# Deer processing question



## melco (May 7, 2006)

What are the different cuts that are possible to get from a deer?
Thanks,
Melissa


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## Steve L. (Feb 23, 2004)

That's kind of a tough question to answer. 'Most everybody I know uses the 'hack 'em into pieces' method. But generally, people cut them into 'roasts', 'steaks', 'chops', stew meat, and/or ground meat.

You can use a lamb chart as a guide, or even a beef chart ('though the 'cuts' will be much smaller). 

I use my own modification of the beef chart.


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## Use Less (Nov 8, 2007)

The New York State Dept.of Conservation puts out nice handouts showing where the knife goes for the various cuts. I'll bet butchering books have this, and probably you can google it. It is worth finding out where to cut, since some sections are much more tender than others. Too bad if you make "eye of round" into ground meat, or try to get steaks out of what used to be front shoulders. A friend of ours didn't know about lifting out the tenderloins!!! The best quality meat on a deer! One thing we don't do is cut chops by sawing through the spine. If your deer has incipient CWD, opening the spine or brain is a good way to be consuming what may eventually prove to be really bad for people. Sue


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## Guest (Dec 9, 2007)

If you want mostly steaks you can get quit of lot cuts. There's round steaks out of the hindquarters, T-bone out of the mid section between the rib cage and pelvic section, chops off the top of the ribs, and arm steaks. Of coarse all of these require a meat saw, preferable a table meat saw. 

If no saw. There's steaks the best you can get out of the hindquarters, backstrap steaks and tenderloin steaks. Both of which can be butterflied to make for a bigger steak. And the rest basically for the grinder. 

My prefered method is to make round steaks out of the hindquarters. Butterfly steaks out of the backstrap and tenderloins, or minute steaks for a good old chicken fried steak dinner. Then grind the rest and make various sausages. My family eats the sausages better then anything. I make breakfast sausage, polish sausage, and summer sausage.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

You can get all the same cuts that one can get from beef cattle. The only difference is that they'll be smaller.


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## melco (May 7, 2006)

At the risk of sounding ignorant, I always thought the backstrap and tenderloin were the same....are they not? :shrug:


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

Backstraps run along the the spine on the outside of the carcass. The tenderloins are two small pieces of meat that are inside the carcass along the spine. On a deer they're about 10-12" long. You can see them after field dressing.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

You can make the same cuts as Beef.I debone all my meat because I don't like the taste marrow gives the meat. :shrug: But thats just me.

Plus you want to trim the silver meat.

big rockpile


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## brownegg (Jan 5, 2006)

Yep, you get all the same cuts as beef. We choose to carefully take all the meat off the bones, then separate all the individual muscles, simply cut apart at the lines you can see. Then trim all the silver skin off each one, and you have the best eating venzun in the world. Good Luck!


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## HomesteadBaker (Feb 8, 2006)

bowdonkey said:


> Backstraps run along the the spine on the outside of the carcass. The tenderloins are two small pieces of meat that are inside the carcass along the spine. On a deer they're about 10-12" long. You can see them after field dressing.


If you remove the tenderloins when you field dress the deer, you avoid the problem of them drying out.

I just spent the last 3 weeks working with a processor. He never cuts the spine because if the deer has a disease (like chronic wasting) it is in the spine as well as the brain. 

I also learned how to see the "map" on the meat itself if you want to muscle cut as opposed to butcher's cuts. I can now save all the roasts, steak, and chops muscle groups... I even cut a really nice butterfly chop now! LOL

Kitty


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## melco (May 7, 2006)

Thanks for all the replies. We are taking the deder to the processor for now. I wasn't sure of all the possible cuts. I have been asking for certain things that we use more of when I have a cow done. I am learning more and more with each deer. My Dh and I are thinking about doing it ourselves next year. I will have them do things a bit different from now on. Thanks again.
Melissa


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

Go to www.hessvideo.com and check out his stuff. I went to Gander Mtn. about 8 years ago and watched him fillet a deer. I'll never go back to the old way of hanging the carcass and removing primal cuts. This is much eaiser and once learned faster. Use a search and type in venison processing videos or meat cutting supplies, lots of stuff.


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## tamsam (May 12, 2006)

A lot of meat is wasted from deer. Most people will nor use the rib cages or necks and some not even the front shoulders. When we finish with one the dog is mad cause all that is left is bare bone. We use more burger than anything else so strip and strip some more. Just ground about 30 lbs last night to put in freezer along with all the roasts and steak and soup chunks. Got luck and friend gave us two small does, one of which his 9 yr old daughter shot. DW nor I didn't do any hunting this year yet but we have 3 days after Christams if the weather is permitting for us to go. Sam


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

I process my own venison each year. Yesterday I skinned #8 for the season. This was kill number 77 for me since I started deer hunting in the early 90's. Much of this meat is shared with friends and family as well as a couple of needy neighbors. I have found to maximize the consumption (reduce the waste) that I only make a few major cut selections. Nearly everyone eats burger prepared in some manner so that is where all the lesser cuts go plus it save processing time. I take the backstraps and run them through a cuber to make cubed steaks. On a young animal I will save the best portions of the backstraps and the tender loins to slice and make pan fried steaks for "Philly and cheese" sandwiches. I do give a few shoulders away when someone particularly asks for one. Often, I will save some of the burger to blend with pork to make into sausage. All the venison is deboned and double wrapped for freezing. It is surprising how many people that previously shunned venison that now boldly ask "you got any meat to share?" or "I certainly would like to have a package of cubed steak if you have any extra". I will gladly answer any questions regarding the processing should anyone ask.


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