Black Bird
04-01-2015, 03:24 PM
Hi folks,
Not sure that this is the right forum to post this in, but I have a question regarding a section of mule deer meat being a little too tender. I have been butchering my deer for a number of years at home and it has gone well. If anything, earlier on, I was ending up with meat that was a little too rubbery (not aging it properly). I harvested a mule deer last fall, and, while the backstraps are all gone and were absolutely fantastic, I had a roast that I could have cut with a spoon it was so soft. The meat was not off, just the consistency was approaching that of a pate. I cook my meat to medium rare or rare. The short of it is that my daughters were very happy, but both my wife and I were looking at our plates a little sideways. So, things different from my previous butchering experience:
1) This is the first mule deer I have ever worked with (I hunt Columbian black tail)
2) The deer hung in tempratures that got below 0C. I had probably 2 or 3 days where it went to -6C while hanging.
3) This deer tumbled about 100m down a pretty steep slope (but not too rocky) before coming to a rest. I don't believe the meat was bruised, but I can't dismiss that if someone knows better.
I will pull another roast out soon to check, but I am just wondering if anyone has come across a situation where some of the meat they have butchered has turned out normal, and at least another part of the same animal has ended up being very 'mushy'?
Cheers,
BB
Not sure that this is the right forum to post this in, but I have a question regarding a section of mule deer meat being a little too tender. I have been butchering my deer for a number of years at home and it has gone well. If anything, earlier on, I was ending up with meat that was a little too rubbery (not aging it properly). I harvested a mule deer last fall, and, while the backstraps are all gone and were absolutely fantastic, I had a roast that I could have cut with a spoon it was so soft. The meat was not off, just the consistency was approaching that of a pate. I cook my meat to medium rare or rare. The short of it is that my daughters were very happy, but both my wife and I were looking at our plates a little sideways. So, things different from my previous butchering experience:
1) This is the first mule deer I have ever worked with (I hunt Columbian black tail)
2) The deer hung in tempratures that got below 0C. I had probably 2 or 3 days where it went to -6C while hanging.
3) This deer tumbled about 100m down a pretty steep slope (but not too rocky) before coming to a rest. I don't believe the meat was bruised, but I can't dismiss that if someone knows better.
I will pull another roast out soon to check, but I am just wondering if anyone has come across a situation where some of the meat they have butchered has turned out normal, and at least another part of the same animal has ended up being very 'mushy'?
Cheers,
BB