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Post by jajwrigh on Dec 18, 2022 12:38:05 GMT -5
Well, I am finally processing my own deer. It was one of my goals this year. I shot a doe yesterday, dressed her and got her hanging all within 2 hours. We have nice cold weather so the plan is to let her hang until Monday evening or even Tuesday evening. I ordered a meat saw, freezer paper and tape, those 1lb burger bags and a meat tub. I have an electric meat grinder (never used) and freezer space. Any tips, advice or things to avoid that I should know would be much appreciated!
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Post by whitetaildave24 on Dec 18, 2022 13:33:33 GMT -5
Just take your time with this being your first time. Tons of videos out there on YouTube to watch on the process. Some are 5 minutes othered are mod than an hour. The bearded butchers do a great one on breaking down an entire deer, but it’s pretty long. I usually just cut out inner loins, backstraps, and then the rest is ground up for burger, so I don’t try to keep the cuts of meat separate. If you want to keep them separate it’s pretty easy to follow the muscle/tendon lines and get the cuts of meat you’re looking for. Good luck and it’s a great feeling to complete the entire process of field to table.
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Post by esshup on Dec 18, 2022 13:38:14 GMT -5
Remove ALL fat, if you like the bone-in your cuts, make sure that you don't have bone "sawdust" on the meat. I have mine processed by somebody else, but I've done it before. All of my meat is done boneless.
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Post by featherduster on Dec 18, 2022 14:18:39 GMT -5
I always deboned everything, removed all fat and silver skin.
I cut the back straps into nice 1"-1 1/2" cuts.
I separated all of the muscle groups to remove as much silver skin as possible.
I ground well trimmed pieces.
Most of all package it well, I highly recommend a vacuum sealer and label all packages.
I now use a private processor who does an excellent job........I am getting old.
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Post by MuzzleLoader on Dec 18, 2022 16:51:35 GMT -5
Gut and get hide off asap. Don’t use water to rinse out carcass. Hide will trap body heat in.
Take out inner loins immediately. They will dry out quickly.
I quarter and stick in fridge with meat thermometer for more precise readings. Not in meat but hangs so temp reading stays 35 to 38 degrees. Plug in a fan or battery operated one. Moves the air.
Backstraps, maybe a day or two tops In fridge. Then seal in vacuum sealer.
Front quarters. 3 to 5 days. They will dry out more quickly than rear. I use for fajitas and burgers.
Rear quarters I leave for 8 to 10 days.
Follow seams in meat to individual muscle groups.
All silver skin and fat need to be removed.
YouTube. Watch videos. Really not hard. Don’t plan on using kitchen, it will be messy.
Get a good grinder. LEM is awesome.
Processing deer to me is part of hunting and enjoy doing it. I mainly hunt for meat because the family loves it.
Notify the wife if ya put deer in fridge. They may not like that. Lol. Good to have a garage fridge.
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Post by drfleck on Dec 18, 2022 16:59:25 GMT -5
A sharp filet knife is very useful for removing silver skin and trimming up the loins and any roasts that you will freeze whole. Probably the most tedious part of the process for me but I think it's worth it. I use two layers of plastic wrap then butcher paper. Never have freezer burn.
The grinder I use came with two dies. I tried the smaller one at first but it ground the meat almost to a paste consistency. Use the biggest die that you have and see how you like it. You can always go smaller.
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Post by greghopper on Dec 18, 2022 17:05:21 GMT -5
Just select the prime cuts you want then grind the rest….after you done a few you may get more select and grind less.
Plus one on the deboning….. use butcher paper and double wrap single wrapped works also.
BTW… Double grind makes a big difference also IMO
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Post by deadeer on Dec 18, 2022 17:21:21 GMT -5
I still watch a few videos to see if any new techniques come out. Lol
I've butchered a lot of deer. It does get easier the more you do. Finding a favorite knife, cutting board, containers, etc will make it more easier too. As said, boneless is better for venison. I use a sawzall for breaking down the carcass. Like anything, an experienced guy to show you the basics would help alot, but not necessary.
Good luck.
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Post by HuntMeister on Dec 18, 2022 18:44:51 GMT -5
I never use a saw for processing, knives only, I do not want to introduce bone marrow into the meat. I recently purchased a Dexter boning knife, 6" narrow stiff version and really like it, holds an edge really well and a very economical knife. Fellow member budd on here has some really great processing videos, I really like and have adopted the way he breaks down a hind quarter. I prefer the plastic coated freezer paper. Air is your enemy. I wrap all meat in saran wrap first then I wrap in the freezer paper using the "drug store wrap" method, I think it provides the best air tight wrap. Back straps almost always get wrapped un-trimmed, helps to prevent losing too much to trimming due to drying out. I will even just cut the straps into large whole pieces for freezing and then cut into chops after thawing for cooking. A tape dispenser is worth every penny paid IMO. One of these days I will splurge for a freezer paper holder / cutter. IMO, get rid of all fat and as much of the silver skin as possible. The silver skin will break down if you are doing a long cook like a crock pot or insta-pot. The fat tastes lousy. The colder the meat the better when it comes to grinding. Good luck! edit to add budd's vid on the hind quarter youtu.be/208G1VQs4A0 |
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Post by bowonlykindofguy1 on Dec 18, 2022 20:45:07 GMT -5
Make sure to find the glands in the front shoulders. It will be in a big patch of fat and you don't want that in your grind. You will know it when you find it it will be really gross looking about 2 inches long .
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Post by steiny on Dec 20, 2022 16:01:45 GMT -5
I don't use a saw for processing either. Main tools needed are:
A good clean table
A couple plastic tubs
Grinder
Vac seal machine
Vac seal bags
Cutting board
Boning knife & sharpening tool(s)
I find the vac seal bags much easier to fill with burger than the plastic tube bags.
It also keeps the other cuts; steaks, roasts, loans, etc. much better when you get all the air out of packages.
Lots of good Youtube videos on breaking down a deer. If I don't have access to a walk in cooler, I'll typically break them down immediately after kill; (2) hund quarters, (2) front legs / shoulders, (2) long backstraps, the inside loins, and the neck meat. You can mess around cutting the meat out between rigs if you want for additional grind, but myself and many do not. The pieces above are kept refrigerated or in a cooler (out of the water) until I can process.
Come processing time I get a big roast, a nice pile of steaks and a fair amount of burger chunks from each hind quarter. Backstraps are cut into 2-3 large pieces, silver skin removed then packaged whole. Inside loins are cleaned up and packaged together. Neck meat and front legs & shoulders all get chunked up for burger.
Have fun with it. Worst case scenario, you eat your mistakes.
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Post by deadeer on Dec 21, 2022 0:42:42 GMT -5
As long as you have a grinder, nothing is lost. I have run many entire deer through the grinder.
Next discussion, to add or mix anything in? I've tried it all, and now exclusively grind straight. If you want mix or blend, do it at cooking time. I mix in cheap hamburger. Not needed if just making chili or Hamburger Helper. Chili has recently got other stuff added though, like breakfast sausage, bacon, and smoked meat. Plain deer burger is pretty bland to us, so we either season heavy, add as said, but most of all, let soak in the flavors over night.
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