# deer meat



## XayInIowa (May 9, 2011)

Not exactly sure under which category this falls....I think I may be rambling actually....

Bow hunting season is right around the corner. I grew up with a dad who hunted and a mom who snuck ground deer meat into every dish imagineable, and not the best cook at that. I'm now with an avid hunter, so I'm now trying to get over my childhood aversion (to put it mildly!) to venison and use up whats in the freezer to make room for more.

We paid $65 per deer for processing last year so we have steaks, roasts and hamburger. That seemed fairly cheap so I'm wondering if we should just let them do it again this year. Is it worth the time and cleanup effort to do it yourselves? 

As far as eating it, I'm taking baby steps here...I'm going to start out with sticks, jerky (which I've made off an on and have that down pretty well) and salami. I have the seasoning, cure, casings and a stuffer that I invested in recently. I think today I'll start on making deer sticks and see how that goes. Any tips from those of you who make it? What else could I try? Breakfast sausage, burgers? I'm thinking they'll either turn out good and we'll have some awesome Christmas goodies, or the dog is gonna have a GREAT dinner! LOL


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## Ray (Dec 5, 2002)

there is a site called just venison, check it out. We've been eating deer for decades and everyone loves it. try cooking the steaks in a very hot skillet and rather quickly like a beef steak. We always butcher our own and bone the meat, that way we have small fillet steaks that are in the skillet under 60 seconds and will melt in your mouth like cotton candy, only better. Many processors offer deer sausage, try some? best of luck


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

I don't remember not eating Deer and I wish my wife could show you.But we Debone most our meat,lately I've been keeping Ribs even though the Fat in them isn't the best.

We do get one Pound Burger Bags from Bass Pro to Package our Burger and seems to keep well.The Roast we wrap in Plastic Wrap then put in a Freezer Bag seems to keep Well.

Lots of people add Extra Fat which does help Taste but I'm trying to stay away from it and Salt whish is my reason from not making Jerky,Summer Suasage and Sticks.

Main thing don't Over Cook.

big rockpile


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

If you have the room and a few knives process the deer your self and save the 60.00 Per deer.
We have processed our own for years.We know the deer we butcher is what we harvested for the freezer.
We took the processing money saved to buy our own buger grinder before that we paid a meat market fellow to grind for us, wasn't all that expencive.
We also now own our own electric meat saw which speeds thing up some. still needs to be boned first though.

Here is a linki to a post with step by step pictures on how to do it.

http://www.nodakoutdoors.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=87556

 Al


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## kenworth (Feb 12, 2011)

Harbor Freight sells sawsalls fairly reasonable. What's the worst that could happen by processing it yourself. You will only get better as time goes on. Save your $$$ and invest in good knives and and electric grinder, they will pay for themselves and like was previously mentioned, you know it's your meat.


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

I have recently learned how to cook deer burger (that dont taste like deer) Take it (ground up already, and we process our own as well) out of freezer, plop in a pan with water and BOIL IT! (yes i know sounds wrong) but if you do that & drain off the water when cooked it takes the gamey taste out.. then you use it like you would normally, season and eat w/ spagetti, sloppy joes ect...

We process SEVERAL deer here, (neighbors come to our garage, only one set up properly) so we get choice meats too!


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## ||Downhome|| (Jan 12, 2009)

some processors are not reputable, and at the least others are wasteful in the processing.then you never are guaranteed of getting your meat back either. 

all you need is a few good knifes, a couple coolers and your good to go.

I debone all mine, when Im done looks like a yote striped it.nothing but bone!
even deboneing you can have steaks roasts,stew meat and burger.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

kenworth said:


> Harbor Freight sells sawsalls fairly reasonable. What's the worst that could happen by processing it yourself. You will only get better as time goes on. Save your $$$ and invest in good knives and and electric grinder, they will pay for themselves and like was previously mentioned, you know it's your meat.


Bought Combination Saw and Grinder from HF it was piece of Junk.Save your money Buy Good Knives and a Grinder.

Plus I don't like the Marrow leaves in the meat.

big rockpile


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

||Downhome|| said:


> some processors are not reputable, and at the least others are wasteful in the processing.then you never are guaranteed of getting your meat back either.
> 
> all you need is a few good knifes, a couple coolers and your good to go.
> 
> ...


Yea had one in Colorado stole my Elk  Well not all but most of it.And had one here in Missouri mixed my Burger in with someones carp. :grit:

big rockpile


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Most people overcook venison. I do deer entirely boneless. Takes me about an hour. Take a boneless chop, lay it between 2 sheets of wrapping paper, and smack it with the flat side of a meat cleaver, or the bottom of a skillet. It should be about an eighth of an inch thick after you smack it. Now drop it in hot garlic butter about 1 minute per side. It will plump back up. Eat. You will never consider venison a lesser meat again.


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## XayInIowa (May 9, 2011)

Thank you all for the replies and the link! I'm ready to experiment. I *will* overcome LOL! I made some summer sausage yesterday (curing in the fridge) and have plans to try one of the steaks later on this week. I'm excited to try to processing it ourselves now too. 

The deer here are so overpopulated that the town I live in does an urban hunt each year that starts in a month, and we live in a highly wooded area with a yard full all the time - it just seems like a waste to not take advantage of it. 

I'll post some pics and my results when I can!


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I have lived in Michigan in one place or another all my life and hunted deer. I also own a deer camp in the UPPER well away from any farms. I have yet in all my 64 years have a gamey tasteing deer. I have watched others transport & butcher their deer and I would not eat that stuff if they paid me to. Laying a deer on the hood of a car/truck is a real good way to spoil venison with heat from the engine. Useing a saw to cut thru the bone and leaving marrow on the meat is another good way to spoil it. Bone it out before cutting with a meat saw. And in my option skinning it and leaving a huge amount of hair on the deer. there is just not a need for that to be done.
I pay special attention on removing as much tallow/fat from the meat too. Hate that sticky tasteing crap on the roof of my mouth.

Living in farm country I have harvest many a deer so tender you can cut the meat with a fork when cooked properly. No they do not taste like beef either.

 Al


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## houndlover (Feb 20, 2009)

We process our own. We debone all of it into chunks or burger. The chunks go into soups and stews (crockpot) all winter, the burger gets used just like hamburger, everything from chili to shepard's pie. The deer here are smaller black tails, if you get 100 lbs of meat you got a big one. We usually get two or three deer and an elk every year. The elk will get dressed out to roasts and steaks, but also a lot of stew chunks and burger. Along with a couple of lambs, this is all the red meat we eat - use the deer and elk just like you would grocery store red meat. It's awesome seasoned and canned too. My husband and sons don't go for the big racks - who needs yet another deer or elk head on the wall, that's just a waste - a big old tough animal, yuck. We go for the 2-3 yr olds, leave the trophies for the city folk who don't know any better. It's like keeping a steer for 6 or 7 years and then butchering it.


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## margoC (Jul 26, 2007)

We process our own as well. I don't care for the ground venison I get from the processor, and I can quarter the deer myself. 

I prefer mine cut into stew pieces and canned. Of course I don't can the backstrap, we eat it or freeze it. 

There is no point in using the parts of the deer we don't care to eat, so there is no need for a processor unless we want sausage. The only thing they do that I don't is grind the trimmings into ground venison, which I don't care for. 

Last year I started canning the scraps for my doggies. I'm going to do even more of it this year. I throw everything in those jars, silver skin, globs of blood, connective tissue, ect. The doggies love it. It smells gamey when I open the jars, which explains why I don't like it ground I guess. 

I think if the venison was aged first and only choice trimmings used, I would like the ground venison. I've often thought of just telling the processor to not grind the scraps but I may as well do it myself. 

Save that 60 bucks!


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

No saw, just a sharp knife, never cut a bone, just remove the meat from them, remove silver skin and all sinew. Cut all meat as thin as possible to remove sinew. If frozen cook quickly, make jerky or grind as needed after thawing 1/2 way. Start cooking before completly thawed. I use no more salt and pepper in making jerky than to cook a good flavorful steak, add brown sugar and apple juice, marinade for 4 hours and dehydrate. I would rather salt down in a crock than to freeze....James


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

Ive only taken one deer to a processor and never will again. A godo book or a good website can walk you thru the butchering and care easily enough and better then I can explain it. We dont add anything to our deer burger. I like the taste. Another thing that helps is choosing a younger healthy animal. If you want good meat skip the big bucks. My favorite is about a 60 or 70 lb doe or 80lb or so button buck. Also make clean kills and dont chase them over hill and dale. Once they get excited whether wounded or being driven adrenaline is released into their muscles and it flavors the meat ie: gamey taste. If your going to dress/butcher more then a few deer a year invest in a LEM grinder, its worth it. American Harvester(I thin kthats correct) makes nice dehydrators and jerky seasonings and well worth the money. You can add a little extra garlic powder to their mix's and we do about 1 1/2lbs where their recipe is for 1 lb. You can use the larger sausage tube on the American Harvester jerky shooter and make snack sticks without casings. If you make ground meat jerky you may need to add a little warm water when your mixing it and shooting it out. If you go on the sites Wild about deer hunting or wild about trapping Ive posted tons of deer recipes and jerky, summer sausage and snack stick recipes. We prefer to cook our deer slow and on low heat. Most beef recipes you can substitute deer within reason. Steaks from a young deer, breaded with flour and seasoned(push the flour into them for a nice breaded and crunchy crust), fried slow in bacon grease or a little oil, fried taters, goody gravy and biscuits is a meal thats hard to beat. Dont forget the heart and liver too. Fully edible and healthy too. Because of CWD we didnt keep them for a few years there but now we do. Its a deer camp opening night tradition to have heart steak and liver and onions with all the fattening trimmings for both. Feel free to PM me or send an email with any questions.


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## Wis Bang 2 (Jan 12, 2010)

I prefer to bone out the meat. I was taught to lay the meat flat and use a filet knife to slice away the silver skin, flip over and repeat, trim the ends square and wrap that steak!

Mom quickly pan fries the back strap in butter and makes gravy in the pan after to serve it over noodles.

The 'roast' out of each hind quarter, marinated overnight in mustard, horseradish & steak sauce. Crock pot low w/ baby potatoes and carrots & a small amount of water. turn it to high and add Bisquick on top to make dumplings.

Our camp uses a local butcher [does alot of farm animals all year] we take them there after supper. We hang them on the porch while we eat and always transport them inside the bed of a pickup, usually w/ a cap or tonneau cover. He skins them that night and lets them hang 3 - 4 days before cutting. You pick it up the night he cuts it, we get the 'no wrap' so we can split it up and each wrap and freeze our own share.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Wis Bang 2 said:


> I prefer to bone out the meat. I was taught to lay the meat flat and use a filet knife to slice away the silver skin, flip over and repeat, trim the ends square and wrap that steak!


Yes, exactly like filleting the skin off of a fish.


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## kenworth (Feb 12, 2011)

I like to use a saw, expecially when I cut up a hog into manageable size pieces, and then use knives. IDK what others like to do. With deer it's usually hanging so I can use mostly knives. If I get in a hurry though to quarter I will resort to a saw.


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## backwoodsman (Jan 21, 2010)

"if its white it aint right" is our motto. For the best tasting meat remove all the fat, silverskin, tallow etc. The inner loins are excellent eating too. There's a thousand ways to do a deer. We only use a saw if we're hunting in some heat and run out of room and have to quarter one for the old fridge. You can remove the legs with just a knife. Cut out the inner loins and the back loin(backstrap to some). Saw the backbone right behind the ribs and usually you can put the legs and back half of the backbone inside the ribs. It only takes a few minutes to trim the rear backbone out so we rarely cool it in those cases. Just trim it up for burger.


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## giraffe_baby (Oct 15, 2005)

We debone our whole deer... take all sinew/fat off (gross) and then we qtr it and put it in a HUGE cooler for a day or two and put ice on.... let it melt and wash the blood out of the meat... Then we cut it into steaks, swiss steaks, jerky chunks, hamburger.. then pkg it up ! 

The cooler we have can hold 2-3 deer if qtr'd good. Thats a god send when you have 3 deer to do and are tired!!


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## foxfiredidit (Apr 15, 2003)

Like most of you all, I've done this most of my life and I do it myself with the exception that I just don't like ground deer meat. Don't know why. I love the steaks and roasts and jerky. I don't do snack sticks either, or summer sausage, just don't taste good to me. But what I do like is smoked deer sausage, about an inch or better in diameter. You can grill it for the best hot-dog ever, slice it about 1/2 inch long for jambalaya or stew, slice it thin for pizza. So when I bone my deer out, I put all the steaks thru the old Hobart cuber I have, cut out the roasts myself, then clean and seperate everything else for jerky and smoked sausage. I know it's different strokes for different folks, but no ground deer for me.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

If you have "gamey" tasting venison, it has not been handled properly. Done right there is nothing gamey about it.


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## XayInIowa (May 9, 2011)

Well, we are definitely going to try it ourselves this year. And judging from the mounts in the basement, I'm thinking they are going for the largest deer which may be one of the problems with the meat! Bow hunting starts soon so I am definitely printing out all of these great replies and suggestions and putting them to work! And, I made some deer salami that actually turned out quite tasty! Maybe I'll try some more today!


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## rags57078 (Jun 11, 2011)

I do all mine also and dont use a saw only a knife , I trim so all I have is meat "no blood spots , hair and ect " but I also will soak the meat in cold water for an hr or so then rinse and soak again . Once you get the hang of it you can debone one in under an hr , make sure you use a good knife and keep it sharp.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

This is the way I do mine Fast and Easy

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD7K43vyHLI&feature=related[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eis2wg8mYhc&feature=related[/ame]

big rockpile


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

Many years ago I was backpacking with a few friends in the southern tier of New York. It was the end of March and trout season opened on April first. WE planned some meals on fresh caught trout. The first night my one buddy pulled out a huge side of venison ribs from a big old Buck his brother had shot the season before. We thought we were pretty cool and built a rack to cook it on over the fire. The more it cooked the worst it smelled. When it got to the point when it smelled like a flaming litterbox we said the heck with it and threw it in the fire to burn up. It started stinking so bad we pulled it from the fire and buried it. So much for old Buck. I have had better since. Today I hunt for meat and go for a young Doe or Button Buck every year. Antlers take to long to get tender. I always run into people who say that verison tasted gamey or funny. We cool down and process our deer ASAP. ALL fat and silverflesh is removed. Prior to cooking the meat is rinsed to remove any remaining blood. We've served venison to many people who were surprized at what they were eating and many who had no idea what they were eating. The quality of venison on the plate starts the instant the animal hits the ground.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

JJ Grandits said:


> Many years ago I was backpacking with a few friends in the southern tier of New York. It was the end of March and trout season opened on April first. WE planned some meals on fresh caught trout. The first night my one buddy pulled out a huge side of venison ribs from a big old Buck his brother had shot the season before. We thought we were pretty cool and built a rack to cook it on over the fire. The more it cooked the worst it smelled. When it got to the point when it smelled like a flaming litterbox we said the heck with it and threw it in the fire to burn up. It started stinking so bad we pulled it from the fire and buried it. So much for old Buck. I have had better since. Today I hunt for meat and go for a young Doe or Button Buck every year. Antlers take to long to get tender. I always run into people who say that verison tasted gamey or funny. We cool down and process our deer ASAP. ALL fat and silverflesh is removed. Prior to cooking the meat is rinsed to remove any remaining blood. We've served venison to many people who were surprized at what they were eating and many who had no idea what they were eating. The quality of venison on the plate starts the instant the animal hits the ground.


Had a Girl eating with us.My wife fixed both Beef and Deer Steaks.The Girl got Beef first.Then she says there is another Steak in there do you mind if I have it? No go ahead.My wife whispers its Deer.

The Girl is eating it,had it almost eaten.How is your Steak? Oh its great more Tender and Flavorful than the first.Its Bambi  She wouldn't eat no more.Told her she might as well she done ate so much.

All in their Head but I've had some that wasn't handled right and I couldn't eat it.

big rockpile


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## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

We let our deer soak in salt water for at least a day before boning out. Like others have said, any silver goes in the trash. We generally cut our backstrap up for frying steaks, the hams get cut for grilling steak and the rest of the deer usually goes for sausage.

We do mostly link, but you can do a small run of patty sausage just to see if you like it...try two pounds of deer per pound of bacon ends&pieces, and add a bit of red pepper, black pepper, salt and a bit of sage...see if you like that.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

We are near Iowa City and the past 2 years the people who said they'd bring us a deer never have. If you know anyone who gets an extra, even a small doe, send me a pm or email. We'll happily take it to process ourselves if it's not too far away to pick up in time.


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## XayInIowa (May 9, 2011)

akane said:


> We are near Iowa City and the past 2 years the people who said they'd bring us a deer never have. If you know anyone who gets an extra, even a small doe, send me a pm or email. We'll happily take it to process ourselves if it's not too far away to pick up in time.



I will do that! We are in Coralville and have 2 bow hunters here, and we have no use for more than one deer - I'm having a hard enough time using up last year's meat to make room for more! If you want to PM me your info, I'll let you know and you may certainly have it.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

One method of dealing with "gamey" venison hasn't been mentioned yet and that is canning. Had a lot of old buck meat given to me for Christmas and today was the day when it was all going to be converted to the main ingredient of venison stroganoff. Took over the kitchen at 8AM and packed the pressure canner back in the pantry 17 hours later. Also in the pantry are 34 pints of super meat in a broth with onions, garlic, white pepper, and beef bouillon. Cooling on the table are 2 quarts of leftover broth. That all came from a monster buck shot in 12-08 and meat almost a deep purple. Canning with just salt would have made it halfway edible but the onions and garlic took care of the taste and canning took care of the toughness.

Martin


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## Fingerlakes77 (Oct 5, 2010)

I marinate my thinly cut venison steaks in italian dressing. I cut up a couple cloves of garlic, an onion, and a can of mushrooms and starting cooking in butter on a skillet. After they have cooked down a bit I toss in the venison for about 2 minutes a side.


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