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Holachicka
Lovin' The Homestead
Sorry skr8pn, just saw your post, guess it's not worth it!!
What to tell the butcher for deer?!
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journey11
Almost Self-Reliant
We butcher our own and this is what we do too. We will usually take one whole deer and make jerky out of it too.firem3 said:I always tell him to give me roasts from the best parts, whole tender loin, cube the best of the left overs and grind the rest, mine will add beef fat to the ground for burgers. Happy hunting
My BIL will have big bone-in steaks cut out of the ham's on his (kinda like a ham steak).
Also, the inner backstraps are THE BEST CUT of meat on a deer. You'll find them on the inside of the rib cage along the spine, about a foot long each (there are two). Your husband should cut these out and bring them on up to the house--cook them up that day or the next. They are so tender!! They will dry out and spoil if you don't cut them out when you first get the deer.
It's too warm right now to hang a deer for long, so you'll have to get this one off to the butcher soon. But we like to hang ours for at least 3 days to a week (if the weather cooperates and stays below 40 degrees). Aging the meat before cutting it up will make it more tender and eliminate any trace of "gamey" taste.
Good luck and happy hunting!
Blackbird
Goat Whisperer
If you are worried about being wasteful don't even bother with having a butcher do it. In our area at least, you're pretty much wasting your money. There is so much good meat available on the carcass that you'll never see so we always process our own.
As with what Journey said, if you hang it a couple days some of the gamey taste goes away. I guess it depends on your taste buds, some people don't like game taste, others love it. I grew up primarily on deer and elk meat (elk ranchers), it really isn't that terrible, just takes a little getting used to.
Not sure about the bone broth, the dog always gets those.. But golly Free, if you are ever out for a challenge, keep a look out for fresh road-kill, you'll be in meaty organ heaven!
As with what Journey said, if you hang it a couple days some of the gamey taste goes away. I guess it depends on your taste buds, some people don't like game taste, others love it. I grew up primarily on deer and elk meat (elk ranchers), it really isn't that terrible, just takes a little getting used to.
Not sure about the bone broth, the dog always gets those.. But golly Free, if you are ever out for a challenge, keep a look out for fresh road-kill, you'll be in meaty organ heaven!
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
I grew up on deer meat as well and I can truly say I've never tasted this gamey taste in any of our deer of which everyone speaks. I think that taste may be derived from improperly field dressed deer? Or possibly hanging on a warm day or riding around on the top of a warm hood for a day?
I've eaten other people's venison and can taste that strong flavor but have never in one of ours.
We butterfly the tenderloin and package it. Neck and shoulders go for jerky when we can afford to waste the meat. Haunches we grind and any other meat is canned~usually this will be everything but the haunches, or hams.
Internal organs are saved for dogs, along with any trimmed fat or wasted trim.
We usually don't do jerky unless we have plenty canned or frozen.
I've eaten other people's venison and can taste that strong flavor but have never in one of ours.
We butterfly the tenderloin and package it. Neck and shoulders go for jerky when we can afford to waste the meat. Haunches we grind and any other meat is canned~usually this will be everything but the haunches, or hams.
Internal organs are saved for dogs, along with any trimmed fat or wasted trim.
We usually don't do jerky unless we have plenty canned or frozen.
FarmerDenise
Out to pasture
SO just got his first deer last week. A friend helped us butcher. it. I refused to have it done by a butcher.
I wanted all of it for us!!!
The fat got frozen for future soap making and all sorts of odd bits got packaged up for the dog. I sliced and froze the liver for me. We got several roasts and large pieces including the tenderloin, the inner backstrap, and lots of bags of smaller cut up bits, which I will make into stew or we might grind it up. I make sure I remove all the fat before cooking it.
Tonight we had a tender loin, I seasoned it, coated it in oil and put a few slices of bacon on top of it and baked it. It was wonderfull. DSS didn't even realize it was venison. And we didn't age the deer, since it was in the 70's.
I also am making broth with the bones following the recipe in NT. It smells wonderfull so far. I used some of the broth for tonight's gravy and everyone liked it. No gamey taste.
The broth has been simmering for three days and nights. I hope to finish it tomorrow and can it.
I wanted all of it for us!!!
The fat got frozen for future soap making and all sorts of odd bits got packaged up for the dog. I sliced and froze the liver for me. We got several roasts and large pieces including the tenderloin, the inner backstrap, and lots of bags of smaller cut up bits, which I will make into stew or we might grind it up. I make sure I remove all the fat before cooking it.
Tonight we had a tender loin, I seasoned it, coated it in oil and put a few slices of bacon on top of it and baked it. It was wonderfull. DSS didn't even realize it was venison. And we didn't age the deer, since it was in the 70's.
I also am making broth with the bones following the recipe in NT. It smells wonderfull so far. I used some of the broth for tonight's gravy and everyone liked it. No gamey taste.
The broth has been simmering for three days and nights. I hope to finish it tomorrow and can it.
noobiechickenlady
Almost Self-Reliant
I'm with Bee, I don't find the taste to be gamey at all. None of my friends hunt and most of my dad's friends just give us any fresh kill they don't want, so I don't have any experience with other folk's processing or cooking. DH thinks a big part of it is getting as much of the tallow off the meat as possible, I can't say for sure.
We soak the meat in salty ice water for a few hours, then store in the fridge or if it's near freezing, we'll hang it outside covered overnight.
We process everything ourselves, it's the only way we are assured of getting what we want and getting the full worth out of the deer.
It's a big job, but so worth it.
We grind most of it, the front shoulder & hindquarter make good roasts, along with the neck. Don't disregard the ribs, lots of people say there isn't enough meat on them to bother, but I say otherwise. Boil them until the meat is near done, then BBQ mmmm.
Tenderloin & backstrap are awesome. We cut them into medallions and pan fry or grill the whole ones over slow coals & wood chips.
Of the internal organs, we keep the liver and heart, the rest goes to the cats or on the compost. The heart is actually quite good sliced super thin & pan fried. The liver we cook slowly, with onions, mushrooms & gravy. mmmmmm
And I've 36 jars of deer broth in the pantry, 2 quart jars of "deer dirt" which were dried like hamburger rocks, 18 jars of shredded meat, 16 of ground meat, both in broth and a few mylar packages of jerky as a test to see how long it keeps without the fridge.
Two hides & brains in the freezer from last season, waiting to be brain tanned.
The only thing I haven't used or saved thus far is the tallow, the feet & the bones after they've been made into broth.
Dad even has several knives made from antlers.
We soak the meat in salty ice water for a few hours, then store in the fridge or if it's near freezing, we'll hang it outside covered overnight.
We process everything ourselves, it's the only way we are assured of getting what we want and getting the full worth out of the deer.
It's a big job, but so worth it.
We grind most of it, the front shoulder & hindquarter make good roasts, along with the neck. Don't disregard the ribs, lots of people say there isn't enough meat on them to bother, but I say otherwise. Boil them until the meat is near done, then BBQ mmmm.
Tenderloin & backstrap are awesome. We cut them into medallions and pan fry or grill the whole ones over slow coals & wood chips.
Of the internal organs, we keep the liver and heart, the rest goes to the cats or on the compost. The heart is actually quite good sliced super thin & pan fried. The liver we cook slowly, with onions, mushrooms & gravy. mmmmmm
And I've 36 jars of deer broth in the pantry, 2 quart jars of "deer dirt" which were dried like hamburger rocks, 18 jars of shredded meat, 16 of ground meat, both in broth and a few mylar packages of jerky as a test to see how long it keeps without the fridge.
Two hides & brains in the freezer from last season, waiting to be brain tanned.
The only thing I haven't used or saved thus far is the tallow, the feet & the bones after they've been made into broth.
Dad even has several knives made from antlers.
Bettacreek
Almost Self-Reliant
I've honestly never understood taking deer to a butcher. My grandfather owns a butcher shop (mostly does venison during hunting season), and my brother works at another butcher shop. But I'd never take them there. Just hoist them up and dress them out yourself. I hope I'm not stepping on toes, but I'll post a link to how someone dresses their deer out. It shows you what cuts come from it. Of course, since it's not SS, they don't tell you about anything like that. Someone from here needs to do a step-by-step!
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=000287;p=0
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=000287;p=0
hobbyfarmrookie
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I prefer the shoulders and hams to be left on the bone. Here is a link to wife's blog for an excellent roast that was cooked on the bone. I believe the one pictured is actually a shoulder.
http://fiddledeedee-jen.blogspot.com/2010/03/preparing-game.html
http://fiddledeedee-jen.blogspot.com/2010/03/preparing-game.html
Mackay
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I don't have a lot of experience with venison but I cooked it a few times and I have no clue what cut I had in hand. I sliced it up for doing stir fry and set it overnight in a bowel with somekind of meat tenderizer and marinade. The next day I made stir fry and it was great!
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Holachicka
Lovin' The Homestead
Farmerdenise, could you post the recipe for broth? It sounds yummy! 3 days and nights though? wow!
Journey, thanks for the tip! I'll see if I can get ahold of DH to tell him to cut that out!
Bettacreek, you're certainly not stepping on my toes! I would love to do the butchering myself, but never have before. I don't have anywhere to hang the deer and it's still in the 90's here... But now I am really concerned about the butcher being wastefull...
Hobby, that roast looks amazing!! I'll definately use that recipe!
Journey, thanks for the tip! I'll see if I can get ahold of DH to tell him to cut that out!
Bettacreek, you're certainly not stepping on my toes! I would love to do the butchering myself, but never have before. I don't have anywhere to hang the deer and it's still in the 90's here... But now I am really concerned about the butcher being wastefull...
Hobby, that roast looks amazing!! I'll definately use that recipe!
