Gamebird Spinach Feta Sausage

 Based on chicken feta sausage but using pheasant.  Fat in the sausage comes from cream cheese, butter, feta cheese and a bit of cream (optional).  I usually take a couple days to complete sausage making.  One day for meat grinding and mixing ingredients then next day for final mix and stuffing.

Ingredients

• 2 kg pheasant or game bird.  Can use chicken but skinless would be best. 
• 6 oz cream cheese cut into sticks, placed on parchment and in freezer
• 6 oz butter cut in to pats keep cold in refrigerator
• 3/4 C grated shallots - save juice
• 8 g dried oregano
• 30 g kosher salt
• 1.5 g nutmeg
• 6 g garlic powder or 50 g fresh garlic pressed or minced.  Fresh provides better flavor
• 4 g pepper - black, white or tri-color.  I like using peppercorns
• 2 g or more crushed red pepper (optional - if you like spicy)
• Lemon zest from 2 to 3 lemons, finely diced.  
• 1 C white wine
• 1/2 C Cream (optional)
• 300 to 600 g frozen spinach - put in the large amount if you prefer
• 300 g feta - cut into 1/4" cubes
• Disposable sanitary gloves - I use a nitrile type. 
• Iodophor for sanitizing containers, tools, etc.   Add only enough to water to give it a slight tint. 

Day One

1. Cut the meat into chunks which work best with your grinder.  Make sure the meat is kept cold.
2. Cut the cream cheese into 1/4 inch slabs across the width of the block.  Place slabs on a parchment paper then on a plate or cookie sheet.  Put in freezer until frozen.
3. Cut butter into pats then put in refrigerator to keep cold. 
4. Grate the shallots.  Keep all the juices. 
5. Mix the salt, nutmeg, garlic powder, peppercorns and oregano using a spice mill until fine.  
6. Grind the meat.   
7. Using your hands, mix the shallots and spice mixture into the meat.  If you are using crushed red pepper, then mix it in as well.  Work in batches.  When mix, put back in refrigerator.  Make sure to clean the grinder. 
8. When the meat mixture is cold, grind again using same disk.   Alternative meat, cream cheese,  butter and frozen spinach.  If you add the cream cheese too quickly or in too large of chunks it can freeze up your grinder.  
9. When done, put the mixture back in the refrigerator.  Make sure it is covered since it will sit overnight.  

Day Two

1. Gather lemon zest and measure wine.  Make sure it is cold.  Could put the wine in the freezer overnight but take it out to let it thaw (a slush consistency is best).  
2. Using your hands or a stand mixer with a blade.  Mix in the lemon zest and wine, work in batches. 
3. Finally fold in the feta cheese cubes.  
4. Place mixture back in refrigerator to get cold. 
5. Prep your sausage stuff.  I like using a brat casing 30 - 35 mm.  
6. Suff the meat in the casing.  Link the sausages to the size you like.   Place on cookie sheet then in refrigerator overnight to cool / dry.  Freeze or eat the next day. 

If you prefer, you can package the sausage without stuffing in casings.  To cook, I like poaching in broth/beer/wine at 150F to 160F then grilling.