what to do with fresh venison

[farmbif]

well I finally did it, got me a nice doe today. I'm really not much of an experienced deer hunter so I let my neighbor help dress it out and we cut it up and gave them half. not much room in the fridge and no place to hang it where wild critters would not get at it. so I cut the half in a 3 pieces ribs and hind quarter and shoulder and put in bag in a cooler with couple bags of ice. tomorrow what should I do? some say cut out back strap cut the rest thin and make jerky. season and smoke the ribs? I got the head in a bag and that I was gonna give to the dog to chew on.
some say the meat has to age a week or more to be any good. I'm no expert but I know there are lots here that have more experience than I could ever dream of having.

[hawkenhunter50]

Aging is good, but have got some where I didn't have the time or weather to age, and it turned out good too. Being a doe probably even better chance of it being good. Backstraps are good deasoned and fried in a cast iron skillet. Jerky is also great, just made a 13 lb batch over Christmas. Roasts are another good way to go. Can make them in the crock pot with veggies or can also corn them and make corned venison reuben sandwiches, which are excellent.

[John McCorkle]

It will be good no matter when you process it up....

However, when you age it like you are (exact process I use actually) it does taste better after a week or so. Keep fresh ice on it and open the drain plug....put a block on the other end to let the bloody water drain. Oh, btw that water that drains out of the cooler onto the ground will sour/smell if you have any weather above 45 degrees or so just to let you know.... nothing wrong just keep it rinsed off or cleaned and you won't have any issues. Do keep fresh ice if needed....don't let it get above 38 or 40 degrees in the cooler...I just keep ice on it and as it melts I add more.

The work starts here, there is alot to do to process it but nothing fancy is needed, just a sharp knife, a large cutting board and some time.

Congratulations! Venison is by far my favorite meat. It's lean but man it's healthy...tastes great and very versatile.

When you go to process make sure all your surfaces and utensils are clean...wash your hands regularly and take your time. You can even save the bones and roast them to make a really really good broth.

It's an honor and a blessing to process the meat you kill. Enjoy the work....it's good honest and honorable labor.

Congrats again

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[cwtebay]

Whoever decided ageing game idea is a fool. Ageing is designed to break down muscle fibres and incorporate fat into the muscle. There is NOT intramuscular fat in any game animal - period ( unless you are hunting in a feedlot?!?!!) Hang / age for 48 hours or less. Cut out the tenderloins now, backstraps tomorrow. Slice them into 3/4" steaks, prepare as you wish (olive oil rubbed in, cast iron pan,.cook high and hot until 140° internally.....rest..... delicious!!!). Rest of the carcass - cut every cubic millimeter from the bone, put it in bags and freeze it until you have time to deal with it rightously.

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[HWooldridge]

I grind everything and make sausage or use it for anything that you’d normally do with ground beef. I have a big Hobart commercial grinder so it’s quick work.

I buy a boneless Boston butt at the local butcher and grind the two meats separately through the 1/2” plate then mix both thoroughly and grind again through the 1/8” plate. You can add seasoning before final grind or leave it out. I never preseason because I use it for so many dishes.

Very few people can tell me that it’s something other than beef…I made enchiladas over Christmas and they tasted like restaurant fare.

[cwtebay]

I grind everything and make sausage or use it for anything that you’d normally do with ground beef. I have a big Hobart commercial grinder so it’s quick work.

I buy a boneless Boston butt at the local butcher and grind the two meats separately through the 1/2” plate then mix both thoroughly and grind again through the 1/8” plate. You can add seasoning before final grind or leave it out. I never preseason because I use it for so many dishes.

Heck yeah!! What this guy said^^^^^^

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[Markopolo]

i pretty much live on Venison! I love it, and we cook it for everything. one of my favorites is grab a large chunk of whatever cut with the bone in, throw it in a large crock pot my wife has, open a jar of stewed tomato and throw it in with some salt and pepper and whatever you like.. let it simmer all day.. be sure to cut the ball off the bone so the marrow also gets cooked down.. about 5 to 6 hours later the whole house will smell like goodness.. sometimes we add whatever taters and such that we have available and wowza..

[GregLaROCHE]

Those hams can make great oven roasts. Cover with bacon to keep from drying out. Add whatever herbs and spices you normally like to use. Don’t overcook! I would always invite friends over, because it was a lot to eat for a small family. Put what’s left over in the fridge and use for sandwiches the same as roast beef.

If you have a lot of meat to process, make sure you are working at a counter top height. Bending over a kitchen table gets tiring fast. We used to have wooden blocks to put under the kitchen table legs to raise it up. Cut everything into portion size before freezing. Vacuum sealed is great, but butcher’s paper still works fine. I wouldn’t use aluminum foil or plastic wrap for freezing. Mark what cut it is and put the date on it. Enjoy!

[Silvercreek Farmer]

1000 ways to cook deer meat but this is what I would do: Grilled or panfried backstrap is a mighty fine meal. Hams make the easiest jerky. Throw the shoulder in a slowcooker with some salt, pepper, and a healthy splash of vinegar, cook until it pulls apart then top with your favorite bbq sauce. I usually trim the fat and sinew out of rib/belly meat and grind, but absent a grinder you can make make decent stew meat.

[fiberoptik]

Can always “can” it. Did one once. Took a couple quarts to Mexico. Told my brother in law it was Bambi. He asked me to bring all his cartoon friends next time. Great with mashed potatoes and cream of mushroom soup for gravy.


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[John McCorkle]

Whoever decided ageing game idea is a fool. Ageing is designed to break down muscle fibres and incorporate fat into the muscle. There is NOT intramuscular fat in any game animal - period ( unless you are hunting in a feedlot?!?!!) Hang / age for 48 hours or less. Cut out the tenderloins now, backstraps tomorrow. Slice them into 3/4" steaks, prepare as you wish (olive oil rubbed in, cast iron pan,.cook high and hot until 140° internally.....rest..... delicious!!!). Rest of the carcass - cut every cubic millimeter from the bone, put it in bags and freeze it until you have time to deal with it rightously.

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It's typically good practice to shy away from calling others fools outright...this isn't the place we hold those who pop off at the mouth in high esteem.

Aging isn't about breakdown of fat alone. The enzymes at work tenderize the meat, break down collagen in the connective tissues and allow more blood to drain from the carcass. Killed alot of deer in my lifetime...aging absolutely helps tenderize and flavor.

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[GregLaROCHE]

Can always “can” it. Did one once. Took a couple quarts to Mexico. Told my brother in law it was Bambi. He asked me to bring all his cartoon friends next time. Great with mashed potatoes and cream of mushroom soup for gravy.


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You just reminded me of all the great sauces I’ve made with cream of mushroom soup. Cream of celery and butter makes a good sauce for fish.

[cwtebay]

It's typically good practice to shy away from calling others fools outright...this isn't the place we hold those who pop off at the mouth in high esteem.

Aging isn't about breakdown of fat alone. The enzymes at work tenderize the meat, break down collagen in the connective tissues and allow more blood to drain from the carcass. Killed alot of deer in my lifetime...aging absolutely helps tenderize and flavor.

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I DEFINITELY did not call anyone here a fool. Only the one that decided to perpetuate this idea.
It's derived from beef ageing and the British practice of "high game" (huge fan of ageing beef BTW). It's apples and oranges, look at the science of meat breakdown by the ageing process - speaks for itself.
I definitely do not wish to "pop off at the mouth" - merely share what I know about carcass degradation due to enzymatic process and the interaction of intramuscular fat in that process.
Many decide to skin their critters and hang them until dehydration and degradation has claimed a good chunk of their meat - I choose to side with science and a lifetime of learning and experience to keep mine to feed my family rather than trim and waste.


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[brewer12345]

Pull the tenderloin and backstrap and package how you will. I like to wrap cuts in freezer grade plastic and then butcher freezer paper. The front quarter I usually chunk for stew, but save the shanks as their own cut for braising. The rear quarter I would separate into component roasts for different uses. This video is very helpful in understanding how to break down the hind quarter: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...5&&FORM=VRDGAR

All the little bits and pieces I grind. If you are stumped for recipes, google Hank Shaw.

[missionary5155]

Did ya ever build you a fire and sit down.... take a breather.... and cook a chunk of meat ?

[farmbif]

thanks for all the great info. I think I'm going to be on a quest today to get a meat grinder, sausage stuffer and correct spice mix and find a pork butt

[MT Gianni]

Don't forget to keep some just sliced as chops. One of my favorite recipes is to cut venison as thin as possible when frozen. Melt come butter in a cast iron skillet and heat it to just smoking. Toss in the slices and heat 60 seconds then put it straight onto good bread.
I processed 3 deer in 2021 and made less than 1/6th burger and sausage.

[KWJohnston]

@farmbif , congratulations on harvesting a deer. So much can be done with Venison. Best not to get caught up on too many complicated recipes on your first one. Keep things simple and you can experiment more with your next one. I will recommend the following suggestions:

The Back straps and Tenderloin are the most prized pieces. Trim all silver skin and fat off of them. These pieces work great Pan fried, or Grilled wrapped in bacon, or choose a good marinade and bake in the oven. They are VERY lean so dont overcook them!

The front shoulders, neck meat, and meat off the leg shanks can be ground up into Breakfast sausage or Summer Sausage. A local processor can help with that.

Ribs work good in a Slow cooker/pressure cooker or in a smoker. Not much meat but worth playing around with.

The hindquarters are a big chunk of meat. They can be separated out into Top Round,Bottom Round, Sirloin ect. Lots of recipes online for these..but...You may not want to tackle that just yet. If not, the hindquarters can be ground up into burger meat with some added fat. They work perfect for Chili, Spagetti, Tacos, anything you would use ground beef in. OR you can also have them cut and ran through a cuber to make Cube steaks.

Thats some straightforward things that aren't too hard to do. Dont get too overwhelmed. Try a few things out to see what you like. You'll know more next time and have a better idea about what to do.

Oh and btw, the best meat comes from a Deer that was Gutted out and skinned asap to cool the meat.

Good luck!

[Smoke4320]

Just remember if fan frying or baking Deer is lean meat and will dry out very quickly if no additional juices are added
even then less than med done is your friend or crock pot and let cook all day
Could spend 1/2 day with all the recipes I have for deer including sausages and lebanon bologna
we will go thru 2 to 3 good sized deer a year

[missionary5155]

Makes my mouth water thinking of some jerkey !