I leave it in the refrigerator for about a week to age. Sometimes deboned, sometimes not. Deboned will save you some room. (Keeping it in a iced down ice chest and changing the water works well too).
Before it goes in the freezer it gets cut into serving sizes and vacuum sealed. I usually slice the back straps and tenderloins into steaks. The rest is turned into chili.
Before it goes in the freezer it gets cut into serving sizes and vacuum sealed. I usually slice the back straps and tenderloins into steaks. The rest is turned into chili.
If you think your processor is good just wait until you do it yourself. Now you can really start cutting out any of junk you don't want to eat.
Not saying he isn't great but I bet you'll be pickier.
I imagine it would be an eye opener if everyone saw what the "average processor" tosses into the hamburger grind. It takes me a LOT of time to get rid of everything I don't want to eat during processing. To Processors, time is money..
Venison definitely started tasting better once I started processing it myself.
Get it on ice as soon as possible. Get that cooling process started quickly.
I go two ways. Process my own, and the extra does I take on the DMAP go to friends and neighbors through the processor.
There are two kinds of processors. One throws the deer into a pile, processes all the meat at one time and divides it among the customers in a random fashion.
The other processes one deer at a time and knows their customer. I chose the second.
If you're doing it yourself, get a quality grinder. Cabellas 1/2 hp carnivore grinder is one heck of a grinder.
I used the $100 units for years and fought it every season until getting frustrated enough to spend $300 and some. Your anger level, will go to zero, your frustration level will go to zero, your time cleaning out the sinue that won't grind in the cheap models will subside, and the story goes on.
Word for everybody that has a grinder no matter what it costs. Either send your blades in for a sharpening annually or buy new blades. Your frustration level will go way down. Your grandma's blades in her old crank model won't get it.
If you're adamant about doing your own, and have intentions of buying almost zero beef like we have for the last 30 years, invest in a quality grinder.
I go two ways. Process my own, and the extra does I take on the DMAP go to friends and neighbors through the processor.
There are two kinds of processors. One throws the deer into a pile, processes all the meat at one time and divides it among the customers in a random fashion.
The other processes one deer at a time and knows their customer. I chose the second.
If you're doing it yourself, get a quality grinder. Cabellas 1/2 hp carnivore grinder is one heck of a grinder.
I used the $100 units for years and fought it every season until getting frustrated enough to spend $300 and some. Your anger level, will go to zero, your frustration level will go to zero, your time cleaning out the sinue that won't grind in the cheap models will subside, and the story goes on.
Word for everybody that has a grinder no matter what it costs. Either send your blades in for a sharpening annually or buy new blades. Your frustration level will go way down. Your grandma's blades in her old crank model won't get it.
If you're adamant about doing your own, and have intentions of buying almost zero beef like we have for the last 30 years, invest in a quality grinder.
And if you buy a grinder, a foot operated switch will also lower your frustration and free up your hands..
I forgot about that and you're 100% correct.
What do you guys who live in the metro areas do with your scraps/unwanted meat when you grind your own? I'm wanting to process my own for the first time when/if I have the chance to hunt this year.
Put in in a trash bag in the freezer and freeze it till the morning of trash pickup, then it goes into the trash truck.
Thanks. That's what I figured most would do, but wanted to verify.
