Processing Deer

Hey Gary, my frige dosen’t even have a freezer. God is it that old, older than dirt, maybe even older that rock itself. I heat mine with a hotplate with a grease cover over it to keep a grease fire from starting. I’ve got a flat spot on the top of the hotplate cover to keep a pan of water on to keep things moist when i need moisture. I’ve got a 6″ sttovepipe with a damper in it to be able to control the air coming in and out of the smoker. I drilled some holes for intake air through the floor. Ever smoke with corncobs? its what i use for fish. I use hickory for my meats with a few corncobs broken up at the same time. I’ve tried apple and wild cherry but i don’t like the taste. Corncobs are sweet because of the sugars in the cob, cornsweeteners. Ive got rods hanging from holes i’ve drilled in the sides for the link sausage. I cook my birds at 180 degrees and pork at 170, beef and venison at 160. I slow smoke and try to keep it that way or it tastes too smoky. I check it about every half hour too make sure things are working the way they should. Everythings usually done in under 6 hours with temperature changes and drafts. Mine works

I have cut up many deer in my days of hunting. I usually keep a filet knife for cutting them roasts into steaks. I then cut all of the silver skin off of the outside of the steak as well as cutting the fatty stuff out of the middle. I can also say that get your a chair because standing and cutting will get tired standing. also keep a can close by that you can toss talo in as well as some of that stuff that is blown up.

shane

I have cut up many deer in my days of hunting. I usually keep a filet knife for cutting them roasts into steaks. I then cut all of the silver skin off of the outside of the steak as well as cutting the fatty stuff out of the middle. I can also say that get your a chair because standing and cutting will get tired standing. also keep a can close by that you can toss talo in as well as some of that stuff that is blown up.

shane

Well we cut up our deer yesterday. It went better than I thought it might.

Question: How much time or how well do you clean up the gridng meat from the from shoulder/leg?

We spent most of our time cleaning this meat up. There were 4 of us working on this section of deer. Each of us had an opinion on how well it should be cleaned since we had never done this before. The opinions ranged from “do not spend much time on it since it will be ground up and cut with pork and it will not be noticed” to “get as much out as possible since the silver skin/tallow(sp?) will make the sausage taste bad.”

Again, thanks for all of your input.

Well we cut up our deer yesterday. It went better than I thought it might.

Question: How much time or how well do you clean up the gridng meat from the from shoulder/leg?

We spent most of our time cleaning this meat up. There were 4 of us working on this section of deer. Each of us had an opinion on how well it should be cleaned since we had never done this before. The opinions ranged from “do not spend much time on it since it will be ground up and cut with pork and it will not be noticed” to “get as much out as possible since the silver skin/tallow(sp?) will make the sausage taste bad.”

Again, thanks for all of your input.

Here are a couple of things that we do that might help in your processing. First, Gary did a great job getting the whole thing started. After making all of your original cuts on the hide, we use a shop vac to take all the loose/cut hair from around those cut areas. After you get the hide to where you want it, if you happen to have a small torch, just use it to disintegrate (burn) the remaining hair.

We do save the football roast in the hindquaters, but then we use the seams that Gary was talking about to separate all the muscles. After seperating and cleaning, they can be wrapped into packages that can be roasted whole on the grill, cut into small steak pieces or stew meat. All in all a very good description and great ideas to cook from everyone.

fish any time: Err by cleaning more than less, as that tallow is the culprit to the bad taste.

Mark

Here are a couple of things that we do that might help in your processing. First, Gary did a great job getting the whole thing started. After making all of your original cuts on the hide, we use a shop vac to take all the loose/cut hair from around those cut areas. After you get the hide to where you want it, if you happen to have a small torch, just use it to disintegrate (burn) the remaining hair.

We do save the football roast in the hindquaters, but then we use the seams that Gary was talking about to separate all the muscles. After seperating and cleaning, they can be wrapped into packages that can be roasted whole on the grill, cut into small steak pieces or stew meat. All in all a very good description and great ideas to cook from everyone.

fish any time: Err by cleaning more than less, as that tallow is the culprit to the bad taste.

Mark

Hey fish any time, when we make our deer into any cut we take of the silver skin that leads to the tendons. We take off any membrane because when your gringing your own this has a tendency to get caught in the grinding dies that make the size of ground meat your making. I soak all my meat in water with just a little salt added, not too much or it will dry your meat out. I don’t soak it long because removing all the blood will also dry the meat out too. Just clean it up a reala gooda and thats all you have to do, Small joke. The cleaner the better and the meat is good tablefare, just add 10 to 15 percent pork trimmings, not pork fat and its ready to go into patties or burgers or by adding more spices summer sausage, brats etc.

Hey fish any time, when we make our deer into any cut we take of the silver skin that leads to the tendons. We take off any membrane because when your gringing your own this has a tendency to get caught in the grinding dies that make the size of ground meat your making. I soak all my meat in water with just a little salt added, not too much or it will dry your meat out. I don’t soak it long because removing all the blood will also dry the meat out too. Just clean it up a reala gooda and thats all you have to do, Small joke. The cleaner the better and the meat is good tablefare, just add 10 to 15 percent pork trimmings, not pork fat and its ready to go into patties or burgers or by adding more spices summer sausage, brats etc.

Great thread! We have split seasons in IL. First is the weekend before Thanksgiving and second is usually 1-2 weeks after Turkey Day. Anyway, while still at home, my two brothers and I worked up all the deer from the 1st season, the day after Thanksgiving. We had to always leave the bones so dad could inspect them when he got home from work. If they weren’t clean enough, we didn’t get supper until they were. Because I spent countless hours cleaning ribs and silver growing up, as soon as I started working deer up at my own place, I stopped messing with the ribs.

Great thread! We have split seasons in IL. First is the weekend before Thanksgiving and second is usually 1-2 weeks after Turkey Day. Anyway, while still at home, my two brothers and I worked up all the deer from the 1st season, the day after Thanksgiving. We had to always leave the bones so dad could inspect them when he got home from work. If they weren’t clean enough, we didn’t get supper until they were. Because I spent countless hours cleaning ribs and silver growing up, as soon as I started working deer up at my own place, I stopped messing with the ribs.