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Deer processing. Do it yourself, or have it done?
- Thread starter teddy12b
- Start date
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Well we have deer camp with about 5 or 6 guys and get about 5 deer opening weekend. We got a big walk in freezer from a pizza place a few years ago (Arni's for my fellow C'villers), so we keep them in there and if we get enough to make it worth it we will all get together and chunk them out or wait until after season to do them all at once. After we get some elk meat or hog meat to butcher next year we all get together again and actually do the processing.
IndyGunSafety
Master
I have done it both ways. After field dressing, hang it, skin it, pop the backstraps out, trim and quarter it. Then I put it in the freezer for a while and let it start to get firm. It's much easier to cut if it's a little frozen. Anything I can't cut into steaks goes in the sausage cooler.
A grinder will run you about $100. Making sausage IS AN ALL DAY EVENT! I usually look for Boston Butt's on sale and will debone these and mix them with the venison. Pound for pound is best but you can use less pork if you want. Beef fat can also be added. Your local butcher shop will have casings. What you don't use you can pack in salt and save for next year. Run all the meat through once dumping it back in the cooler. Mix well with your spices. BE VERY ACCURATE ON YOUR SPICE MEASUREMENTS! We use a drill with a drywall mud mixing bit to mix it all up in the cooler. Run it through the grinder again and twist into links! We make ground breakfast sausage and Italian links. If you don't add a litle pork and fat they are really dry. We usually get 80 pounds of sausage out of an average deer. Let your links stay in a fridge overnight unwrapped! This dries them a little and lets the flavors meld. Then suck wrap and freeze them! Don't forget to poke the freezer bag with a fork when you get them out to eat, or the vacuum will suck the juices out of the meat!
We cut our steaks about an inch and a half thick for PERFECT jerky strips. The only steaks I eat are from the back straps, although I will save some lower cut steaks to make chilli and stroganoff. (sp?)
if I get one this year I want to smoke a quarter. I have heard this is fantastic!
Butt... for about $70 you can have it cut up for you and then do what you want with it. This is much easier, but there is something very primal about doing it all yourself. There is great satisfaction in it.
A grinder will run you about $100. Making sausage IS AN ALL DAY EVENT! I usually look for Boston Butt's on sale and will debone these and mix them with the venison. Pound for pound is best but you can use less pork if you want. Beef fat can also be added. Your local butcher shop will have casings. What you don't use you can pack in salt and save for next year. Run all the meat through once dumping it back in the cooler. Mix well with your spices. BE VERY ACCURATE ON YOUR SPICE MEASUREMENTS! We use a drill with a drywall mud mixing bit to mix it all up in the cooler. Run it through the grinder again and twist into links! We make ground breakfast sausage and Italian links. If you don't add a litle pork and fat they are really dry. We usually get 80 pounds of sausage out of an average deer. Let your links stay in a fridge overnight unwrapped! This dries them a little and lets the flavors meld. Then suck wrap and freeze them! Don't forget to poke the freezer bag with a fork when you get them out to eat, or the vacuum will suck the juices out of the meat!
We cut our steaks about an inch and a half thick for PERFECT jerky strips. The only steaks I eat are from the back straps, although I will save some lower cut steaks to make chilli and stroganoff. (sp?)
if I get one this year I want to smoke a quarter. I have heard this is fantastic!
Butt... for about $70 you can have it cut up for you and then do what you want with it. This is much easier, but there is something very primal about doing it all yourself. There is great satisfaction in it.
IndyGunSafety
Master
I thought I would share this. It's a lot of work but it really is the best venison jerky I have ever tasted!
5 lbs. Meat (venison, London broil, any roasts with little fat or fat that’s easily trimable – look for sales)
15 oz. Soy Sauce
15 oz. Worcestershire sauce
15 oz. Teriyaki
4 tbl. Spoons dark brown sugar
4 tbl. Spoons garlic powder
4 tbl. Spoons onion powder
1 tbl. Spoon cayenne pepper
2 tbl. Spoons black pepper
2 tbl. Spoons chili powder
5 oz. Bottle liquid smoke
Small box of toothpicks
DO NOT ADD SALT
Put the meat, in the store wrapping, into the freezer. After a while watch the meat closely to get it nice and firm but not completely frozen. Nice hard meat is easier to slice to the desired thickness.
While the meat is freezing place all other ingredients into a large pot and bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring every few minutes. This will help dissolve the spices into the liquid. After the marinade boils for no more than 5 minutes remove it from the heat, stir it well and then let it cool. If needed you can rapid cool it with ice or place it in the fridge after the temperature drops a bit.
After the meat is real firm slice it with the grain as much as possible into ¼ inch thick strips. Sometimes I sacrifice slicing with the grain to make it easier to trim off the fat from each strip. Make every effort to get as much fat off the meat as possible. Some fat can easily be pealed from the edges of the strips after the meat dries but try and get it all off before soaking in the marinade. Un-removed fat is the quickest way to spoil stored jerky.
Once the marinade has cooled place it and the sliced trimmed meat into a closeable container and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. At least 12 hours is best. You can use Tupperware or any closeable container. Depending on how much jerky you’re making large zip lock bags work great if it all fits inside. Shake the container or open and stir the meat every few hours to be sure all of it has a chance to soak up the marinade.
Cover the bottom of your oven with foil under the heat element and cover it as well as possible. Open the oven door and place an old thick towel over the oven door and over the bottom of the oven. Use more than one of needed. Put one oven rack as high as possible and remove the other. Slide the rack out as far as possible and push a toothpick through the center of a slice of meet about ¾ to 1 inch from the end of the slice. Drop the slice down between the grates of the oven rack letting the tooth pick rest on the rack grates. Repeat with all the meat slices not letting any one touch another. Try to have air space around each slice to ensure proper drying. Slide the rack full of hanging meat back into the oven and remove the towels which are now soaked from the dripping marinade. (Keeps you from making a mess!)
Close the oven door putting a metal spoon or utensil in the top of the oven keeping it open just a crack. This is to release moisture from the warm oven. Turn the oven on as low as it will go and still generate heat. It’s best to use a cooking thermometer placed in the middle of the rack to control the temperature. You want the oven to be between 120 and 180 degrees. I like 140 degrees. Change the oven dial or adjust the opening with your metal utensil as needed to get the right temperature. Be sure not to let the oven get too hot for any length of time as this will cook the meat not dry it. Watch the temp closely for an hour or so to be sure it’s stabilized and then let it dry for 8 to 12 hours. Times will vary based on the thickness you cut the meat. Start it an hour or so before you go to bed and wake up to the smell. Remove the dry pieces as needed when it’s time and let the others continue. The meat will be very firm with little squish to the thicker pieces when you squeeze them after they are dried.
BEST JERKY IN THE WORLD
15 oz. Soy Sauce
15 oz. Worcestershire sauce
15 oz. Teriyaki
4 tbl. Spoons dark brown sugar
4 tbl. Spoons garlic powder
4 tbl. Spoons onion powder
1 tbl. Spoon cayenne pepper
2 tbl. Spoons black pepper
2 tbl. Spoons chili powder
5 oz. Bottle liquid smoke
Small box of toothpicks
DO NOT ADD SALT
Put the meat, in the store wrapping, into the freezer. After a while watch the meat closely to get it nice and firm but not completely frozen. Nice hard meat is easier to slice to the desired thickness.
While the meat is freezing place all other ingredients into a large pot and bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring every few minutes. This will help dissolve the spices into the liquid. After the marinade boils for no more than 5 minutes remove it from the heat, stir it well and then let it cool. If needed you can rapid cool it with ice or place it in the fridge after the temperature drops a bit.
After the meat is real firm slice it with the grain as much as possible into ¼ inch thick strips. Sometimes I sacrifice slicing with the grain to make it easier to trim off the fat from each strip. Make every effort to get as much fat off the meat as possible. Some fat can easily be pealed from the edges of the strips after the meat dries but try and get it all off before soaking in the marinade. Un-removed fat is the quickest way to spoil stored jerky.
Once the marinade has cooled place it and the sliced trimmed meat into a closeable container and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. At least 12 hours is best. You can use Tupperware or any closeable container. Depending on how much jerky you’re making large zip lock bags work great if it all fits inside. Shake the container or open and stir the meat every few hours to be sure all of it has a chance to soak up the marinade.
Cover the bottom of your oven with foil under the heat element and cover it as well as possible. Open the oven door and place an old thick towel over the oven door and over the bottom of the oven. Use more than one of needed. Put one oven rack as high as possible and remove the other. Slide the rack out as far as possible and push a toothpick through the center of a slice of meet about ¾ to 1 inch from the end of the slice. Drop the slice down between the grates of the oven rack letting the tooth pick rest on the rack grates. Repeat with all the meat slices not letting any one touch another. Try to have air space around each slice to ensure proper drying. Slide the rack full of hanging meat back into the oven and remove the towels which are now soaked from the dripping marinade. (Keeps you from making a mess!)
Close the oven door putting a metal spoon or utensil in the top of the oven keeping it open just a crack. This is to release moisture from the warm oven. Turn the oven on as low as it will go and still generate heat. It’s best to use a cooking thermometer placed in the middle of the rack to control the temperature. You want the oven to be between 120 and 180 degrees. I like 140 degrees. Change the oven dial or adjust the opening with your metal utensil as needed to get the right temperature. Be sure not to let the oven get too hot for any length of time as this will cook the meat not dry it. Watch the temp closely for an hour or so to be sure it’s stabilized and then let it dry for 8 to 12 hours. Times will vary based on the thickness you cut the meat. Start it an hour or so before you go to bed and wake up to the smell. Remove the dry pieces as needed when it’s time and let the others continue. The meat will be very firm with little squish to the thicker pieces when you squeeze them after they are dried.
trophyhunter
Sharpshooter
I've always done my own, I save the loins for steaks and the rest gets burgered. My favorite utensil for processing is 2 short bladed fillet knives. The only hitch is butcher's paper isnt nearly as easy to find as it used to be. A quality electric grinder is your best friend for doing this, even if it collects dust all but one day a year.
RandyN2075
Plinker
I voted no but I admire those who do. I've watched my neighbors a couple of times and it didn't encourage me. It took them hours which may reflect their lack of skill at the process. That being said, I've thought about trying it myself many times. If you have the desire, give it a try...just set yourself up with a good place to work and be patient....good luck
disengaged
Marksman
I have friends that process their own and seem to do very well. I've tried it and it took a long time and I wasted a bit of meat. I'm sure it's like anything else...just takes practice. After trying it - I really don't think $60-$70 is unreasonable to have it processed.
The price on the jerky seems a little high - I'm just paying for the base processing and trying some of the recipes on the site.
The price on the jerky seems a little high - I'm just paying for the base processing and trying some of the recipes on the site.
We process our own on post. So much cheaper and we know for sure we get our own deer back and who has handled it. I and a few others do the jerky. I also make those little slim jim like things. I think its more fun to then hunting, espescially when you see everyones face.
Always processed multiple deer ourselves in my group from WI, but if I get one here in IN, I'll probably take it in. $80 at a place near Plainfield... Fish filet knives work the best in my opinion, but my brother just got an actual butcher's knife, so I have yet to hear how that is working out.
Anymore it is just too expensive to take it in if you are hunting as a way to save a little cash. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy the great outdoors, but the best part of the two deer I took last week is that I won't have to buy any meat this year. Deer hunting is work, squirrels are pleasure is my take on it.
depends on my schedule. if i can clear a day and its cold enough we do ours. if not, its worth the $70 to have somebody else do it.
Shadownick
Plinker
My dad and I have always done it ourselves, with the exception when he pulls more than one out of the woods. 2 or more means processing. ALWAYS do the first one yourself though! It gives you way more appreciation for the meat! I just shot my first doe this year, and my dad and I are doing it ourselves.
i have only taken one deer to get processede and it was to expensive for me, so ive done my own ever since, if me or any of my buddies get one we all get together and help eachother out, it doesnt take to long at all and we have fun doing it. we always pick on eachother and mess with eachother about whos is bigger, we have 4 dehydrators and we always make jerky and we have a samll grinder, its time consuming but cheaper and we always have a good time
I have done mine for the last six or so years. I have a nice set up in my garage with a butcher table, a sink and hot and cold water. Got the sink free and made my own tables. It cost me a whole $15 and that was for the sink plumbing. I bought a grinder this year and it all has worked great!!!
Not only saves money
It not only saves money but you know what you are getting. The guy at the packing house doesn't care about what you are going to eat in the same way that you care about it. This is why home made sausage, salami and jerky often tastes better; the person who made it was going to eat it themselves. If you process your own deer then you can do it the way you like and if something looks/feels/smells a little odd then you aren't going to throw it in the grinder.
It not only saves money but you know what you are getting. The guy at the packing house doesn't care about what you are going to eat in the same way that you care about it. This is why home made sausage, salami and jerky often tastes better; the person who made it was going to eat it themselves. If you process your own deer then you can do it the way you like and if something looks/feels/smells a little odd then you aren't going to throw it in the grinder.
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