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Stick98841
Guest
Where do you guys age your venison? What would you suggest someone living in an apartment (IE doesn't have the capacity to do anything at home)?
Stick,
I don't "age" venison and neither does my butcher.....Shoot it, gut it, hang it, skin it, and deliver to the man.....2 cents
ps....If you're down in San Diego. I have a great hanging tree in Esco.....More than welcome to use it......Lots of bucks have hung there overnight.
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I don't "age" venison and neither does my butcher.....Shoot it, gut it, hang it, skin it, and deliver to the man.....2 cents
ps....If you're down in San Diego. I have a great hanging tree in Esco.....More than welcome to use it......Lots of bucks have hung there overnight.
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Snake Charmer
Happiness is a warm gut pile
I agree with Sprig, The quicker from the field to the cooler to cut and frozen preserves the best of the flavor,
My granny would quarter the deer in four. And age it in a spare fridge for a week. Would make the meat firm for butchering.
Ask the butcher if he can do that. If you want it. I have done it both ways, cut it fresh and have aged it. I prefer it aged.
But it has to be in a cool environment. A root cellar would do the same. Just to give you options.
Ghost
Ask the butcher if he can do that. If you want it. I have done it both ways, cut it fresh and have aged it. I prefer it aged.
But it has to be in a cool environment. A root cellar would do the same. Just to give you options.
Ghost
I have field dressed deer in the field dragged and skinned in camp or at home and got them to the butcher same day. Some times next morning let it hang in cool garage over night. I have also field dressed in the field then skinned deer at home and hung inside my fridge for 5-7 days and taken to butcher. Last year we killed 2 deer same day so mine sat quarter up in a ice chest 4 quarters and back straps with black trash bags double bagged full of ice on the bottom of the meat for atleast 24 hours until I had time to finish processing my brothers deer and got time to cut mine.ive never noticed a difference either way
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Stick98841
Guest
Aging is great, IF you have a cool, dry, well-ventilated space for hanging. If you age in your fridge, then the meat underneath (in contact with bowl, shelf or plate) suffers unless you meticulously keep it dry. I love to age my meat properly, but usually I don't have the time to do it right so I don't bother.
hanging a deer for a few days is really to get the blood out and it also forms a skin on the exposed meat. Usally done for a few days to firm up the meat done on the bone. It will add some flavor but the exposed meat may need to be trimmed if mold is present. You do the same for game birds either guts in or out but feathers on and usually for many more days
Wet aging is when you have the meat in its own blood either in a bag or plastic container it's the easiest way to age and you won't loose any weight. It helps to turn it every few days to ensure the meat stays in the blood. It's the blood that breaks down and adds bacteria into the meat to add flavor and tenderness.
Dry age is when the meat is near freezing and hung or on racks where the air circulates around the meat and takes away the moisture, their for loosing weight and it forms a crust on the outside. This crust will have all kinds of fungi that adds flavor but needs to be cut off befor serving. This meat also has a very distinct smell of earthy tones when cooked. When in Mexico most places that have beef as a dish uses dry aged meats also high end steak houses do to. You can smell it when cooking......it doesn't smell like burgers...
Most butchers that process game won't age the animal for you they want to cut it up and get it out the door
Chickens you can wet age in the fridge for about 5 days and it really does add flavor after about 5-8 days it's rancid
Pork should not be aged at all it goes bad rather quickly
This comes from having a family of chefs and a few butchers and a lot of hunters.
Wet aging is when you have the meat in its own blood either in a bag or plastic container it's the easiest way to age and you won't loose any weight. It helps to turn it every few days to ensure the meat stays in the blood. It's the blood that breaks down and adds bacteria into the meat to add flavor and tenderness.
Dry age is when the meat is near freezing and hung or on racks where the air circulates around the meat and takes away the moisture, their for loosing weight and it forms a crust on the outside. This crust will have all kinds of fungi that adds flavor but needs to be cut off befor serving. This meat also has a very distinct smell of earthy tones when cooked. When in Mexico most places that have beef as a dish uses dry aged meats also high end steak houses do to. You can smell it when cooking......it doesn't smell like burgers...
Most butchers that process game won't age the animal for you they want to cut it up and get it out the door
Chickens you can wet age in the fridge for about 5 days and it really does add flavor after about 5-8 days it's rancid
Pork should not be aged at all it goes bad rather quickly
This comes from having a family of chefs and a few butchers and a lot of hunters.
S