DIY Technique

[OtiscoPaul]

I have always processed my own harvests but I used to have more free time so I am glad I've been to this rodeo before.

If daytime temps were under 50 my shed would be under 40*f and then I'd hang my skinned deer and process at my leisure with parts hangin up to 10 days.

Since it never got above 60 Saturday I just hung the unskinned deer until dusk then skinned it when the temps plummeted into the high 30's.

I pulled the tenderloins and grilled them immediately Sunday evening...finished that yesterday morning:

Since temps were back to the 70's yesterday I quartered the deer in the AM and put it in the fridge.

Today while my daughter was napping I did the straps and nearby scraps (ate a tail while I was butchering):

I'll do a hind quarter whole muscles tomorrow and the other Thursday and finish Friday w/the shoulders/neck as cubes for tryolean goulash.

If the weather cooperates I'll hunt the weekend and try to start all over again.

Edited October 4, 2017 by OtiscoPaul

[Lawdwaz]

Nice. 

A job I love to hate.

What's with the numbers on the packages?

[OtiscoPaul]

1 minute ago, Lawdwaz said:

Nice. 

A job I love to hate.

What's with the numbers on the packages?

Last 4 of the tag number

[Lawdwaz]

How come?

[wolc123]

I always like to age the venison, to allow the rigor mortis to break down.    I usually age a 1.5 year old deer for a week, and older deer for 10 to 14 days.   It is easier when the outside temperature is cooler.  Then I leave the hides on the carcasses and hang them in our insulated garage.  The hide keeps the meat from drying out too much and insulates against temperature extremes.  I open the garage windows at night, to let in the cold air, and cover them up by day, to keep out the sunlight. 

If the daytime highs are predicted to get to the upper 50's, over the aging period, then I skin the deer as soon as possible and remove the rear quarters.  I have an old fridge in the garage with all the racks removed.  I hang the rear quarters from hooks on top, and rest the front part on the neck on the bottom.  The fridge holds the carcass at 35 degrees, and keeping the door closed, on an old, non frost-free fridge, keeps the skinned parts from drying out too much.

So far, no one who has eaten this "aged" venison, has been able to tell that it was not beef.  I know a lot of hunters do not do it, but I wonder what their wives and girlfriends think of their venison.  Here is a hint for you guys, learn how to age you venison, and she will encourage you to spend more time hunting.

 

[OtiscoPaul]

22 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

How come?

If I ever move the meat (family in PA) it's got an associated tag number. 

I also typically fill atleast a few tags and sometimes butchering overlaps so it's another way to keep track of what came from where.

Short answer: OCD

 

Edited October 4, 2017 by OtiscoPaul

[wolc123]

I always put a single number on the packages, that corresponds to when the deer was killed that season, starting with a number 1.   The first deer of the year gets packaged in zip-lock bags, because it is a waste of expensive vacuum bags if it is eaten within a couple months.  All the rest get vacuum sealed, which can keep it tasting fresh up to 5 years.   We try to eat them in the order that they were killed.  None ever lasts more than a year and a half at our house.  We are almost down to the last one of five from last year now, and I am a little more than a week away from my first hunt of the season.   

We also always eat the tenderloins fresh, but everything else usually goes in the freezer.   For younger deer, we make more roasts, steaks, and chops, but on some of the older ones, we grind all but the backstraps.  My kids go thru a lot of grind, and they just can't seem to get enough venison tacos.  I love stuffed cabbage and peppers and spaghetti with meat sauce, goulash, and lasagna.    

22 minutes ago, OtiscoPaul said:

If I ever move the meat (family in PA) it's got an associated tag number. 

I also typically fill atleast a few tags and sometimes butchering overlaps so it's another way to keep track of what came from where.

Short answer:OCD