First time deer processing advice....

[BkBigKid]

I have done both ways and I prefer to ice for 24 hours minimum. Cooler with a drain so it don't sit in water.
quartering is simple either hanging or laying on the ground. Hanging prefered unless you have a Hike out of the woods then quarter where it drops!

Remove all the fat you can, it taste like Wax and hard to get rid of the taste.

 

[poopdaddy]

Remove all the fat you can, it taste like Wax and hard to get rid of the taste.

thats what she said.... sorry could not help it...

 

[poopdaddy]

i will post up my brine recipe and instructions..
you guys should try it, just do one ham, roast, or backstrap.. it will amaze you and change your mind on brining..
i love to share my venison with others, i have yet to have one say it tastes off or gamey..
when you unwrap it out of the freezer, the smell make you want to chew on it raw and frozen...

 

[bensskateshop]

Op, if you are nearby I would be happy to help with your first. It may seem a daunting task at first but it's not bad after a few.

 

[howl]

Bacteria grows in ice water, even icy brine. If you want a medium rare venison steak, keep it as dry as possible.

Lean meat like whitetail doesn't benefit from more than a few days in the cooler. Most of what happens is giving it time to relax from rigor mortis. If you're going to grind or cut into chunks, it doesn't matter.

If you're short on cooler space you can dry age in containers in the fridge AFTER the muscle relaxes on the bone; i.e. don't ever take the back straps off just after skinning.

I had to revisit that mistake recently because I had two deer in my 150qt cooler and had to fit a 150# buck in a 48qt cooler. Tough steaks.

Shanks and neck roasts are awesome in the crock pot. Mississippi pot roast is hard to beat.

You don't eat deer fat. It tastes like dirt. Trim it all out. You don't need to add beef fat. You're just going to render and drain it off when cooking. If you need to add fat, use olive oil while cooking.

 

[howl]

i will post up my brine recipe and instructions..
you guys should try it, just do one ham, roast, or backstrap.. it will amaze you and change your mind on brining..
i love to share my venison with others, i have yet to have one say it tastes off or gamey..
when you unwrap it out of the freezer, the smell make you want to chew on it raw and frozen...

Clean, dry aged venison is never gamey. If you've had gamey venison it was in how it was handled and/or processed.

 

[poopdaddy]

Clean, dry aged venison is never gamey. If you've had gamey venison it was in how it was handled and/or processed.

the term "gamey" describes a wilder taste. Cornish game hens have the same flavor. all game animals have a little different flavor, some people refer to it as gamey. i have never dry aged, i may try a roast and see.

 

[JSoko]

I hang head down
I do a good job of skinning with no hair left on the meat (see photo, no hair no water)
I don't gut until the hams, shoulders, and backstraps are removed I don't spray or use water on these pieces
then I cut open just enough to get the tenderloins out, then remove neck
the rest drops in a barrel
I separate the hams into the 7 groups and shoulders whole, then remove all fat & silverskin
I have a dedicated fridge with racks and a internal battery fan to circulate air in the fridge
I like to go 7 days in the fridge
I used to bust deer through the shoulders until I found a great recipe, now I try to wait till I see both front legs lined up forward and go for a front lung/heart shot
after 7 days I eat what I want the rest is vacuum sealed and into the freezer

 

[TrueGrit]

Deer are a unlimited natural resource, ground round beats ground shoulder. I usually bone the shoulders and neck out, freeze in ziplock bags and feed it to the dogs as treats. There was a bunch of good eating behind the house yesterday afternoon.

 

[InTune]

Cube the best, grind the rest