At home deer butchering

[luger]

Hey all I have started butchering my own deer these last 3 years and I have been having piles of fun learning all the cuts and different ways to cook deer meat. Here's a question for the other do it yourselfers, what's the best way to do up deer shank/ forearm? Normally I just cut all the silver skin off and turn it in to ground but it's excessively time consuming and yields very little meat. I find as you pull apart the shank it's just layers and layers of silver skin. How do you all turn deer shank into a tasty meal? I was thinking for cutting off the main layer of silver skin and chucking a few shanks into the crock pot with a bunch of bouillon and water for the day then draining the water and adding a bottle of BBQ sauce for pulled deer sandwiches.

[IslandWanderer]

Sounds perfect. I've never had BBQ sauce with deer, but I bet it's awesome.

[Knute]

Try an Osso buco recipe.
Might make an awesome Osso bucko.

[Wentrot]

Yup, osso bucco is absolutly incredible with the shanks

[Rupert Retired]

Usually I bone out the lower part of the leg (knee to ankle, shank I guess although I have never called it that!), and either cut it into chunks for stew, or put it with the grinding stuff. If I am not going to be grinding anything for awhile, it becomes stew meat. Boning it is very easy, just about four strokes. Don't worry about the "silver skin", it is just another part of the meat, membrane I guess. You never see it in the stew!

[last light]

I used to fight for hamburger also, not worth the frustration. I ended up doing some research and found out it's very simple. Just cut the shank out at the knee joints and either keep it whole or debone it and throw in slow cooker. First I brown the meat in a pan with oil, then make sure it's low and slow and covered in beef broth. You don't need to cut out any ligaments or any of the hard to deal with stuff. All of those tough parts actually render down and turn to a jelly like material keeping the meat juicy and adding extra flavor. I've been doing this for a few years now and it's become one of my new favorite cuts on the deer.

Take meat out and it literally falls apart, serve with mashed potatoes and gravy.

[pin_head]

As said above, the whole shank braised in a crock pot is unreal!

i will never grind shank meat again.

Brad

[two-feet]

Stew is great from shank. Bit it has to be slow cooked with liquid, for minimum 3 hours, 4 is better

[Spy]

Mmmm love shanks makes me want to go shoot a deer lol

[Walking Buffalo]

Why, why, why do you guys spend ridiculous amounts of time wasting great food?

For burger and stew, Leave that silverskin on!
Throw your steak/roast silverskin trimmings into the burger/sausage pile....

Silverskin is composed of collagen, and is flavourless. Collagen it what gelatine in made from....
There is collagen in every muscle cell.


Grind the shanks WITH the silverskin, or use them for stew.
I prefer to use them for stew. That is what they are for..

When cooked for a bit, it will make the best broth for stews and such....

[markathome]

http://www.themeateater.com/2013/venison-osso-bucco-recipe/

I'm with Pin_head. I'll never grind a shank again.

[jeff341]

Why, why, why do you guys spend ridiculous amounts of time wasting great food?

For burger and stew, Leave that silverskin on!
Throw your steak/roast silverskin trimmings into the burger/sausage pile....

Silverskin is composed of collagen, and is flavourless. Collagen it what gelatine in made from....
There is collagen in every muscle cell.


Grind the shanks WITH the silverskin, or use them for stew.
I prefer to use them for stew. That is what they are for..

When cooked for a bit, it will make the best broth for stews and such....

not true.....collagen is a soluble part of the animal and is what dissolves and gives broths etc. richness and jello jiggly-ness.... silver skin is made of elastin....not soluble... and tough. Elastin will not break down no mater how long its cooked....


I do not prefer to use a slow cooker....but rather I would take a shank, season it with salt and pepper....sear over high heat until a rich red caramelized colour is achieved.
move to a deep dish that can hold a few shanks....add a sliced shallot or small onion, 2 cloves crushed garlic....fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, bay etc) either a few cups of red wine...or a dark rich beer...(guiness??) and enough broth or stock to cover. foil wrap with holes to let steam out....put in a 300* for about 4 hours.

the important part is to let the shanks cool in this broth for a while...they absurd the liquid and stay moist in your mouth.

once cool, remove the shanks...put the remaining broth (now a braisage) in a pot to reduce by 60-70% or until rich sauce is ready....strain out the chinks of onions etc.

just before your gonna plate...add a tablespoon of butter and whisk in until smooth and shiny

serve with whatever you like...keep it simple....mashed potatoes...polenta....who cares.

[Walking Buffalo]

not true.....collagen is a soluble part of the animal and is what dissolves and gives broths etc. richness and jello jiggly-ness.... silver skin is made of elastin....not soluble... and tough. Elastin will not break down no mater how long its cooked....


I do not prefer to use a slow cooker....but rather I would take a shank, season it with salt and pepper....sear over high heat until a rich red caramelized colour is achieved.
move to a deep dish that can hold a few shanks....add a sliced shallot or small onion, 2 cloves crushed garlic....fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, bay etc) either a few cups of red wine...or a dark rich beer...(guiness??) and enough broth or stock to cover. foil wrap with holes to let steam out....put in a 300* for about 4 hours.

the important part is to let the shanks cool in this broth for a while...they absurd the liquid and stay moist in your mouth.

once cool, remove the shanks...put the remaining broth (now a braisage) in a pot to reduce by 60-70% or until rich sauce is ready....strain out the chinks of onions etc.

just before your gonna plate...add a tablespoon of butter and whisk in until smooth and shiny

serve with whatever you like...keep it simple....mashed potatoes...polenta....who cares.


If more detail is desired, your explanation is also incorrect.

Silverskin, or fascia, contains both collagen and elastin. The variance is a matter of %s....

Elastin most certainly is broken down by cooking. Otherwise your shank recipe would always be meat and strings rather than meat and jelly....



The main point here is that many new hunters have the impression that fascia must be removed due to it contributing undesired flavours to the meat.
This is simply not true.

Generally, the same applies to fat. The fat on most ungulates is rarely strong tasting. The reason for trimming fat is Not due to flavour, it is because this fat has a high melting point compared to beef or pork. This results is ungulate fat hardening on the plate or in the mouth.... not a great dining experience to most of us.

[Whonnock Boy]

I'll second this. "Silverskin" can just go into the grind. I have spent time removing, and have found no discernible difference in the taste of the meat if left in. Going to have to try out a shank in the slow cooker now.


Why, why, why do you guys spend ridiculous amounts of time wasting great food?

For burger and stew, Leave that silverskin on!
Throw your steak/roast silverskin trimmings into the burger/sausage pile....

Silverskin is composed of collagen, and is flavourless. Collagen it what gelatine in made from....
There is collagen in every muscle cell.


Grind the shanks WITH the silverskin, or use them for stew.
I prefer to use them for stew. That is what they are for..

When cooked for a bit, it will make the best broth for stews and such....

[Bear Chaser]

Thanks to Ironnoggin this thread made me a shank convert.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?89846-Braised-Venison-Shanks

[HarryToolips]

Why, why, why do you guys spend ridiculous amounts of time wasting great food?

For burger and stew, Leave that silverskin on!
Throw your steak/roast silverskin trimmings into the burger/sausage pile....

Silverskin is composed of collagen, and is flavourless. Collagen it what gelatine in made from....
There is collagen in every muscle cell.


Grind the shanks WITH the silverskin, or use them for stew.
I prefer to use them for stew. That is what they are for..

When cooked for a bit, it will make the best broth for stews and such....
Awesome good to know...last deer I butchered myself I spent a ridiculous amount of time on the silver skin..

[avadad]

I will never bother seperating shanks again. Once I started cooking them whole shanks have become one of my favorite dishes. This sites full of good info. https://honest-food.net/?s=Shanks

[stixnstones]

Oso bucco gets my vote

[ajr5406]

I will never bother seperating shanks again. Once I started cooking them whole shanks have become one of my favorite dishes. This sites full of good info. https://honest-food.net/?s=Shanks


Anything by Hank Shaw is awesome.

[Ryo]

When braising venison shanks, add a bit more oil than a beef or lamb recipe would call for.

[markathome]

Just made four different 5lb sausage recipes from Hank Shaw on Sunday. That dude can do no wrong. One of them:

https://honest-food.net/wild-game/venison-recipes/burger-meatball-recipes/venison-sausage-with-sage-and-juniper/

[IronNoggin]

Thanks to Ironnoggin this thread made me a shank convert.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?89846-Braised-Venison-Shanks

http://gallery.fishbc.com/albums/Ironnoggin/Shanks_3.jpg

Very much one of my most favorite meals from deer, lamb, elk... anything with shanks that is! LOL!

In fact, methinks I will get into a mess of these for tonight! Thanks for bringing it up! Appreciated!

Cheers,
Nog