Wild game processing...

[Gunload Master]

Something you may not know about me, but I also run a meat cutting business during the wild game season. I am fairly knowledgeable about meat cutting and have quite a few meat cutting toys.. I'll try to contribute as much as I can in this section as well. I've never considered myself an expert and would love to learn some new tricks!

[MT Gianni]

Hair, do you pluck it or burn it off with propane?

[Bodine]

Only one Question Willy, what time is dinner?

[Jal5]

I butchered for the first time with the small deer I got this week. What a lot of work!
How do you get the hair off the meat? I ended up cutting the steaks, etc. then ran them under cold tap water and wrapped them for the freezer. I thought about burning them with a torch. Joe

[Gunload Master]

If I skin them I can usually have minimal hair, but if they come in hairy I try to pressure wash them the best I can with water and then put them in my walk in cooler. After they dry off a little bit I will run a propane torch on them to get a lot of the other hair off. Then after that it comes down to a rag and water to wash them off. Hair is by far the worse part of wild game processing for me.

[fatboy]

yep, i do the same as gunload without the walk in cooler. we process up to a 10 deer a year all friends and family, depending on who gets tags and can hit there deer. usually torch after skinning, then wipe with a damp rag before we cut. we also do our own pork for the deer sausage, bacon and misc pork products. when we built the shop we put a 14x14 summer kitchen in the corner for just these things. my only regret is it is to small.

[429421Cowboy]

Looking forward to this section! I have been in the meat industry since I could walk and i love every part of it! I have alot of respect for anybody that runs a game processor, i could see that as being a huge sacrifice in time in the field by provinding that service to hunters.

Something we do besides torching the hair is we wipe the primals with a damp rag with a bit of white vinegar that helps to get some hair off and help clean things up a bit.

[Gelandangan]

I would love it if someone could explain step by step on how to prepare all the cuts the way butchers display them in the store.
So far I have skinned, gutted and divided my catches, but they are really a hack job that mostly gave me roast pieces, or hunks of meat.
For example, how to properly get the sirloin? Where and how to cut a proper T-bone steak? How to get rib-eye?

[waksupi]

I hang them by the head, and skin down by fisting off the hide. Aside from the cut around the neck, no hair on the carcass. If you are going to tan the hide, this is the best way, no cuts in the hide at all, aside from the initial leg and neck cuts. No meat left on the hide.

[Mooseman]

I would love it if someone could explain step by step on how to prepare all the cuts the way butchers display them in the store.
So far I have skinned, gutted and divided my catches, but they are really a hack job that mostly gave me roast pieces, or hunks of meat.
For example, how to properly get the sirloin? Where and how to cut a proper T-bone steak? How to get rib-eye?

To do it right , you need a Meat Bandsaw and your meat needs to be very cold or partially frozen for best results and smoothest cuts.I hope these pics explain where the cuts come from.
The Rib, and loin sections on deer are pretty small and most hunters destroy these by cutting out the backstraps , But on bigger stuff , its where you get the best steaks from. After cutting the ribs off and removing the hind quarters and the front shoulders/neck, when ready we run the center of the backbone right thru the meatsaw and split it lengthwise ,saw the pieces shown, and then set the steak guide on the saw and cut steaks. we then scrape the sawed area with knife blade to remove the sawed meat/fat particles and its ready for final trimming and packaging.

[Gunload Master]

I have a big one of these posters hanging up:
http://amazingribs.com/images/beef/retail_beef_cuts.pdf

[Mike Brooks]

I skin mine, cut out the back straps and butterfly them then debone the rest and take it to the butcher to have ground into burger, no fat added.
Idon't have much of a hair problem, but if I do I use a torch.

[TXGunNut]

Other than the loins, tenderloins, liver and occasionally some small roasts from a hindquarter my wild game mostly comes to the table as sausage. I have a couple of sausage recipes posted in Our Town that I've become very fond of. I started with a small electric grinder and when it went south I bought a big commercial grinder and haven't looked back. That thing is a hoss! With a few good knives, a grinder and a vacuum sealer I have no need for a commercial processer anymore. Nothing against them, just can't find one I like around here. I buy pork shoulder and spices at a local grocery store, most times they even have a few pounds of pork fat.

[randyrat]

I hang from the rear legs, skin, then cut the
1) sirloin tips out 2) cut the front legs off and bone on the table3) cut the tip steaks4) bone the rear legs right off the carcass 5) split the round into top and bottom and cut into steaks or roast 6)strip the back straps cut them into steaks or leave whole for the grill 7) bone what I can off the neck....always cut the inside tenders out soon after kill and wash the best you can and eat them in the field-cook over a small fire. I do all of this with a cheap $17- 6" Mora knife. I can normally do this in 45 minutes with help wrapping. I refuse to pay someone else to cut my deer and I also if I do it myself I know it has been done right and clean. I've done more deer than carter has pills.

[RP]

Man I just found this part of the site and I have already learned something. I am going to share some of my ways I do things. I hang my deer by the neck.

I cut around the neck then down the back. I put a golf ball in the hide and attach it to the bed of the converted crane to deer skinner. Then raise the deer out of its hide.
http://
As far as cutting up the meat I tie the legs off and remove the meat from the front legs. Then the neck followed by the backstraps. I then raise the deer up to save my back and remove the meat from the hams. If you look on the side you can see a white line so to speak it has a thin layer of membrane over it. Lightly cut the membrane and you can push you finger into the white line causing the muscles to open up. Just cut along that and follow it around as best as you can. You will wind up with some good size meat that is easy to cut into steaks. As far as a USDA stamp I have the deer inspected pre cleaning.
http://
I use a water hose to rinse the deer after the hide is removed this has been the way I have done it for years never even thought of a torch. Even after telling my nephew to use a torch to clean up some hair on his squirrels. Man I feel kind of dumb for not putting two and two together.

[Gunload Master]

The golf ball method is an extremely effective way to skin an animal. I've used that method on deer and elk.

[MT Gianni]

I am also a neck hanger. I take out the loins and tenders after they hang for 3-7 days. Ideal is a daytime temp under 40 F and above freezing. I butterfly the loins by cutting almost through then the next cut goes through. These get flattened and cooked with a little moisture. I then pull off the front shoulders. There are some nice chops on an elk but a deer gets boned and ground. I break down the rear quarters into sirloins, top and bottom round and make those into chops as well. As Willy noted steaks are sawn, chops are chopped or cut with a blade. I take what I can off of the neck and ribs without getting a lot of fat. I either buy beef fat or pork depending on whether the grind is for burger or sausage.

[fatboy]

I would love it if someone could explain step by step on how to prepare all the cuts the way butchers display them in the store.
So far I have skinned, gutted and divided my catches, but they are really a hack job that mostly gave me roast pieces, or hunks of meat.
For example, how to properly get the sirloin? Where and how to cut a proper T-bone steak? How to get rib-eye?

Gelanddangan, find the book "Stocking up" there is a pretty good section in there on what cuts come from what critters and where on them. and you will want a band saw as stated, it will make life much easier than the hand saw will.

[wgr]

i have cut alot of meat. most time i just bone it out. but never used a golf ball would like more info on that please.one tip i can give is to use a sharp knife and let it do the work. you can,nt cut bone with a knife but you can cut through the joints easy. just let the knife slide along the bone and you will work less.

[wolfe28]

Good evening;

I've never tried this, because I haven't got my first deer yet (yes, I'm grumpy about that), but here is the Field and Stream write up on the "golfball" method.

D

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/...eer-your-truck