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View Full Version : Who soaks game meat in milk?



wetcoaster
10-30-2006, 05:36 PM
A few guys I know suggest this as a way to make game meat mild. I am trying it tonight as I am having someone over that isn't sure they like game meat and I am trying to convert them. Best to introduce them slowly.:lol:

Does anyone else use milk soaking out there?

Steeleco
10-30-2006, 05:51 PM
Never heard of that before, I have been told Orange juice to get rid of the gamy taste, If I wanted rid of any gamy taste, I'd eat beef!!! I've eaten plenty of game, still waiting for my first piece that tastes bad!!!

Non the less, good luck with your guest, what's cookin???

mikek blacktail
10-30-2006, 06:11 PM
it's buttermilk not plain milk and is does take away some of the game taste

wetcoaster
10-30-2006, 06:18 PM
Steeleco,

Whats for dinner? Well let me tell ya,

Venison chops from the doe I shot this year, I soaked them in milk? we shall see, and rubbed them with olive oil garlic and lemon pepper and onto the grill served with double baked potatoes, green beans and a spinach salad. Who wants to come over?:lol:

bsa30-06
10-30-2006, 06:21 PM
I DO!Better be careful with invitations like that, or you won't have any of that doe left.

TravisC
10-30-2006, 06:29 PM
lemon juice will take away some of the game taste. really anything citrus will and most types of salad dressings cause of the vinegar. also if your worried about the toughness i've heard that baking soda works wonders. be carefull though it can also add taste that you don't want if you use too much. but my favorite way to soak the meat is in a frying pan with about a 1/8 th deep of crown royal simmered in with lots of garlic, onions and fresh cracked pepper.

Caveman
10-30-2006, 06:36 PM
Stinky old buck and a buddy marinaded his steak in French Dressing , took the strong taste right away.

Schmaus
10-30-2006, 07:25 PM
Who wants to come over?:lol:

Yes I will be there in 8-10 hours.

quadrakid
10-30-2006, 07:51 PM
i,ve done it myself, lots of folks marinade wild liver in milk as well

MattB
10-30-2006, 09:17 PM
I havent ever soaked game meat in anything. Ive never had any bad tasting meat, not even a rutted up stinky ol' muley and thats where most of the game meat I eat comes from. People are always talking about rutted up bucks tasting bad, i've never found that...some are a little tougher but still very edible!

WoodOx
10-30-2006, 09:21 PM
Like Matt, Ive never noticed any difference between a spike whitetail, to a rutty mature mule deer.

I dont honestly understand how the smell from their hair/glands could possibly penatrate into their muscle tissue. Would your biceps taste like deoderant?
=P

quadrakid
10-30-2006, 09:41 PM
one day you will find out when the wife refuses to allow a piece meat from your last critter to be cooked in her house cause of the stink. doesn,t happen often but some critters stink even if taken well cared for. just my experience.

~T-BONE~
10-30-2006, 09:50 PM
Yup I've seen some real stinkers in thae late season being a meatcutter!!
I shot a 5x5 blacktail last fall that was so emaciated (sp?) that there was no fat on his entire body except for around his face! The vail arond his intestines and stomach had no fat in it either. But all his guts were in good shape.. Needless to say after trying to fry up the tenders the whole house stunk and the flavour was the sh#ts!! Friends of mine couldn't even eat the pepperoni that was mixed with 40% pk!

As far as soaking the meat in milk/cream I've only seen it done with liver!

mrdoog
10-30-2006, 10:45 PM
Soaking yourself, and your guests in a 6 pack of anything removes any vulgar taste.
I guess I've been lucky, no venison that has a gamey taste at all.

Krico
10-30-2006, 10:57 PM
I tried that a couple years ago with meat from a caribou I shot-it tasted horrible, but I chalked it up to the meat, not the milk...

dawn2dusk
10-31-2006, 09:32 AM
Liver soaked in milk overnight takes blood and taste out. I think the blood and fat of game holds alot of that gamey taste. So make sure you trim and squeeze blood out

trigger
10-31-2006, 10:09 AM
Any of you try caribou. That stuff will stink you right out of your house. I like game. alot actually. The first couple of boo dinners i had to choke down, after that no more. couldnt do it. I heard that if you get them in like september or something they arent as bad. Anyways, i thought i would dress this thread up by adding a pic of when i was 13 packing out a caribou.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e368/trigger22/other/ScottWadeCaribouPack.jpg

mapguy
11-01-2006, 08:01 AM
sounds like sour meat to me . the cause is heat .if your packing meat out of the bush debone it .exhaust fumes are bad so the trunk of car is not good to transport.a little vinegar and water to wipe it down after you skin it .keep it out of the rain.open the meat to the bone if your hanging it outdoors.

wetcoaster
11-01-2006, 12:06 PM
Well I tried it and here is what I found:

First of all this meat was from a young region 5-14 doe shot over thanksgiving that was peacefully grazing when shot and didn't move a step after the bullet entered it's boiler. It was immediately gutted and was back at camp 2 hours later and skinned immediately and hung in below zero temperatures for 1.5 days before it was at the meat cutter. So in reality it likely wasn't gamey to start with.

I soaked it for about 8 hours in plain old 2% milk with some salt and pepper in it in a glass dish. I googled it and there is all kinds of information on doing this, it seems to be a pretty wide practice. When I pulled them out I noticed that the milk was pinkish grey having absorbed all kinds of blood and crud. Down the sink it went. I patted the chops dry with some paper towel. As I did this I noticed all the fat had turned to a pasty liquid. I rubbed the chops with the towel and it all wiped right off. Maybe from the acid in the milk? After they were dry I rubbed them with some olive oil garlic, rosemary, lemon pepper and threw them on the grill over high heat and seared them to medium rare and then onto the plates.

It was excellent and my guests who were unsure about game meat were chewing the bones for scraps when it was all said and done. They were incredibly tender and mild compared to those I have done without the milk. I like the taste of game and didn't find that this made them tasteless for me there was still enough there to be enjoyed. These were the first cuts I have tried from this deer, I am going to have some more chops later this week from it and won't do this milk thing so I will be able to compare the results when they are fresh in my mind and it isn't an apples to oranges comparison.

dawn2dusk
11-01-2006, 12:28 PM
I like your observative and empirical approach wetcoaster. Look forward to your conclusion.

wetcoaster
12-20-2006, 04:11 PM
The milk defintely works I have had several with and without in many cuts. Really tenderizes the meat and makes it mild. If you ever get a stinker do it for sure. Hope never get one (a stinker that is)!

tuchodi
12-20-2006, 04:41 PM
I know for sure that any fat from any wild animal makes a big differance in the taste so I have always tried to take all fat off. I have used milk on a couple of old bucks and it does work. I have also used Beer and that works real good the only problem, I like the beer to much so I end up using milk again.

mapguy
12-20-2006, 04:55 PM
well now we used milk in cooking class to soak strong tasteing meats
however I shoot bucks in full rut and don't have problems with it being gamy
I gut it immeadiately and get the hide off within the hour and wash it down
with water and vinegar about an ounce or two for a half pail . then i take it to the closest cooler . If you cant do that open the meat right to the bone to let out all the heat. If it's going to be more than a day in hot weather debone the whole thing .Dry the meat totally when you put it in a cooler

Ronforca
12-20-2006, 06:25 PM
I never have a problem with bad tasting meat although I do prefer Whitetail to Mulies or Blacktail but to stop any argument that is me and maybe not anyone else.As Tvohodi says the fat from Deer can sure make the meat taste bad if it has been frozer for a few months.The secret I find is to remove all fat from the meat before cooking.