This. Aging game meat is a waste of time and meat. Aging is for beef. It doesn't benefit game.
Exactly.
Field dress, skin, and cool your game as quickly as possible, then get it cut and wrapped and into the freezer.
Excellent information! Who could argue with those sources?Venison does not have its own set of biological rules with regard to rigour mortis, enzyme activity or the maturing and the softening of meat. The only difference venison has is that they have more developed muscles and ere leaner when compared to domestic animals bred as a food source (which affects tenderness), additionally due to a vastly different diet much of the time (which affects taste) they have that classic venison taste. Grazers taste different to browsers also due to diet.
This debate comes up with regular monotony and as always the camps are divided, reminds one of the .270 vs. 30-06 debates. I provided some sources below for defence of my position. If anyone could find me a published sources from respected chefs and the like that disagrees with the below then I would like to see these in order to develop a better balanced opinion or indeed to overturn my currently held beliefs
From the Muledeer Foundation - Chef John McGannon
http://www.muledeer.org/truth-about-“dry-aging”-wild-game-meat
and
http://www.rmef.org/TheHunt/After/CarnivoresKitchen/Recipes/DryAgingTimeline.aspx
American Hunter - Chef Georgia Pelligrini
http://www.americanhunter.org/articles/how-to-age-venison
Missouri Department of Conservation
http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/how/cooking/venison-recipes-0/butchering-and-freezing-venison
Field and Stream
http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/other/recipes/2006/01/deer-hang-time
http://www.noble.org/ag/wildlife/propercareofvenison/
I can't speak to other states, but in the Western US, we have game processors that will take a field-dressed (gutted, but skin/hooves/heads still on) animal to butcher. I believe that have to have separate facilities for processing domestic and wild game.There is not a butcher here that I know that will take a carcass with hide on due to health regulations. In fact there are bylaws that prohibit the transfer of skins, hoofs and horns depending on the species and the province.
can't speak to other states, but in the Western US, we have game processors that will take a field-dressed (gutted, but skin/hooves/heads still on) animal to butcher.
I had no intention to start a debate. I realize everyone does things a bit differently; one doesn't necessarily need to be right or wrong in every situation. This is one of those where there is no wrong answer.Venison does not have its own set of biological rules with regard to rigour mortis, enzyme activity or the maturing and the softening of meat. The only difference venison has is that they have more developed muscles and ere leaner when compared to domestic animals bred as a food source (which affects tenderness), additionally due to a vastly different diet much of the time (which affects taste) they have that classic venison taste. Grazers taste different to browsers also due to diet.
This debate comes up with regular monotony and as always the camps are divided, reminds one of the .270 vs. 30-06 debates. I provided some sources below for defence of my position.
I've had sausage made, but I've never had a deer "processed"
I had no intention to start a debate. I realize everyone does things a bit differently; one doesn't necessarily need to be right or wrong in every situation. This is one of those where there is no wrong answer.