Meat processing equipment?

[Double T]

Wondering what everyone uses (in home) to process their venison. I will probably be making ground and using the loin for steaks. Anyone have a point of reference on a grinder that won't take a crap on me after processing one deer? I know how to bone out and everything, just used to using a huge model and not familiar with smaller ones.

Thanks!

Edited to add: Please stop talking about cubing stuff. I can't tolerate the machine for reasons mentioned after this. I worked in a meat dept and had my hand entrapped in a cuber. It's traumatic for me, and I can't use the machine.

 

[x10]

I bought a grinder from Cabella's years ago
an older version of this
Cabela's Commercial-Grade 3/4 hp Electric Grinder : Cabela's

been very very very happy, I made my own foot pedal, I would say that it would be much harder to get good grinds without a foot pedal to control feed, You would burn some meat everyonce in a while without it.

I also bought a tape machine, and bags and we usually process 3-6 deer a year and 5-6 hogs a year, A Plate, and blades last about 2 years, I store my non stainless parts in a tupperware bowl of vegetable oil.

http://www.home-processor.com/images/WP0062.jpg

I worked in a butcher shop for about 1.5 years while in collage so I got plenty of practice and it's stuck with me over the years,

But from the quality of grinder I've seen at Gander and Rural King, The Cabela's is a cut above, but if you find Hobart or a brand like that it's a little better than the Cabela's but not much,
This equipment is one that you need to pay up front because 20 year down the line you won't remember what you paid for it

 

[SNAGGLE TOOTH]

Good advice on Cabela's. I am going to try any make my own sausage this year

 

[PistolBob]

Best game processing device you can own, in my opinion, is a electric meat cuber. A good one is going to set you back a few Ben Franklin's, but man does it make quick easy work of processing a deer. My uncle got one from a restaurant that was going out of business a few years back, we've never ground any venison since then. We cube everything left after the roasts and prime cuts. Delicious.

 

[Expat]

I have a grinder and lard press that I bought at an Amish auction 20+ years ago...

 

[HuntMeister]

I purchased a LEM grinder about 6 yrs ago and so far it has performed flawlessly. All stainless construction. At the time, Basspro had the best price on them.

 

[jsn_mooney]

As mentioned, a cuber has been one of the best investments I've made. I've used both the electric, and the hand crank ones- they are both kinda pricey but work about the same, as long as you get the ones with the metal "heads"- I've seen some plastic hand crank ones I'd probably stay away from those.
A cuber, small grinder, sawzall with a long demo blade in it (for quartering), and a good set of knives is all I use, along with a good cutting board or two and some old stainless pans from a steam table I scored at an auction.

 

[sportsman223]

2nd on the LEM best money ever spent. We do 6 or 7 deer a year and a couple hogs. That grinder would chew up a brick

 

[Double T]

I had my hand pulled into a meat cuber when I was 18, flown to Indiana Hand Center in Indy; and that's what got me out of the meat processing gig. I will NOT be running a cuber. Too much PTSD for me. I've ran a grinder attached to my sisters kitchenaid after that, but I don't think it would handle venison very well. I agree cubing is great, I just won't do it, and our family would use the ground moreso than anything cubed.

 

[simpleman44]

+1 on the lem.

 

[triggerhappy]

I agree the lem is a good grinder but the Cabela's grinders can be upgraded with attachments you might want later like my favorite, a meat cuber, also jerky slicer and sausage stuffer that attach.

 

[IndianasFinest]

I make a lot of summer sausage, snack sticks, jerky etc. so I have a decent amount of equipment to make things easier. Most of my products are made by LEM, and have been great ! The first thing I bought years ago was a good set of knives, and a grinder. Over the years I have slowly bought things like a press style sausage stuffer, meat mixer, and a commercial deli slicer. Another great tool is a jerky gun. You can do a lot of things with them, and there inexpensive.

 

[PistolBob]

Keep in mind, the loins, the roasts, the steaks...all come out first. Anything, any hunk of meat the size of a quarter and bigger goes in the cuber.

What we do with our cubed venison hunks, a PistolBob family favorite:

Take a cake pan and place about a half cup of diced onions in the bottom of it. Spread them around. Now drizzle a little bit of Olive Oil in there...not too much, just a little bit as you need some fat in here. Take a pile of your cubed pieces and parts and shake them up in seasoned flour and layer them over the onions. Then take 2 cans of mushroom pieces and stems and ALL the juice, and pour over the meat/onions. Take two or three packets of brown gravy mix and mix it up according to the package (we use half water and half red wine)...then pour all that over the meat until the meat is just not quite covered.

Baked uncovered in a 300 oven for about an hour and a half. Stirring it once in awhile. The gravy will start to thicken up. Once the meat is done and reaches the desired consistancy, pull it out of the oven and let it set for about 15 minutes.

We like it served over rice, or baked potatoes, or mashed potatoes, or even over big globs of stove top stuffing. Once in awhile my wife willl make this and slice up some carrots and celery in it too....kinda ends up like a venison pot roast stew thing.