Favorite Caribou Sausage

This is a hunter’s homemade sausage, built on lean caribou and a good measure of pork. The pork is doing important work here, since game meat is very lean and the added pork keeps the sausage juicy instead of dry and crumbly.

The distinctive touch is grated potatoes ground right into the mix, a nod to old Northern and Scandinavian potato sausages. It adds moisture, a tender texture, and stretches the meat a little further.

Allspice brings a warm, almost sweet backbone, while a hit of cayenne adds gentle heat. It’s the kind of seasoning that suits the slightly gamey, rich flavor of caribou.

Grind everything together with the onion, work in the potatoes and spices, then stuff into casings. From there it’s ready to be cooked fresh or frozen for later.

Pro Tips

• Keep the meat and grinder parts cold so the fat grinds clean instead of smearing.
• Fry a small test patty before stuffing to check and adjust the seasoning.
• The pork is what keeps lean game sausage moist, so don’t skip or skimp on it.
• Soak natural casings and rinse them well before stuffing for easier filling.

Variations

• Use venison, elk, or moose in place of caribou.
• Add minced garlic, sage, or marjoram for a different flavor profile.
• Skip the casings and shape into patties or bulk sausage.