matters at the stuffing stage. A lean mix is sticky and dense but dry, and it can pack too tightly and burst a casing. A fatty mix that has warmed becomes slick, separates when you mix it, and leaves greasy pockets that render out during cooking and leave the casing shriveled.

After grinding, mix the blend with salt and any liquid until it turns tacky and clings to your hand. This is the primary bind. If the mix has warmed or smeared before binding, it will not hold together, and the links will crumble when cut.

Fresh sausage is typically stuffed into natural hog casings. A stuffing tube and attachment on the grinder works, but pushing the mix back through the auger can smear fat, so many people prefer a dedicated sausage stuffer with a piston that pushes the mix without extra shear. Soak and rinse the casings, rinse out the salt, thread them onto a tube that matches the casing diameter, and fill firmly without overstuffing. Prick air pockets and twist into links.

Common blending mistakes and what to do about them

Dry, crumbly patties: the fat load was too low or the fat was trimmed too thin. Add pork fat to the next batch rather than frying with more oil.
Greasy, waxy mouthfeel: too much suet or a ratio heavy for burger. Switch to pork back fat or reduce the fat proportion.
Paste on the plate face: warm fat or a dull knife. Chill everything, sharpen or replace the knife and make sure the ring is snug.
Fat in lumps in the finished sausage: the pieces were too large for the plate, or the mix was not chilled evenly. Grind through a smaller plate or do the two-pass method.
Rancid taste after freezing: fat oxidizes in the freezer, especially if it is trim from the animal itself. Vacuum seal the finished grind, press out the air, and use it within a few months.

Writing down the weights and the plate you used on each batch makes the next season’s blend easy to repeat and adjust.

FAQ

Should I use pork fat or beef suet with venison?

Pork back fat is the more versatile choice because it is mild, firm and grinds cleanly, so it works for both sausage and burger. Beef suet is firmer with a higher melting point and can leave a waxy feel once cooked meat cools, so it suits burger better than delicate sausage. Avoid using the deer’s own fat, which turns tallowy and goes rancid faster.

Do I add the fat before or after grinding?

Add it before. Cube the fat, mix it with the cubed lean, chill both, and grind them together so the fat lubricates the auger and distributes evenly. Stirring fat into already ground venison leaves uneven pockets and a drier overall result.

Why does my venison turn to paste when I add fat?

Fat that has warmed melts into the holes of the plate and coats the knife, producing paste instead of strands. A dull knife or a loose ring makes it worse. Chill the meat, fat and grinder parts first, work in small batches, and use a coarse plate for the first pass.