Just processed my first deer this season!

[sleepyone]

I have been missing out on a crucial part of the hunting experience. I always took my deer to the processor after field dressing, but this year I did my own after talking to a friend who has always processed his. He started doing it years back out of financial necessity, but he still does it to this day. The backstrap and loins are pretty easy, but I was kind of overwhemed when I started the hind quarters, but as I went through each muscle and followed the lines it was pretty self-explanatory. It was a lot of work but worth it.

Anyway, there is something special about being at the dinner table with your family knowing that the meat that God provided was harvested and processed by you, prepared by your wife and daughters and eaten as a family. What a blessing.

 

[kanook]

Congrats on joining in on the fun. Been doin my own and the wifes for sometime now. It wasn't bad at first, but there is no way we could afford to pay to have 4 or more deer a season processed. Same goes with hog and what not.

 

[atvalaska]

good job!!

from the lead flyin, to the frying ,i do the same.........

 

[Zip7]

After you do a few it won't take long. I can bone out a hind quarter pretty quick. I cube everything on the front shoulders and freeze it, then when I get ready to cook it, I chop it fine and make chili with it.

 

[thomis]

I started doing mine a few years ago. It is a daunting task to a beginner but I muscled through it and now its easier. After I have all the meat off and cut into chunks, I set up the assembly line... me behind the grinder and the wifey packaging it up for the freezer. She's a good sport about it, which I really appreciate.
I used to take mine to the processor too but things started to go creepy. I found ground up pieces of plastic in some packages. And once, I took them a very small doe, maybe 45 pounds field dressed. He called me and said its ready. I go pick it up and received about 45 pounds of meat. something wasn't right there. I was getting someone else's meat. He swore it was all mine. The math didn't work out. The following year I did my own.

 

[testosterone]

when you get your own walk in cooler for hanging and aging, band saw for cutting chops and steaks, you'll know you are living

 

[countertop]

me behind the grinder and the wifey packaging it up for the freezer.

Just my own two cents - but I freeze my cuts for grinding whole in 1lb incriments. When I need ground meat, I pull them out and grind right before I cook. Its just safer that way - and gives you more options.

The interior of your meat is generally sterile. The exterior has bacteria on it. When you cook it, you kill the bacteria on the outside - which is why its safe to eat a rare steak.

But when you grind it up, all of a sudden you mix all that bacteria and other matter back in and let it sit and fester. In addition, it will age better as whole cuts too.

 

[thomis]

interesting. but, then i have to get the grinder out, grind the meat, and then wash the grinder and put it away just to cook a few burgers? no thanks, I think I'll stick to easy!
I reckon I'm just lazy like that

 

[sumpnz]

I'm with countertop. I always wait to grind until I'm ready to cook the meat. All I've got is the attachment to a Kitchenaid mixer, so it really sin't up to doing much more than a few pounds at a time. Plus I've found that if I grind as I go I don't have to add any fat, at least with the elk I've shot. Freshly ground the burgers hold up just fine on the grill. I think the reason is that pre-ground meat slowly dries out in the freezer, but that's just a SWAG.

If you keep the meat clean, and the grinder clean, and you freeze the meat right away (esp if you vacuum pack it) it'll be food safe for a long time. If you eat it fast enough to never have the preground meat more than 6 months old you should be fine. Longer than that and I'd at least split the meat into batches and do 2-3 grinding sessions per year if you don't want to do it every time you cook some burgers.

 

[61chalk]

After the first 3 years to the processor with 3 or 4 deer, I started doing my own
too. My last buck last year took only 3 hrs, that was skinning, all the way to final
clean up....I cut up the backstraps an then the rest I cut up for stew meat for the
crock pot. It saves a person alot of money...an you know its your deer.

 

[sleepyone]

a lot of good information in these posts. I like the idea about cubing the front shoulders and saving the fine chopping until you are ready to make the chili. Using a grinder for chili meat makes it too fine for my taste. I like my chili meat to be in very small, but solid, chunks.

Do most people use freezer paper and tape, ziplock freezer bags or the meal saver sealing machines?

I wrapped my meat in saran wrap and then put that into the ziplock heavy duty quart-size freezer bags.

 

[Zip7]

I have two boys so we eat it up pretty quick. I just freeze it in zip loc bags and squeeze all the air out I can. If you are going to leave it in the freezer for a long time, I would wrap the sealed zip loc in freezer paper.

I use most of the meat on the hams as roasts - I think there is three big muscles on each ham, and I cook those as a crock pot or dutch oven roast with potato and carrot. Whatever is left on the ham, I just add to the front shoulder meat and make chili or stew with it. Most of the time I don't grind anything. Some of what the processors would probably grind I feed my dogs - have two big coon dogs, and they will eat the bones and all.

One thing I tend to do is if I have to deal with meat in an ice chest - like the other day someone gave me a ham and two shoulders in an ice chest. I got it in the evening and the nights low was 29 so I hung it up and let it dry. Much easier to deal with meat that is dry than slimy and wet.

 

[sumpnz]

Do most people use freezer paper and tape, ziplock freezer bags or the meal saver sealing machines?

I wrapped my meat in saran wrap and then put that into the ziplock heavy duty quart-size freezer bags.

I very tightly wrap my meat in freezer paper and tape it. Had some elk meat that was still in the freezer after 2 years. It was a bit freezer burned, but I didn't have to trim too much. This year I'd meant to use the vacuum packer mt MIL got me for my birthday. But I left it at home when I went hunting with my FIL. Due to schedule issues I had to just wrap it as before rather than go home and use the Food Saver.

 

[birdshot8's]

i am planning on making my own pan sausage with the doe i shot yesterday. anyone have recipe they like for pan sausage. i plan on mixing pork with the venison.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

In my life, I've never taken a deer to a butcher. My dad always did his own and he taught me how to do it. It's not that hard really. The loins are easy, the shoulders don't matter, because we grind those anyway. The hams are a bit more labor intensive, but once you seperate the muscles, just cut it against the grain if you're wanting steaks and with the grain if you're making jerky.

And you're absolutely right sleepyone. There is something very special about it. May I never take it for granted.

 

[wankerjake]

First off, congrats! Butchering is just one more rewarding aspect of hunting.

Do most people use freezer paper and tape, ziplock freezer bags or the meal saver sealing machines?

I wrapped my meat in saran wrap and then put that into the ziplock heavy duty quart-size freezer bags

We wrap it in seran wrap first, and then in freezer paper. Seems to keep longer than just freezer paper. It certainly keeps well for a year and a half, that's the longest it ever sits, depending on how many elk tags we have in the family.

If you keep the meat clean, and the grinder clean, and you freeze the meat right away (esp if you vacuum pack it) it'll be food safe for a long time. If you eat it fast enough to never have the preground meat more than 6 months old you should be fine. Longer than that and I'd at least split the meat into batches and do 2-3 grinding sessions per year if you don't want to do it every time you cook some burgers.

Keeping the meat cold before/during butchering, and a clean grinder allow ground meat to keep for a lot longer than 6 months. We always grind it all before packaging, and it keeps just fine all year. I've eaten *a lot* of burgers in my day that were older than 6 months. Bacteria doesn't grow in the freezer. The key though is that it has to be kept clean and cold. That's not to say grinding before you eat it is a bad idea, to each his own. If I'm not mistaken though, it is recommended that you don't thaw and then re-freeze meat due to an increased risk for C. botulinum (botulism). But getting it out of the way at one time is surely safe, it'll keep. Enjoy your venison folks!

 

[testosterone]

I gather from reading this most people are either grinding/chopping everything into stews, burgers, chili, etc...

Am I alone in making steaks and chops?

Sliced 1/2", flash fried on a hot surface?

 

[testosterone]

Keeping the meat cold before/during butchering, and a clean grinder allow ground meat to keep for a lot longer than 6 months.

yep. If you are hanging it cold and the grinder is clean, it will easily keep 2+ years, and be perfectly fine with no deterioration in quality if wrapped properly.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

No testosterone, you are not alone. About the only thing we grind is the shoulders. Grinding the hams is a waste of good steak in my opinion. I know that others may see it different and that's okay, but I steak out everything I possibly can.

 

[wankerjake]

Am I alone in making steaks and chops?

No way! We grind a lot of it because that's what my dad likes but I keep a fair amount of steaks too. Good eatin!

 

[sleepyone]

I gather from reading this most people are either grinding/chopping everything into stews, burgers, chili, etc...

Am I alone in making steaks and chops?

Sliced 1/2", flash fried on a hot surface?

We make as many steaks and chops from the hindquarters as possible. then stew and chili meat and lastly HB. My wife can fry some mean chops. just had some tonight!

 

[Kingcreek]

I leave the backstraps whole until ready to use. sometimes cut for steaks and sometimes marinade and grill whole. I cut roasts and steaks from the hinds, stew meat and grinder meat from the neck and shoulders.
I've been using a good quality vacuume sealer and I wouldn't go back to wrapping unless in a remote camp.

 

[TooTaxed]

I grind very little. I cut into meal-size chunks, pack in gallon-size Zip Loc bags (with the zipper), then freeze.

The tough cuts I cook overnight in a large crock pot on low heat, with a cup of cheap red wine...comes out fork tender and flavorful.

One of our favorite recipes: cut into one-inch cubes, sear in a skillet, transfer to crock pot, add a cup of red wine, sliced mushrooms, sliced onions...cook all night on low heat setting. Just before serving over noodles or rice, stir in sour cream and the result is an unusually delicious (venison) stroganoff! Works well with elk and boar also.

 

[mbt2001]

I remember my first time processing a deer, was about 16 and I looked at my grandpa and said "this is the part Louis L'amour never writes about..."

 

[Zip7]

I gather from reading this most people are either grinding/chopping everything into stews, burgers, chili, etc...

Am I alone in making steaks and chops?

Sliced 1/2", flash fried on a hot surface?

I cook the backstrap that way most of the time. However, I usually cook every part of the hindquarters as roasts. Just take the whole big chunks you get off the ham, toss one in the crock pot, cover it up with taters, carrots, onions, celery, season to taste, put just a little beef stock in there, and let it cook on low all day.

I'm feeding two teenage boys though, so when I cook something I cook a lot of it. Frying steak for those two is labor intensive. Roast - too easy.