Deer processing

If you mean like aging the meat, I don't, although I've known guys that chill some cuts in the fridge open air for a few days. Fresh deer meat tastes just fine to me; never had the need to try aging it (plus I don't know what I'm doing). When I get home from the field, I finish butchering and set aside which cuts will go straight into vacuum sealed bags for the freezer (e.g. straps, loin, roasts) versus the other parts that'll go to the butcher for ground and sausage, which get kept on ice until I get to the butcher.

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If you mean like aging the meat, I don't, although I've known guys that chill some cuts in the fridge open air for a few days. Fresh deer meat tastes just fine to me; never had the need to try aging it (plus I don't know what I'm doing). When I get home from the field, I finish butchering and set aside which cuts will go straight into vacuum sealed bags for the freezer (e.g. straps, loin, roasts) versus the other parts that'll go to the butcher for ground and sausage, which get kept on ice until I get to the butcher.

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ok thanks i had the similar plan but was doing research and ran across people chilling there meat or having it stored at a meat locker.
 
Give it a try and let us know your results.. I'd be interested in giving that a shot although I don't have the fridge space to hang it properly. Hank Shaw had a piece online about hanging pheasants and ducks, whole and ungutted, in the fridge for a few days, but something about that scares me, like I'd screw it up and ruin the meat.

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Meat also ages in the freezer, just at a slower pace. However, I typically let it sit on ice for 24 to 48 hours in the cooler to help drain blood before I package it up (leave drain plug open).

Last year I didn't take any meat to the processor to be ground, but instead used that meat for crock pot / slow cooker recipes (chili's, stews, etc.). I might do the same this year because I have tons of boar sausage / burger in my freezer.
 
My butcher (Bob at Specialty meats) says that wild game does not need to be aged like beef....As I recall, it's something about the lack of fat in the meat....We gut, hang, skin, wash out, and hang over night and take to him the next morning.....Normally have it back in a couple of days.
 
LOL Steve my grandma Evie may she rest in peace. Might not agree with your butcher's view.
But the idea was to also firm up the meat for butchering.
We can all agree fresh anything is best.
We kept an old refrigerator for that purpose. Place the clean quarter meat for several days. This process was from her husband who was also a hard core hunter. Basically was to also tenderize and remove the wild side of the flavor. It's pretty much a Lost art.
Best to all
Longbow
 
For got to add
Meat was aged in a root cellar before there was electricity available.
Yeppers , fruits and vegetables last four times as long than a fridge. Or longer. So does meat after it is cured. Thus Kentucky ham. Yummy.
Best to all
Longbow
 
From what I understand there are two things in play here. Fine sushi chefs will never cut for serving fish which has not set cooling for a period of time. It has something to do with the meat relaxing after dispatch. It is said to add to the flavor but I don't understand how.

I have heard from oldtimers that the same is true for game meat.
 
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Fine sushi chefs will never cut for serving fish which has not set cooling for a period of time. It has something to do with the meat relaxing after dispatch..

True... I had this discussion with our go-to sushi chef and he said the exact thing. In fact, he said some of the finest sushi spots in Japan put certain fish in a medical grade freezer with temps way below conventional freezers, to get a better quality of fish when eaten raw.


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It must be frozen to or below -40 deg F To kill all parasites. A standard freezer won't won't work. Any way that is what I have been told.
Read that lemon juice does not kill every thing.
 

Just read that article this morning as well! Definitely a nice breakdown of "wet aging". Been waiting for my day off today to dive into the new episodes of meat eater!
 
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Just read that article this morning as well! Definitely a nice breakdown of "wet aging". Been waiting for my day off today to dive into the new episodes of meat eater!
MHO is this.
Everyone taste buds are different.
Try a sample see how you like it.
For example to tenderize rabbit
And to remove the wild taste.
My good friend and partner taught me how soak Rabbit in brine. Over night. And it worked.
My mentor in hunting Gramma Evie
Taught me the dry method.
Never used the wet method for deer.
Sometimes I like it fresh.
A lot has to do with the age of the deer. What they are, were they came from. Just like buying beef.
Younger steers taste better.
And how they were raised. And what they ate. To me younger birds(dove, quail) pheasant) eg taste better, but sometimes it a luck of the draw.
Same with deer.very young verses very old.
 
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MHO is this.
Everyone taste buds are different.
Try a sample see how you like it.
For example to tenderize rabbit
And to remove the wild taste.
My good friend and partner taught me how soak Rabbit in brine. Over night. And it worked.
My mentor in hunting Gramma Evie
Taught me the dry method.
Never used the wet method for deer.
Sometimes I like it fresh.
A lot has to do with the age of the deer. What they are, were they came from. Just like buying beef.
Younger steers taste better.
And how they were raised. And what they ate. To me younger birds(dove, quail) pheasant) eg taste better, but sometimes it a luck of the draw.
Same with deer.very young verses very old.

Definitely! Those young ones are ridiculously tender!
 
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