Venison Summer Sausage/Salami?

This is my grandmother's recipe.  It involves aging but no real fermentation, so although she and my mom called it salami, I think the more accurate term is summer sausage.  Pretty decent, but I think it needs another flavor component added to it.  I plan to experiment with red wine and juniper berries next batch. 

5 lb. lean ground venison or ground chuck

5 rounded teaspoons curing salt

2 1/2 teaspoons coarse ground pepper

2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 1/2 teaspoons mustard seed

1 teaspoon hickory salt

liquid smoke flavor (optional, and added on the 6th day....up to 5 tsp.)

Mix all ingredients on day #1 and place in refrigerator.

Mix for 3 more consecutive days, always returning to refrigerator.

Let rest 1 day.

On the 6th day roll into five 1 lb. sausages.
Optional:  Roll sausages in cracked black pepper prior to baking.

Bake 8 hours at 150 degrees   (not sure with altitude, take care not to get it too dry)

"You probably still need to freeze it if you are not going to use it right away."

-Grandma Walden's recipe, Mom's instructions, verbatim.