Venison Processing

I’d love to be setup to process my own venison, but I simply can’t for now. I de-bone all my meat and do a bit of an anal job getting rid of the “silver meat” etc… I then vacuum seal the meat waiting until the end of the season.

Last year I had my deer done in SD. They did a great job, great product at a very reasonable rate. However, I was not guaranteed my meat. This bugs me quite a bit. I put in the extra effort to care for the venison hoping to get the best taste I can.

A few questions:
1. Doesn’t it seem odd we can’t get our own meat back? I get it, it could be a real pain for the processor to sort out 10lbs for this, 10lbs for that etc..
2. Do you really believe you are getting YOUR meat back from places that claim you will?
3. Am I wasting my time being so anal about the grind meat I know I’m probably not going to get back?
4. Has anyone tried waiting until after the 1st of the year to take your meat in, in hopes that you’ll get your deer back?

Any suggestions are welcome!

thats why myself and many others do proess our own and believe me it does taste much better when taken care of like you do. and i would most def wait till after the first of the year before you take it in also.

We always wait until after Jan 1st to take ours in.

100% of my own meat every time!
I’m lucky that I have the space and means to butcher my own. We cut/trim all the meat to our liking and vacuum seal it. Kept in the freezer until about the end of Jan. I take whatever amount of meat I want done by a local butcher and they do only my meat in that process. I do, however loose about 2 to 4 pounds of meat that is in the grinder or stuffing tubes. Because they are doing such a short order, they don’t have “enough” meat going through to assure that I am getting it all back. The first time I took it into Richland locker plant they let me watch while my meat was processed and I got to see it all. I’m pleased with what they do and the results. Lastly, I do pay a little more because of doing the “short order” on smaller quantities of meat.
BTW – Keep the butchers to be at bay and don’t let them eat raw meat

I do option 4. My processor says that he is pretty much done doing venison by the 1st of the year and if I bring it in then he will do just my meat by itself. I am kinda picky about having good clean meat too. Plus I grow my deer with the finest quality food sources

I’m working on learning processing things myself, but I do as others and take my meat in sometimes as late as spring to get done…..9.9 times out of 10 you get yours back that late…

I would recommend buying a cheap meat grinder. If all you process is a deer or 2 a year. The cost to process 1 or 2 deer would pay for it.
It is fairly simple to cut up the animal into steaks roasts etc. The grinder get your burger done as well as sausage if you want to try that, and with pre-mixed sausage cures it is very easy.

The cabelas line of grinders are nice, and the smaller units are reasonably priced.

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I would recommend buying a cheap meat grinder. If all you process is a deer or 2 a year. The cost to process 1 or 2 deer would pay for it.
It is fairly simple to cut up the animal into steaks roasts etc. The grinder get your burger done as well as sausage if you want to try that, and with pre-mixed sausage cures it is very easy.

The cabelas line of grinders are nice, and the smaller units are reasonably priced.

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JT,

I’ve already got a cheap grinder and I do grind quite a bit of it some years for my own jerky. I process 3-5 deer a year, so there is some volume there at times. What I don’t have is the space for smoking equipment for sticks and several other “splurge” items I like to get made.

I think I’ll grind most of the meat this year, freeze and take in late. See if that plan works.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

John

I don’t have a large space either and have a smaller sized smoker, but got so at the prices and question of who’s deer I was getting back I do my own. If I had or trusted the place(‘s) I was taking them to would have been different maybe, but the prices got too much.

My smoker workes great for it but just takes longer with smaller batches. Helps pass the time in the winter too.

I looked at smokers in Cabelas tonight. I might have to invest in a stuffer and smoker. Maybe I’ll ask for one for Xmas. I’m pretty sure Santa owes me for passing on Rudolph last year.

Very few if any lockers give u your own meat back if its processed meats you are looking for. I have some good friends that own a locker that is only open from october to march. They only process wild game. If you bring your deer to them whole they will make sure you get your own steaks back but sticks brats sausage and everything processesed is done in 100lb batches. I have worked for them here and there during there busy times and can tell you that they are very picky about the meat people bring in and will charge you extra if they have to clean up your trim for you. Knowing the care they take to make sure that all the meat that goes into making there products is also well cared for makes it not that big a deal to me anymore.

Kooty, myself and 3 buddies all chipped in and bought the equipment,grinder, smoker and stuffer. We get together 3 or four times throughout the year to make smoked sausage,pepperoni,breakfast sausage,brats, summer sausage ect… You know how you take care of your meat in the field and when your de boning and so forth. What about the guy standing next to you when your dropping your meat off to be processed. How does he take care of his? Your meat will always taste better if it is a little fresher, anything with pork in it that has been in freezer for more than 3 months tends to get a rancid taste to it. You control whats in it, and how its made. The better the ingredients, the better the sausage, plus you get to spend the day with the boys(wives & girlfriends are allowed)drinking beer,sampling your work, and BSin.
ps. your meat will keep better if you bag the trim as oppossed to grinding it.