Post by steve46511 on Aug 14, 2010 2:19:18 GMT -5
I've buddy that goes round and round with me every year about butchering deer.
His dad taught him to get the HIDE OFF FAST (ever if 30 below) and get that sucker butchered ASAP!
I keep telling him........
"that's WHY you DON'T like deer meat"
He's eaten at my home and asked "why is your meat so much more tender than mine?".........uh. Buck? we HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION.
I eat venison.........I mean I EAT venison. Three deer brown and down in November and December and I was OUT in February and I live alone. (that is NOT going to happen again, lol)
Aging meat is not what some think and it's worth (IMHO) it to spread the word on just exactly what aging meat is and why I will NOT ..........EVER butcher a deer WITHOUT aging it.
"LIFE BEGINS AT 40" is a big rule of thumb for aging your deer.
The "life" is BACTERIA and the 40 is DEGREES. At these temps and above the change is not enzyme breakdown but wll start to ROT instead. Arghh!
BEST aging temps are , Ive found is 35-36 degrees and I'll even advise packing the deer with ice the first 24 hours, inside and out to get the initial heat out FAST. A frig will do it but Ill turn that puppy down to NOTHING for the first 12 hours minimum because.........I LEAVE THE HIDE ON ( even if you quarter it to put in a fridge just leave it on the biggest meat pieces. I just cut the deer in half in front of the hams).
This link advises people to "not do this at home" but it's pure balderdash! I have literally aged THOUSANDS of deer without ANY bad issues at all...........in fact all issues are GOOD and why I will never eat another deer that is NOT aged.
ag.ansc.purdue.edu/meat_quality/aging_meat.html
Pay particular attention to the TIME it takes to age meat.
quote
"Dry aging is much more expensive and takes longer than wet aging. Meat which is dry aged is hung in a very clean, temperature and humidity controlled cooler for a period of two to four weeks. During this time, enzymes within the meat break down the muscle and connective tissue making it tender. Moisture is lost from the outer parts of the carcass causing an inedible crust to form which must be trimmed off and discarded." ( because the ding dongs skinned it!)
The carefully controlled environment, the time involved, and the loss of outer portions of the carcass (ONLY if you skin it!!) make dry aging a costly process."
Enemies are
LIGHT (sunlight is the devil on meat!)
AIR (leave the hide ON)
and notice the DRY part of this. It is refering to not packaged as the wet process is (that doesnt work as well but works) but does bring up another subject.
While gazillions "wash out their deer" I can promise you none of them make a habit of AGING that same deer meat. (not a full age anyway)
Water is NOT your friend on meat, is NOT free of bacteria and indeed adds to and/or spreads what bacteria is there.
Yes.......you CAN wash out deer and a paunch shot makes it mandatory (and REALLY shortens the aging time for safety reasons) but..........take a few bucks and use DISTILLED water if you MUST wash out the cavity.
Me? I dont bother, dont suggest it and flat wont unless the stomach has been puntured. MY deer will often have a "fuzz" of mold inside the rib cage right before I butcher. Again, even though I dont eat the ribs, mold is NOT "rot".
A WEEK minimum.......repeat MINIMUM and if fairly clean (hide keeps it clean AND stops it from dehydrating) I have a "short rule" for good eating deer.
Bambi..........seven days
Adult deer 110-140 lbs no less than 10, 14 is better
Bigger deer, I use 14 day minimum and I will go 21 days or 180 plus lb deer.
A cooler is best but an old refrigerator (or chest freezer) PRE set to 35 degrees and just drop it in and leave it SHUT as much as possible. Grab an old chest freezer and hook a hoist over the lip and two people can get the entire deer (sometimes two) inside the freezer without bursting anything internal. LOL
As I said, I LIKE to get the heat out as fast as possible, especialy in warm weather. If you gotta show off the deer (dont we all?) pack it inside and out with ice.....lots of ice on a cement floor with a tarp under it if needed and cover with anything that will insulate during warm weather.
After everyone has seen it (make it soon), get it in whatever youre going to use to age it......ASAP.
If you cape out a buck, keep the hide on the rest, cut the deer in two pieces, one with hide and one without. The bare part get in a cheapie plastic bag (or two) and get ALL the air out you can. A sweeper works well.
BEWARE the pricy garbage bags that ARE treated to stop bacteria growth in "garbage". It is NOT meat friendly! (or edible)
I promise you will not believe the difference in texture, tenderness, and FLAVOR (even the burger).
Just my two cents, offered for those willing to give it a shot or two and not as any attempt to "start something" but I know some will not agree, but for me........it will be done, every single time because I LIKE VENISON.
I'll stand by my experience with this process and can tell you HUNDREDS of people could not believe the difference. SOME argued, eating at my home, that it was not venison AT ALL!
I have literally fed venison to entire groups of people whom ALL had said "I will NOT eat any stinking tough gamey DEER meat".
NONE would believe it when told it WAS!
God Bless
Steve
His dad taught him to get the HIDE OFF FAST (ever if 30 below) and get that sucker butchered ASAP!
I keep telling him........
"that's WHY you DON'T like deer meat"
He's eaten at my home and asked "why is your meat so much more tender than mine?".........uh. Buck? we HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION.
I eat venison.........I mean I EAT venison. Three deer brown and down in November and December and I was OUT in February and I live alone. (that is NOT going to happen again, lol)
Aging meat is not what some think and it's worth (IMHO) it to spread the word on just exactly what aging meat is and why I will NOT ..........EVER butcher a deer WITHOUT aging it.
"LIFE BEGINS AT 40" is a big rule of thumb for aging your deer.
The "life" is BACTERIA and the 40 is DEGREES. At these temps and above the change is not enzyme breakdown but wll start to ROT instead. Arghh!
BEST aging temps are , Ive found is 35-36 degrees and I'll even advise packing the deer with ice the first 24 hours, inside and out to get the initial heat out FAST. A frig will do it but Ill turn that puppy down to NOTHING for the first 12 hours minimum because.........I LEAVE THE HIDE ON ( even if you quarter it to put in a fridge just leave it on the biggest meat pieces. I just cut the deer in half in front of the hams).
This link advises people to "not do this at home" but it's pure balderdash! I have literally aged THOUSANDS of deer without ANY bad issues at all...........in fact all issues are GOOD and why I will never eat another deer that is NOT aged.
ag.ansc.purdue.edu/meat_quality/aging_meat.html
Pay particular attention to the TIME it takes to age meat.
quote
"Dry aging is much more expensive and takes longer than wet aging. Meat which is dry aged is hung in a very clean, temperature and humidity controlled cooler for a period of two to four weeks. During this time, enzymes within the meat break down the muscle and connective tissue making it tender. Moisture is lost from the outer parts of the carcass causing an inedible crust to form which must be trimmed off and discarded." ( because the ding dongs skinned it!)
The carefully controlled environment, the time involved, and the loss of outer portions of the carcass (ONLY if you skin it!!) make dry aging a costly process."
Enemies are
LIGHT (sunlight is the devil on meat!)
AIR (leave the hide ON)
and notice the DRY part of this. It is refering to not packaged as the wet process is (that doesnt work as well but works) but does bring up another subject.
While gazillions "wash out their deer" I can promise you none of them make a habit of AGING that same deer meat. (not a full age anyway)
Water is NOT your friend on meat, is NOT free of bacteria and indeed adds to and/or spreads what bacteria is there.
Yes.......you CAN wash out deer and a paunch shot makes it mandatory (and REALLY shortens the aging time for safety reasons) but..........take a few bucks and use DISTILLED water if you MUST wash out the cavity.
Me? I dont bother, dont suggest it and flat wont unless the stomach has been puntured. MY deer will often have a "fuzz" of mold inside the rib cage right before I butcher. Again, even though I dont eat the ribs, mold is NOT "rot".
A WEEK minimum.......repeat MINIMUM and if fairly clean (hide keeps it clean AND stops it from dehydrating) I have a "short rule" for good eating deer.
Bambi..........seven days
Adult deer 110-140 lbs no less than 10, 14 is better
Bigger deer, I use 14 day minimum and I will go 21 days or 180 plus lb deer.
A cooler is best but an old refrigerator (or chest freezer) PRE set to 35 degrees and just drop it in and leave it SHUT as much as possible. Grab an old chest freezer and hook a hoist over the lip and two people can get the entire deer (sometimes two) inside the freezer without bursting anything internal. LOL
As I said, I LIKE to get the heat out as fast as possible, especialy in warm weather. If you gotta show off the deer (dont we all?) pack it inside and out with ice.....lots of ice on a cement floor with a tarp under it if needed and cover with anything that will insulate during warm weather.
After everyone has seen it (make it soon), get it in whatever youre going to use to age it......ASAP.
If you cape out a buck, keep the hide on the rest, cut the deer in two pieces, one with hide and one without. The bare part get in a cheapie plastic bag (or two) and get ALL the air out you can. A sweeper works well.
BEWARE the pricy garbage bags that ARE treated to stop bacteria growth in "garbage". It is NOT meat friendly! (or edible)
I promise you will not believe the difference in texture, tenderness, and FLAVOR (even the burger).
Just my two cents, offered for those willing to give it a shot or two and not as any attempt to "start something" but I know some will not agree, but for me........it will be done, every single time because I LIKE VENISON.
I'll stand by my experience with this process and can tell you HUNDREDS of people could not believe the difference. SOME argued, eating at my home, that it was not venison AT ALL!
I have literally fed venison to entire groups of people whom ALL had said "I will NOT eat any stinking tough gamey DEER meat".
NONE would believe it when told it WAS!
God Bless
Steve
!! I think this is the #1 cause of most instances of people saying that they don't like deer meat!! Whether you age or not - you can ruin it in a hurry by overcooking it!