Grinding questions

[Ozone]

Can a person freeze deer chunks to partially thaw later and run thru a grinder after the season is over? Should you just thaw it in the fridge overnight before grinding? How much fat do you add? Beef or pork fat?

[Red_Mist]

30% pork trim. yes thaw it but not completely. the grinder works much better when its still relatively frozen. and have fun....processing your game from field to table much more rewarding then letting someone else do it.

[Whonnock Boy]

Partially frozen is fine, but adding fat? Why? Wouldn't dream of it.

[BushBuck]

I grind it after I cut it.... but grinding partially frozen is a good idea I don't add fat to Deer Elk or Moose never have over the years everything is cooked with coconut oil although Bear and cougar is another story it gets fat for sure. Have a bag of cougar chunk bear chunk and deer chunk froze to take to the butcher after the season once thawed have done this numerous times I would say your fine.

[Gateholio]

Yes, you can freeze, defrost then grind into sausage. Very cold or partially frozen meat grinds very easily.

Defrost in fridge if the meat is a small quantity, if it's large it won't defrost in the fridge.

If you are going to add fat, either works but if you have the choice, free range beef fat compliments game well. But pork works great too, and I wouldn't just look for pork fat, pork shoulder or belly has enough meat/fat ratio to balance your lean deer out. If you don't want to add fat, water or wine adds moisture

I've made game sausage with beef fat, pork meat, water, wine, nothing....they all work. If you are adding just fat, 70/30 isn't a bad ratio. This year the deer will be added to the pork trim I kept from the 2 hogs I butchered, 50/50.

[saskbooknut]

Freezing your meat in chunks and grinding when you are going to use it makes for higher quality, longer keeping time. Not so much surface exposed to air.

[M.Dean]

We've always froze the meat, and when we get a bunch, 25 pounds or more, we thaw it out, add bacon ends to it, about 30 percent and make burger, sausages, breakfast paddy's, or take it to Gary's Deli in Kamloops and get some of the finest pepperoni and smokies made! BUT, be careful grinding meat in too big of chunks and still frozen! My nice, brand new, shiney, stainless steel Cabelas Grinder blew out the 2 main gears a few years ago, seems "No one" around here knows what happened to it? So now I'm using a 100 dollar special I bought off a friend. We used to use beef or pork fat, but found that when you add the Pork Ends instead, the burger comes out a real nice reddish color, and the bacon flavor tastes great. Good Luck out there!

[SR80]

We've always froze the meat, and when we get a bunch, 25 pounds or more, we thaw it out, add bacon ends to it, about 30 percent and make burger, sausages, breakfast paddy's, or take it to Gary's Deli in Kamloops and get some of the finest pepperoni and smokies made! BUT, be careful grinding meat in too big of chunks and still frozen! My nice, brand new, shiney, stainless steel Cabelas Grinder blew out the 2 main gears a few years ago, seems "No one" around here knows what happened to it? So now I'm using a 100 dollar special I bought off a friend. We used to use beef or pork fat, but found that when you add the Pork Ends instead, the burger comes out a real nice reddish color, and the bacon flavor tastes great. Good Luck out there!
Where in town do you get your bacon ends, and beef fat from?

[gbrown001]

What are you guys freezing your chunks of meat in? Ive had trouble finding bags big enough and strong enough to keep the meat from getting freezer burnt. I just cut my deer up last night, and was going to search for some bags today.

[cdub]

I cut mine into chunks then vacuum pack into 5lb bags until ready to make sausage. When ready I pull them from freezer and thaw to about 50% then through the grinder. Having a good grinder helps, I just sold my Berkel last week as it was a beast to put on the counter, now I have a lighter 1hp cabelas, it's slower and gets warmer but seems to do the job and easier to move around.

[Red_Mist]

What are you guys freezing your chunks of meat in? Ive had trouble finding bags big enough and strong enough to keep the meat from getting freezer burnt. I just cut my deer up last night, and was going to search for some bags today.

Wax paper works and is cost effective. Vacuum pack the finished product.

[gbrown001]

I use the whole deer for sausage. The steaks and roasts come from moose. Its not practical to use 5Lb bags for 50 lbs of meat. I'm looking for big bags, so I can put it all in at once. Up till now I've used rubbermade totes, but even with putting plastic wrap under the lid, the meat doesn't store for long.

[ACB]

Partially frozen is fine, but adding fat? Why? Wouldn't dream of it.
Partly frozen that's the best way. But as for no fat, I did some duck dog's one time and the recipe didn't call for any fat, like I said one time! It's a great recipe with all fresh herbs and spices, fantastic flavor but god were they dry! Every time since about 30% pork fat. their great.

[moosecamp]

I use the whole deer for sausage. The steaks and roasts come from moose. Its not practical to use 5Lb bags for 50 lbs of meat. I'm looking for big bags, so I can put it all in at once. Up till now I've used rubbermade totes, but even with putting plastic wrap under the lid, the meat doesn't store for long.

I just use x-large Ziploc bags, can get about 10 to 12 pounds of meat per bag. If not big enough you can look at these.
https://www.halfordsmailorder.com/eSource/ecom/eSource/Freezer_Bag_-_50_lb___18__x_32___2_5_Mil__25_Pcs__/i_1_0_/_BSBAGFRZ50LB

[srupp]

Hmm use pork fat for deer sausage..never use frozen pork..I tend to use pork shoulder roasts as per Gates advice.
Hope to make spicey italian and Bratwurst. .and some german garlic dinner sausages.
Srupp

[M.Dean]

Where in town do you get your bacon ends, and beef fat from?For the bacon ends, the Super Store in the frozen meat section, or phone Coopers ahead of time and they'll keep it for you. We haven't used beef fat in years, but when we did we got it from a friend that used to be a butcher. As far as not adding any fat what so ever to game meat, you'd best have lots of ice water at the dinner table, cuz when we did try that, man was those burgers dry! I tried making sausage from just deer meat, no pork fat added, and even when I cooked them in a tomato sauce they were so dam dry you couldn't eat them?

[markomoose]

I usually go 75/25

[M.Dean]

What are you guys freezing your chunks of meat in? Ive had trouble finding bags big enough and strong enough to keep the meat from getting freezer burnt. I just cut my deer up last night, and was going to search for some bags today. Well, this is a highly guarded family secret, and God help me if anyone from the Family hears that I told ya this,( from my Italian side) BUT, we go to the "Dollar Store" and buy a whole pile of white plastic bins each fall, they hold exactly 25 pounds of cut up meat, we then cover it very tightly with plastic wrap that we get from Costco, comes in a box with a cutter on top, tuck it in real good, I write my name on the bins when we take them to "Garry's Deli" in Kamloops, and when we get the bins back, there over filled with Pepperoni and Garlic sausage! The guy there told use last fall, "I wish everyone would use those bins!" And the price is right! Good luck out there!

[Bear_Down]

Many butchers will use 50-50 pork but . personally I dont want to loose thetaste of the deer and have fornd 10% pork fat trims is enough to give sufficient moisture but leaves the allows the venison flavor to come through. Except for Salami then 50-50 pork buts as it needs lots of moisture.

[wideopenthrottle]

we never add fat to our ground meat ....wt, md, elk,goat, moose have all been great...I have chopped up the odd sausage and thrown it in during cooking to make spag or chilli but mostly just eat it straight

[tripleseven]

Yes, you can freeze, defrost then grind into sausage. Very cold or partially frozen meat grinds very easily.

Defrost in fridge if the meat is a small quantity, if it's large it won't defrost in the fridge.

If you are going to add fat, either works but if you have the choice, free range beef fat compliments game well. But pork works great too, and I wouldn't just look for pork fat, pork shoulder or belly has enough meat/fat ratio to balance your lean deer out. If you don't want to add fat, water or wine adds moisture

I've made game sausage with beef fat, pork meat, water, wine, nothing....they all work. If you are adding just fat, 70/30 isn't a bad ratio. This year the deer will be added to the pork trim I kept from the 2 hogs I butchered, 50/50.

I was just today speaking with the woman from Galloping Goose Sausage company. She says she only uses beef fat in her sausages, as pork fat goes rancid much more easily. I'd only used pork fat in the past, but I think I'll use beef next time.