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View Full Version : Ten Steps to better Venison



Chuck
01-23-2007, 06:18 PM
1) Select a prime animal, healthy, and plump with a shiny coat, size is generally not a determining factor. Avoid, if possible a deer that has been running. A fully mature animal is often just as good as a younger one.
2) Choose a good stand, where a hunter opts to take his animal can be very important regarding the quality of the meat.
3) Be a good hunter. If you shoot at a deer-hit where you aim.
4) Field dress the animal immediately, unless you are in sub-zero weather, but it is always best to gut and field dress the animal as soon as possible.
5) Move the meat. If you're going to keep the deer in camp a few days, hang it up in the shade, keep it cool and covered. If the weather is warm then hang it up in the shade, keep it cool and covered.
6) Age or freeze the meat. Depending upon your end use. Many people prefer their meat hung or aged, at this time it is wise to keep a close eye on the carcass and wipe it down with a bleachy rag to prevent bacteria from taking it over. Or cut it into chunks and freeze them.
7) Butcher the meat according to how you plan to cook it. After hanging the carcass for a few weeks, skin and butcher the meat, making whatever cuts you prefer - chops, roasts or steaks.
8) Preserve the meat. Not many people want to eat venison every day, so now is the time to freeze or otherwise preserve some of the meat for later. Do whatever is best for you.
9) Choose the right recipe. There's lots of room for variation here and many books available like this one to help guide you along. Just keep in mind that it always helps to have a family pet, like a dog, if you make a mistake.
10) Watch your manners. Avoid discussing "deer" or "moose" at the dining table. If a reference is neccessary use "venison" or say "pork" instead of "hog". Bon Apetite!

mark
01-23-2007, 06:34 PM
"After hanging the carcass for a few weeks, skin and butcher the meat"

WTF, You believe this is good advise???????????

Bow Walker
01-23-2007, 06:44 PM
"After hanging the carcass for a few weeks, skin and butcher the meat"http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_11_9.gif (http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZSYYYYYYJOCA)

WTF, You believe this is good advise???????????
X 2 !!


Chuck - "venison" is like pork...in that it only needs to hang (in a cold temperature, say 34'F) for as long as it takes to setup. That is no more than one week. That's 1 (one) week - 7 days.

mark
01-23-2007, 06:50 PM
Each to their own, but when i was taught to hunt a long time ago, we hung our deer a while with hide on, but as i adopted my own ways, I skin my deer ASAP, and butcher them within a few days. I find the meat to be better my way!

Chuck
01-23-2007, 06:53 PM
I printed it almost word for word from this book. I wanted to share a few laughs!

krazy
01-23-2007, 07:37 PM
10) Watch your manners. Avoid discussing "deer" or "moose" at the dining table. If a reference is neccessary use "venison" or say "pork" instead of "hog". Bon Apetite!

WTF does this have to do with 'better' venison? Will it actually taste better if I call it something else? LOL

Bow Walker
01-23-2007, 07:39 PM
I printed it almost word for word from this book. I wanted to share a few laughs!
Sorry Chuck - I took it for serious. Re-reading it in the light of humor, it is kinda funny. How old is the book?

MattB
01-23-2007, 07:43 PM
Im guessing you guys dont really know but most butchers hang meat for something like 20-24 days....Letting it age really helps out!

brotherjack
01-23-2007, 07:44 PM
In both my own experience, and from what I have read; as soon as the rigormortis has let go (48 hours is PLENTY, 24 is adequate), it's ready to butcher. I can tell a significant difference in meat butchered within a few hours of death and meat aged 24 to 48 hours. I can tell 0 difference between meat aged 48 hours, and meat aged a week or two, other than I loose more meat in the butchering process if I let it hang a week or two.

Also, another side note - I want my meat cold (about 1 degree above freezing is ideal) ASAP. Leaving the hide on impedes this process dramaticly - so I skin mine the second I have the carcass hauled to someplace clean enough to do so.

Bow Walker
01-23-2007, 08:00 PM
Im guessing you guys dont really know but most butchers hang meat for something like 20-24 days....Letting it age really helps out!
:smile:
I spent 29 years in the retail meat business - both as an owner/operator and as an employee. I know meat. I know chickens, turkeys, ducks, fish, seafood, etc. If it walks or crawls or slithers or swims or flies, I know how to take care of it.8-)

So.................yes, beef is better aged - in a controlled manner. Game, on the other hand, does not benefit from anything over 7 - 9 days aging......and that had better be at a temperature that does not dip below freezing and also does not go above 38'F.

MattB
01-23-2007, 09:10 PM
Sweet, thanks for clearing that up!:)

Chuck
01-23-2007, 10:36 PM
Picked up a couple books back in the 70's when I was up in Wms. Lk. & Quesnel. That was just a mild sample. How about hoot owl stew or campfire coyote lion?

NEEHAMA
01-24-2007, 12:23 PM
vinegar instead of bleach. don't put bleach on your food. i never tried it on my french fries , but i'm sure it can't be good.

Mr. Dean
01-24-2007, 12:43 PM
After I skin and gut, I'll just throw him in the MayTag w/ a cup or so of Tide.
Cleans em up just fine. :wink:

Then it's about 6-8 hours in the dryer, for the best tasting jerky in the land. This works better if you take an old work sock and fill it FULL of various spices, and just toss it into the dryer w/ the critter.

YUMMY!!

Chuck
01-24-2007, 02:20 PM
Geeez Mr. Dean, those ideas sound good enough to try. OOps! now I gotta change my pants!

Mr. Dean
01-24-2007, 02:57 PM
Geeez Mr. Dean, those ideas sound good enough to try. OOps! now I gotta change my pants!

Trust me......IT'S GOOD!!



Your results may vary :lol: