Snack stick question?

[Ace56]

Jonathon, I am about ready to make my first batch of venison snack sticks. I have a lot of bacon that I have cured and smoked and thought I would use it as my fat source, and I have a few questions.

1. The bacon was cured when I prepared it for cold smoke so is it necessary to cure it again? Or do I cure the venison and then add the bacon?
2. I am not sure how to calculate the amount of bacon to add for fat so I will show my math and be happy with any comments I get for help.

I plan to make a 5# batch.

I read online that venison is about 90/10 and bacon 55/45 lean/fat.

3lb of venison @ 90% = 2.7lb lean
3lb of venison @ 10% = 0.3lb fat

2lb of bacon @ 55% = 1.1lb lean
2lb of bacon @ 45% = 0.9 lb fat

1.2 total fat/5.0lb total meat = 24% fat

Are there any issues with the way I am looking at this?

Would using pork butt and pork fat give me a better result?

[IGHDoug]

If you wish your snack sticks to taste like bacon use it . I use 9 pounds venison to 3 pounds pork butt for all venison sausage it works .

[craigrice]

i believe that your question is about cure if the bacon is cured only add enough cure for the weight of the other meat block, I always use pork butt/fat in all my cured sausage for sticks I go about 70-30 beef to pork

[craigrice]

pork will be creamier and have a better texture to it imhop

[IGHDoug]

Not my question that was my answer .

[craigrice]

sorry hit the wrong reply

[Jonathon]

Ace56 I would prefer pork butts over bacon and bacon or 50/50 mix of pork butts is a bit of a toss-up. The issue with adding bacon is that it tends to make the snack stick sort of soft, where quality bacon fat keeps it nice and firm. We are going to do side by side comparison on adding 50/50 butts to venison and adding pork fat with he deer that we were recently given to process. But your math looks right to me also.