Meat processors - experiences ?

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • Striper69

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 31, 2014
    1,400
    Iowa
    I had to butcher the small doe I got from the outside as I hit it too far back and hit the guts. I ruined one of the hind legs and the guts were coming out of the exit wound. I also took the backstraps off and the front legs. I then put them in plastic grocery bags and set them in my fridge (which is about 40 degrees). I might leave them in there a week and then cut them up into steaks etc. I'm also going to attempt to make deer hamburger cause I have a grinder that I've never tried to use before.
     

    newmuzzleloader

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 14, 2009
    4,765
    joppa
    What is everyone's opinion about aging the deer meat for a few days?

    I thought it was for the meat to be more tender? I saw that one poster said it affects the flavor.

    I usually hang mine in the barn for a few days. If temps get up in the 50-60 range I put bags of ice in the cavity. It takes a while for me to cut it up and put in the freezer but I like knowing I can do it. A plus is I save a dollar or two.
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,063
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    The goose I hung for three days was significantly more tender than the one I did not. I got the idea from the LL Bean Cookbook which has a lot of good tips on this subject.

    I soak geese for a full week or more and change the water every other day at least. The most blood you remove the better they taste. Goose blood stinks and I'll eat just about anything and the smell of goose blood turns me off.
     

    DENWA

    Active Member
    May 5, 2008
    272
    I'm all about doing it myself for the same reasons mentioned above, but I won't do it if the outside temperature is over 60 degrees or so. So for any deer I take early season, I take it to KS Cuts in northern Montgomery County. They do really good work. I got some jerky and pastrami made from a deer last year and it was so good.

    I used KS Cuts for many Russian Boar, Stag and Elk.

    Last time I took them quartered and skinned >400Lbs of (head shot) cow elk I got back 167lbs (packaging Included) meat.

    When I went back to ask if I missed a few bags the kid was telling everyone in the shop how good the elk meat he had last week from someones cow.

    Haven't been back since to pay him $125 to hand out my hard earned kill to his employees.
     

    Striper69

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 31, 2014
    1,400
    Iowa
    I took the backstraps out of the fridge and finally used my Food Saver to wrap the steaks in. I love that thing! Never thought it could be so easy.
     

    RwWilly

    Active Member
    Jan 1, 2013
    700
    Harford, Kingsville
    Yeah, that process sounds vaguely familiar too :innocent0. I always wished a real butcher would teach me how to make the real store-bought meat cuts. I just separated all the muscles into steak-sized cuts and roasts, then ground the rest, only the butterfly cuts off the backstrap ever looked right to anyone. Always loved the meat. Too many other things to do now, plus my butcher is awesome (& I am not).

    Scott Rea, British butcher that rocks wild game and all butchering. Great videos. Very well done. Check him out.
     

    remrug

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 13, 2009
    1,761
    manchester md
    If you must take your deer to a processor,ask them to bone out the hindquarters instead of sawing through them.Some will,some wont.
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,063
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    Absolutely, what Remug said. Tell them to muscle group out the hinds and pull the back strap whole, not butterflied, and the tenderloins. Then they can grind th rest. If you like crock pot roasts the front shoulders make nice roasts, bone in and if too large you can debone them, but that takes a bit of butchering skill. I can't find the picture of it, but I shot a doe in December right after Christmas and I saved all the fat in a 1 gallon bag and it was about 3/4 full. I cooked and rendered it all for making lubbed wads and I did it out of the grill and the wife still complained as all that strong smell was cooking out of the fat. this is how much rendered fat I got left over after losing all the hard bits.
    wads_1-large-e1512817353576.jpg


    I process myself because I like the end product better. I package it my way for later use better and I spend a lot of time after boning out into buckets for later trimming. Roasts are trimmed and the grindage is trimmed heavily to remove all fat. Even custom processors are not going to put that kind of time into it. Until you have butchered you would not understand how much fat is between the muscle layers over the ribs and in others areas. Bitter black oak acorns makes bitter deer fat and all deer fat is bad for your end product!

    Scott Rea does some awesome stuff for the people wanting to learn. The boneless rabbit is one of my favorites.
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,063
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    For all you that don't think you can process your own deer, here is a great video or stripping carcass and boning it out. My 21 year old, 130#, daughter got a doe last night with her 270 and has the morning off tomorrow. She will follow this and bone it out in buckets and I will trim and prepare it for grinding and vacuum sealing while she is at college at night. She is not handy at all and if she can do it, you can.

    Look at the roast he gets off the back legs. Then you can steak them out if you like. When they saw the back legs it kind of makes them a mess. Just think, they are slicing right through that Lymph node. Nom nom.

     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Latest posts

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,917
    Messages
    7,258,612
    Members
    33,348
    Latest member
    Eric_Hehl

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom