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Post by jstalljon on Sept 28, 2005 9:25:40 GMT -5
I am eager to "cut my own" this year. For those of you who process your own deer, a few questions:
1.) What method do you wrap the meat? Freezer grade paper from the grocery? Butcher grade paper? Others?
2.) Any hints or tips on skinning?
3.) How do you remove excess hair off the meat?
4.) Do you rinse the meat off at all before packaging? Or does this introduce bacteria?
Any other advice is welcome as well. I know there is a lot of knowledge here on this and have enjoyed the sticky's, links, and book recommendations. I look forward to your comments.
Thanks in advance...
Jon
PS...I will need an answer by 8:30 Saturday morning as this will be when I will cutting up my deer! ;D ;D ;D
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Post by trapperdave on Sept 28, 2005 9:36:37 GMT -5
1.) I use freezer bags myself. 2.) skin crefully, you can sell that hide to most fur buyers. I use a fillet knife. 3.) by hand. I also remove all silver skin 4.)I dont. There really is no wrong way to do it, experience is the best teacher. If you get a chance to watch someone in the know it sure helps though  Good luck, backstraps on the grill come saturday evening to all!! |
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Post by hornharvester on Sept 28, 2005 9:44:05 GMT -5
I am eager to "cut my own" this year. For those of you who process your own deer, a few questions: 1.) What method do you wrap the meat? Freezer grade paper from the grocery? Butcher grade paper? Others? 2.) Any hints or tips on skinning? 3.) How do you remove excess hair off the meat? 4.) Do you rinse the meat off at all before packaging? Or does this introduce bacteria? Any other advice is welcome as well. I know there is a lot of knowledge here on this and have enjoyed the sticky's, links, and book recommendations. I look forward to your comments. Thanks in advance... Jon PS...I will need an answer by 8:30 Saturday morning as this will be when I will cutting up my deer! ;D ;D ;D 1. always use freezer paper. it has the plastic on one side so your meat wont stick. if you use butcher paper the meat will stick to the paper. 2. i like to remove the skin as quick as possible so the deer meat can cool out. some like to hang the deer with the skin on but i think this adds some gamey taste. if you think about it they dont hang beef with the hide on. 3. after skinning the deer with it hanging i use cold water and wash all the blood and hair off the meat and body cavity. i like to let mine hang about three days before i butcher. ive found out that this dries the meat out some and makes it easier to cut. it wont tenderize the meat as some think because there is little fat in venison. if its over 70 degrees i usually butcher right away. meat cuts best just before freezing temperature. if the meat is too warm it gets mushy and hard to grind. ive done over 50+ deer this way but like everything else there are other methods that work too. h.h. |
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Post by Woody Williams on Sept 28, 2005 9:54:27 GMT -5
Da_butcher does this for money so he is an expert.
He'll be along anytime now....
I can throw in one tidbit. Use a propane torch to burn those little tiny hairs off the carcass. Being hollow they fairly well explode when hit with a torch.
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Post by DEERTRACKS on Sept 28, 2005 13:38:58 GMT -5
1. Wrap the meat in plastic wrap, then firmly wrap & seal with freezer paper. Don't forget to label your packages with sex, cut / servings, & date wrapped. If you use plastic wrap against the meat & run out of freezer paper during the wrapping, multiple layers of newspaper will work as a sustitute.
2. I throughly wet down the whole deer to help keep loose hair off of the meat while skinning. Keep your knife sharp during the "entire" skinning process. Do not cut "across" meat grain as it will cause the meat fibers to retract & toughen the meat. For the best taste remove all bones, tallow, & blue skin layers. Hanging time will depend on the temprature & / or your hanging facility.
3. Medium bristle brush & warm water under pressure.
4. No, I usually use a boneing knife to scrape or trim any loose hair from the meat before wrapping.
5. Keep the oldest deer meat in the front of your freezer shelves to use first.
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Post by duff on Sept 28, 2005 14:35:53 GMT -5
I did my first last year, but have been around a processor for the last few years to get some tips. I washed mine down before cutting, after skinning. Used a torch to get the rest of the hair. wrapped the meat in plastic wrap then freezer paper and labled the cut as I went. Made a lot of roast cause I wasn't sure what each cut could have been.
I was pleased with the results. Will do it again this year.
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Post by steiny on Sept 28, 2005 17:54:09 GMT -5
Do a good job skinning, trim off and dispose of anything that looks nasty or is shot up and bloody.
Hang the carcass and hose it off, plus use a clean brush to get as much hair off as possible. There shouldn't be too much, if you do a good job skinning.
I like to let the carcass air dry, then wrap in a clean sheet or game bag and keep in the cooler, or anyplace around 42 degrees for 4-6 days. Don't let it get warm!
About all you need is a good sharp butcher knife, sharpening tools and a small grinder to process a deer.
Take out the inside loins and backstraps, and get all the good steaks off hind quarters with a knife, chunk the rest up for the grinder.
Grind about 1/3 pork trimmings to 2/3 venson for good burger.
Wrap meat in cheap freezer bags, pushing out as much air as possible, then wrap with freezer paper.
Nothing to it. You can't hardly screw it up.
P.S. Cook a backstrap or two whole, while it's still fresh, for the butchering crew !
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Post by cday on Sept 28, 2005 19:15:27 GMT -5
Myself I am also a custom processor here in Arkansas. Myself I vacuum seal everything. The key to great tasting venison starts in the field with proper field dressing and quickly getting the carcass cooled down. Cutting up remove all deer fat and silver skin. You can following the lines on a quarter and remove large pieces of boneless meat that can be used for roasts of cut against the meat grain to produce some tasty steaks. Pieces to small to make a steak cut into chunks for stir fry and stew meat. Other small cuts can be ground into burger and/or made ito sausage. Check out www.lemproducts.com for some pretty good processing equipment fro the home processor at a reasonable price. Alot of guys refuse to use a hand crank meat grinder but for the cost and the actual amount of deer meat ground it is not too much effort or investment especially if you are cutting out steaks, roast and stew meat. If this is the case even off a big deer you are not going to ground any more than 20 lbs of meat, which will not take long to ground at the 2 pounds per minute rate of a #12 grinder. Also you can set up a grounder to package all ground meat into special poly bags which work great for ground meat. You can also pick uo a small #8 electric grinder fro around $100.00 and this is more than enough grinder for the home processor. I do alot of grinding of deer and use a commerical grade number #12. I have used the #8 grinder and was very please with its performance just processing my own deer. |
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Post by dabutcher on Sept 28, 2005 20:05:13 GMT -5
a lot of good replys here, the only one i would change is#4 you were correct in your question this ADDS bacteria once there only the cold will kill some of it but the rest is there waiting to startup as soon as that piece of meat hits 40 degrees (the meat internal temp not the outside temp) you should never cut a "warm deer" i know a lot of people do, but for easier cutting and health (possible) reasons always cool deer as for skinning sikn out front legs up inside of back legs pull it down to the tail once you cut the tail you can pull most of the hide and that will keep most of the hair off then take a propane torch and lightly rake it over the carcase this will get 90-95% of the hair then as you cut take your knife and scrape it (at a angle away from the direction you are scraping) as for packaging use plastic coated freezer paper "butcher"paper is not freezer paper, if you are ever in lafayette swing by and if i have a deer to process i'll walk you thru one as for grinders a hand one with a pulley and a electric motor works great (if your only doing one every so often) look on e-bay if you can find a singlephase hobart, biro or hollymatic grinder with a #22 or #32 head (i use 3 #32 grinders and a # 12 for makeing brats) get a couple buddies to throw in and you'll be money ahead for years. any other ? let me know and if anyone needs seasoning (breakfast sausage bratwurst italian maple summer sausage etc) i am thinking of offering it in the buyand sell if there is a interest, i WILL not sell anything during shotgun season though i don't have the time.
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dr65
Junior Member
Posts: 39
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Post by dr65 on Sept 28, 2005 21:51:26 GMT -5
The most inportain thing is to let it cool out for three day's before cutting it up. if you have a power washer they do a great job of getting hair and cleaning. cut all blood away from meat. Its not a good ideal to eat meat right off fresh kill. Just my 2 cents
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Post by duff on Sept 29, 2005 9:42:24 GMT -5
dr65, why isn't it a good idea? I have had back straps the same day and it tasted just fine. I would think as long as the meat is properly cooked you'd be fine, but I could be wrong about that.
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dr65
Junior Member
Posts: 39
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Post by dr65 on Sept 29, 2005 19:45:55 GMT -5
Duff, The onley thing i eat after cleaning is fish. I just cant bring my self to eat deer right after i clean one. cant get the smell out of my head. plus i like my meat rare.
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Post by bhshunterdude589 on Oct 12, 2005 19:53:01 GMT -5
hey, does anyone have a good way to make jerky in teh oven? i can't find a recipe anywhere, and i have a LOT of deer left over from '04...HELP!!!
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Post by Hoosier Hunter on Oct 12, 2005 21:12:24 GMT -5
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Post by camoham on Oct 27, 2005 8:46:29 GMT -5
when your down to final cutting of steaks...................or sectioning main pieces of meat..............wash with cool water..........
same with any scrap that is going to be ground.......................
scrutinize everything...............to ensure excellent meals to come.
thank goodness my wife is very understanding............while working i sent her on an errand to get addtional wrap.........
this being my first time butchering.................i used the new "press'n'seal" freezer plastic................then wrapped in regular freezer paper.............
press n seal the best invention yet..................out of the couple of meals ive had already.................excellent sealing and moisture retention.
camoham
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Good luck, backstraps on the grill come saturday evening to all!!
