Preparing Deer meat

[woodsteach]

I have been following the following procedure for the past 10 years and it never fails.  I found it on www.huntinfo.com  Perfect venison with perfect ease.  http://www.huntinfo.com/fields1.htm

The wife and 3 year old daughter like it also.

I also had my first couple of deer processed just like beef with the bone in and the fat not trimmed off and that had me never wanting to eat it again.  But, I liked hunting and I try to eat or use everything that I take so that is when I found this site.

Good Luck

Paul W

[brdmkr]

The membrane is the clear slimey stuff that covers the outside of the muscle, the white material you are refering to is connective tissue (tendons and ligaments).  Both should be removed.  I have never thought that the connective tissue really affected flavor, but it is tough.  This is the material that native Americans used to make bow strings.  It is cheeeeewwwwwwy ;D.

There will be some meat loss, but it really is not that much.  If I tag a deer this year, I'll cut some up for you.  You may still not like the taste, but at least you will know if the membrane had anything to do with it.

[maple flats]

For great venison, gut it as soon as you get to the downed animal. Do not hang it, that is for beef and some other domestic animals. Bone it and remove ALL silver skin, and ALL fat. Then cut it into whatever shape you like with the cuts going across the grain. If it can't be butchered the same day it must be kept cool even if you must get some ice.
I have done work for a guy in the past (furnace work) during hunting season. I remember one time I was there early in the season (NY has a gun season that spans over 4 weeks where he was) and he pointed out a nice deer hanging in his pole barn, nice rack and big deer. Well, I returned for something about 3 weeks later and the same deer was hanging same place and I could smell it, yuk. I mentioned it and he said he always cuts them after the season. Now HE can eat it NOT ME. It was tender I'm sure, more like rotten. The temps in the daytime were in the 50's and 60's. I like good venison but not rotten venison. Venison done MY way is very good, nice flavor and if you need some fat for moisture use beef or pork fat, never venison fat.

[gary]

All meat should be aged before  you butcher it. I cut about 60 deer a year and the people come to me because I age thier deer and remove all the bones. I only make 3 cuts with a saw. I use a sawsall to cut the deer in half and then use a meat saw to cut the back legs off. One other thing that will improve the taste of your deer do not hose it off unlees it is gut shot.

[hiya]

For me I only shoot doe. They are not as strong tasting. What they eat is about what they taste like. Someone told me if you chase a steer and get it sweated it will taste strong. I gut my deer as soon as they are done kicking. I do not like to age any meat.  I start with the tenderloin, one time my wife cut it up( slices like bread) put it on the stove, when I was done with the deer I sat down and started eating it, (it was walking in the woods about 3 hours before).If we get one that is strong tasting my wife uses garlic salt .I cut all the fat off and the silver membrain. I cut roast from the rear quarters, take out the tenderloin,& make burger out of the rest. Some times for company my wife will mix a little beef in to add fat for taste. About all we eat is deer & chicken.
Richard

[SAW MILLER]

    I'll tell you a  about wild tasting venison.If you would take a prime cornfed angus,chase him up and down the hills and then gut shoot him.then while field dressing it you run a knife through the paunch and bladder and now put him in your truck and drive him around showing him to all your buddys and if you have managed to fill his cavity with oak leaves and mud and hair,it will taste just like venison!!!!!!Keep the meat clean,get a quick kill,bleed it out good and follow all these guys advice about processing and you will have some good eating,not beef but venison with no "wild" taste.Sure nuff

[woodbowl]

Sure is a lot of info to syfer out. There must  be as many methods as there are hunters. Most people here seem to agree that being clean and quick about dressing is the first thing to do. I talked to several folks today about it. One fellow said.....if it's a strong deer, it's a strong deer. Nothing you can do with it except throw it out. Sometimes even when you do everything fast, clean and proper, it will still have that wild taste.......... Can anyone claim to take "any" fresh deer and make it taste cuisine?  .......Everytime!

[beenthere]

Sure is a lot of info to syfer out. There must  be as many methods as there are hunters. Most people here seem to agree that being clean and quick about dressing is the first thing to do. ......... Can anyone claim to take "any" fresh deer and make it taste cuisine?  .......Everytime!

Everytime?  Like saying "never". There obviously are different ways to handle venison, and about as many hang it as 'don't' hang it, which I would only conclude "it don't make a difference". That is what I concluded when I had to leave one hang for 10 days and it was still okay when I butchered it, as the temps were right. I don't pay any attention to the length of time it hangs now, just what temp it is hanging at. But long or short time, I don't see a difference in the tenderness, or in the quality of the meat. Personal preference, I would say.

As to the "everytime", I can only say that of the many deer I have taken and butchered, they ranged from 3½ yr old bucks to fawns, including old and young doe. There were deer not found until the following day, and gut shot, and smelled when field dressing (not pleasant). Most all taken in what is considered WI 'corn' country, 'cept they browse a lot of brush. Of all these deer, I can honestly say that I have not had a single one that had the 'gamey' taste that I disliked (such as I told about when first eating venison butchered like beef by a butcher shop. That venison had to be eaten hot and on a hot plate to keep the tallow from setting up on the roof of your mouth).  I have not thrown any deer away due to taste.  I always try to field dress right away, and cool the meat, and skin and butcher it as soon as time permits.
My liking for venison is likely different than many who probably need to account for other hang-ups (no offense meant here) for wild game. I have eaten raccoon that tasted fine, but I can't bring myself to eat any more. Just the idea. Same with snake, and woodchuck. So I think enjoying venison is a matter of more than just good preparation. It may be an acquired taste that just doesn't work for some and works well for others.   

As for sorting all this out, give it a try and package some with no fat or bone, and strip the 'membrane' off (I don't think I get a gamey flavor from this membrane but the meat just looks more presentable), and grill some medium rare over charcoal. There is no fat to cause a big flame up on the grill so its easy. Baking in the oven seems to dry out the venison. The best, for me and my wife and friends, is grilling thick (2") pieces. 
Now, you-all have heard enough from me. 

[Paul_H]

I'm sorry Beenthere,I'm sure you're a good cook but as I read your last post I couldn't stop picturing you using a dishsoap marinade and your poor ol hunting partner having to leave the trail every 200 feet or so.  :D

[beenthere]

 :D :D That does tend to put a damper on the reliability thing here, doesn't it.  :D :D

Bless his soul, he did live for another 15 years however. 

[DanG]

 :D :D :D :D :D  Lived another 15 years, eh? :D :D  How long was he blowing bubbles?

I gotta think there's a difference in handling a carcass in Wisconsin vs Florida.  Down here, if you hang one for very long, it better be in a cooler!

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I'm coming in late on this one but want to add my 2cents.

I have been hunting and butchering my own deer since age 14. I love the taste of venisin over anything period end of story.

I field dress right away. If the paunch is broken, which aint often, I get it washed as soon as possible. Once back at the cabin I hang it hind legs up and clean it out some more. Save the heart, best tasting steak I ever had, toss the liver, never had any use for it. I skin my deer within 24 hours and hang the quarters in our meat house. A day or so later I will bring in a quarter and start butchering, I muscle out all the bone, cut off as much of the tendon and membrane as possible and remove ALL the tallow. Tallow is what makes it taste bad.

As I am butchering I have 3 piles of product growing, Steak, Stew and Roast. I keep my Knives sharp and a wet towel helps get membrane and hair off of my hands.

Cooking Steak:
the back bone gives the best steaks I cut them about 1" thick, dust with flour salt and pepper, drop in a hot oiled cast iron skillet and do not over cook, that will make it tougher.

Stew:
We have a real nice wood stove in the cabin, We put a pot of stew meat on it either after breakfast or after lunch, let it simmer for about 4 hours then move it to the cook stove, add potatoes, onions, green pepper, celery and whatever else is laying around. Put in some chilli seasoning, cummin, worstishire, garlic and or whatever. Almost always comes out great. The one time I did not really care for it was when I added a can of tomatoes, just did not come out right.

Roast:
I have been smoking roast's for a couple of years now and I like it! rub some garlic, salt, pepper, brown shugar, whatever, smoke for 4 -5  hours, Darn Good!

Lets not forget jerky, there is a real good post on the outdoor forum on making jerky, I know cause I added to it!!

Jon

[Weekend_Sawyer]

I noticed that some of you have had bad expireences with butcher shops. I had 10 lbs of shoulder meat ground into sausage. When I got it back it tasted rancid, rotten. I went back and he said there was nothing he could do as I provided the meat, he could not be sure I gave him good meat.

I'll never let anyone prepare deer for me again.

Jon

[OneWithWood]

Jon,

The liver is exceptional, it takes a bit to clean properly but like all else it is worth it.

Liver and Onions recipe off the top of my head:

Remove all covering and veins, soak to remove excess blood
dredge through flour and seasoning mix - generally flour, pepper, sage or whatever tickles my fancy
place in cast iron skillet with hot olive oil - about a 1/4 inch of oil
brown well on both sides
mix residual dredge material with some milk, shake well
add mixture to lver-enough to cover
add beer
be sure to lift liver so as not to burn
slice up an onion and place atop everything
cover and simmer until the onions start to clear
open some more beers and feast like a king smiley_alcoholic_01

[SwampDonkey]

Once I felt sorry for them, when I cooked the canadian bacon in Joy liquid dish soap thinking it was oil. Hmmm? I wondered why it frothed up in the frying pan, but went ahead and fried some eggs in it too. Then my hunting partner sat down to eat first, and he was the type who wolfed his food. He wolfed the canadian bacon, while I finished serving up my bacon and eggs. After swallowing his bacon and starting on the eggs, he said something tasted funny and strange.

That sounds like a tale my grandfather would tell to some unsuspecting deer hunter from south of the border. :D :D :D :D :D

[Weekend_Sawyer]

OWW, I am not too sure I am convinced but that sounds pretty good.

[beenthere]

I've found venison liver to be much better than beef or pork liver. Much more tender and finer 'grained' if that is anything definitive. Then found elk liver to be that much better than venison liver. That was good when cooked on a sheepherders stove high in the Colorado mountains after a successful day of hunting. But, I don't eat liver anymore, or heart, as the Dr. suggested a few bouts with gout might be triggered by 'organ' meat. I miss it, but don't save it now. I won't pass up a chicken liver or liver sausage or goose liver pate' however.  ;D ;D

[SwampDonkey]

The gout is nasty, and the pills can do a worse number on you if you have a reaction. So it's best the avoid things that trigger it.

[Ernie]

I use Colchecine for my gout, It works, you take until the symptoms go away or you get the runs :D :D

I found a book "How to Get Well" by Paavo Arola which attributes the onset of gout to intense mental activity.  I have discussed this with a few of my gouty mates and it is actually true to a degree.  Therefore, when eating rich seafoods, offal, or drinking a lot of port. DONT THINK ;D ;D

Try it and let me know

[Norm]

Well Ernie I guess that explains why I've never had any gout symptoms. :D

[beenthere]

Regards the gout, I treated many attacks with Indomethecin and Colchecine for the 30 years it bugged me, off and on.
Then a new Dr. asked "aren't you on Allopurinol that, for some, keeps it from coming on?".  I started that in 2001 and haven't had a single incident since, as well as the associated joint swelling has all but disappeared. It's a welcome miracle for me.
(now, I may just get some venison liver this fall and see how that goes  ).

There are, and apparently always have been, many 'reasons' for gout. A high uric acid content in the blood apparently causes crystals to form in some joints, and it is "pain" like you never know, IMO.   But I don't do the seafood and port thing, so I better stop thinking - didn't 'think' I did that either, at least my mother could be heard saying that.  :D  Ahh, memories of MOM.

Now I need to go out and get some wood in for a fire tonight. Yesterday the AC was on, but not tonight.    I like this weather.

[OneWithWood]

Ernie that explains my body's exceptional self preservation abilities.  After eating anything and drinking a fair amount of port my head hurts so bad I cannot think.  Yep the old bod looks out for itself.  smiley_alcoholic_01 smiley_confused smiley_fused_bomb