Maet care

[handirifle]

On venison, I have read differing opinions on "aging" the meat of deer. Some say yes as it tenderizes, others say that since it's such low fat meat that it only starts to spoil faster.

What say you guys?

[thomae]

I butcher my own deer. Therefore, it does not get done in one day. When it is cold, I hang it in my back yard or in my garage, but when it is warmer, I try to get it all processed as soon as possible. Since I freeze most of it, I don't worry too much about aging and have never done a side by side comparison. I have had great fresh venison the day after shooting, and have had great venison after letting it hang a while, and have also had melt-in-your-mouth-tender venison that was frozen for months. I think it is a matter of opinion and there are so many other factors that go into the 'taste' of venison, that you should do what you want to do.

I have not noticed a real difference, but then again, I tend to shoot small deer as they taste better and are really really tender.

If you are grinding everything up into sausage, it should not matter at all.

[Grott]

The best I've had was aged, could have been the deer. But the hunter/butcher ages all of his venison and swears by it, it helps that he has a walk in cooler where he can safely hang the quartered meat during the process.

[JackinSD]

I do both, also dependent on the weather. So much of the flavor is dependent on age, what they eat, and a good cleaning job in the field.

[handirifle]

OK thanks for the replies, and I agree on the two main points of field care and young deer. I go after meat (not maet like I wrote in the subject:confused:) I was mostly wondering about the "after field care" and sounds like the jury is still out on that too. It is always warm here during deer season and i was wondering if I needed to make a cooler to hang them in before butchering.

I think I'll just butcher it up ASAP and get it iced down ASAP and call it good. I'll put the "cooler" money into guns or ammo. :)

[87predator]

Archery season is warm here, so i quarter, bone it, then put it in bags in a dorm style fridge...let it set for three or four days then cut it how i want.

[kevin_stevens]

Fat is bad for aging, not good.

Aging is always a good thing, but too often it's confused with simply leaving the meat laying around, which is not.

KeS

[handirifle]

Ok the fat/bad is anew twist to me? Why is that?

I fully understand HOW to age meat, but would have to build a refer unit to hang it in, or else do like 87predator does. An extra fridge would be a lot cheaper, than building a unit to hang the whole animal in.

87predator,

Do you coat the meat with anything or let the outer layer dry naturally as it ages? I assume you keep temps just above freezing?

[Opus Dei]

Ok the fat/bad is anew twist to me? Why is that? Fat gets rancid; it will spoil meat if not properly accounted for when processing/storing. It also carries much of the "gamey" taste that people object to when cooking-mutton is a good example. And that is why cooking techniques like sauerbraten and curry were developed to salvage old/off-tasting meats as much as tenderize.


87predator,

Do you coat the meat with anything or let the outer layer dry naturally as it ages? I assume you keep temps just above freezing? I'll let 87P speak for his own technique, but if refrigerated, nothing is applied to the carcass IME. Never thought about air-curing a venison quarter like a Parma or Surry ham; that I would like to know if it's been tried.

[87predator]

Ok the fat/bad is anew twist to me? Why is that?

I fully understand HOW to age meat, but would have to build a refer unit to hand it in, or else do like 87predator does. An extra fridge would be a lot cheaper, than building a unit to hang the whole animal in.

87predator,

Do you coat the meat with anything or let the outer layer dry naturally as it ages? I assume you keep temps just above freezing?

I don't coat it in anything. Bone it out, wash it really good, put in trash bags, then put in fridge. Three to five days later, take it out, wash again, and cut and package how i want. If fridge is big enough you can basically quarter it. I cut steaks, roasts, scraps for sausage and jerky. I find separating whole muscles is best for what I do. Although it does help that I worked in the meat lab in college.

[kevin_stevens]

What is a meat lab?

KeS

[kevin_stevens]

I'll let 87P speak for his own technique, but if refrigerated, nothing is applied to the carcass IME. Never thought about air-curing a venison quarter like a Parma or Surry ham; that I would like to know if it's been tried.

Look up "biltong", it's a South African version of jerky that is basically that, but with individual muscle groups rather than entire quarters. They usually marinade it in a vinegar/salt mixture before as well.

KeS

[87predator]

What is a meat lab?

KeS

The college had a meat science program, they did research on tenderness and such. They also made their own summer sausage bacon, ect. Sold cuts of meat out of the lab as well. Basically a process plant without a kill floor that did research on carcasses.

[jgerrington]

For tender meat, make sure to cut the meat against the grain. The way you cut has more to do with being tender than anything else. I spend extra time and cut all the fat, flank meat, and tendons off. If I don't have time to cut up meat when I kill it, I just put it in the ice chest or sink and fill up with ice water until I get to it. Be sure meat is completely submerged in water or it will dry out. Sometimes I add salt to pull off blood, it will not dry out or make the meat taste salty.

[handirifle]

OK thanks for the tips guys. Will have to search craigs list for a decent fridge.

[bythebook]

Years ago I used to cure Deer hams just as you would pork. I used Mortons Tender Quick and wrapped them in plastic and put them in an old ref. It really gave it a good taste.

[handirifle]

For how long, did you hang them?

[JackinSD]

Hanging/aging depends on the fat content of the animal. The less fat the quicker you will want to get it cut up and frozen. The other factor being temperature that they are hung at. Warm, you need to process quickly. If it will freeze, you can leave a long time.

[5spd]

I cut up & package mine the day I get it home, its usually pretty cool in Oct when I drop my antelope.
I make sure when field dressing it that it gets a good washing out. I carry 6 gallons of water in the truck and have a game hoist I made to keep it all clean at the site.
Skin it up to the head, then finnish it at home with no haste which is usually under 30 miles.

[HIGHRPM]

In all my years of hunting,47 to be exact, I have always hung my meat to age for at least 12 days. I have tried to shorten the aging process a couple of times but the results spoke for them selves, that aging improved the end product. Others will have different views, I can only say what I have done and seen and what works for me. So, I say age it, you can't lose.