Best way to cure and prepare venison

Free-2-Flow

I've seen lots of videos and lots of opinions.
How do you cure venison?
Some people pack it straight into a freezer, some hang it in a shed for 2 weeks?
What do you do?

FISMA.

Ideally, all deer should be hung for a minimum of 24hrs.

The older the deer, the longer the hang time. Hanging should take place with temperatures above freezing but below (about) 40°F. 45°F as a maximum day time high, for a garage, would not bother me in the least. Extended periods above 50°F would.

If you have a clean dry room in that temperature range, definitely hang.

The older the deer, the more collagen present in the muscles. Collagen is the main component of connective tissues and makes meat taste tough. Allowing the deer to hang permits enzymes to break down the collagen and taste better. This is at least part of the reason for higher costs at fine steak-houses.

For an older buck, if temperatures allow, I prefer to hang deer for 10 days and then butcher, depending on my schedule. Last buck hung for 14days.

Younger deer, like a fawn or yearling, have less collagen to breakdown and require less hang time. I like to give them three days minimum.

Again, at the very least, all deer should be given 24hrs of hang time. Deer butchered before this time are still in rigor-mortis. Cuts made during rigor mortis will cause shortening (muscles contracting after rigor-mortis) which leaves the meat tougher than if you waited the 24hrs.

All this said, there have been times when I did not have access to a clean room and had to do some processing hours after the cull.

If you cannot allow the deer to hang in a cold room or the garage, process the deer, with the minimum number of cuts to fit in a fridge: shoulders, haunches, ribs, back-straps, and anything else, like neck. Give a few days, and make sure there’s baking soda in the fridge to absorb moisture. Then, do the finer butchering cuts after rigor-mortis. Not ideal, but, perhaps, the best compromise.

I prefer to leave the skin on as well. Leaving the skin on prevents drying and is another layer of protection. I have never noticed any difference in taste in comparisons between skin on or off.

Free-2-Flow

FISMA. wrote:

Ideally, all deer should be hung for a minimum of 24hrs.

Thanks, I've a big shed out the back and at this time of year it's freezing.

FISMA.

Free-2-Flow wrote: »

Thanks, I've a big shed out the back and at this time of year it's freezing.

You don't want the deer to freeze while hanging. Freezing prevents curing. As per the below source, optimal temperature is between 1-3C or 33-37F.

If the meat freezes, the moisture will not evaporate and dry curing pretty much stops.

Here's a worthwhile read from Wikipedia.

A small space heater should be fine to help keep the temps just above freezing.

cookimonster

You'll really need to get a refrigerator once you start stalking. Forgetting about the Autumn months you can not rely on Ireland temperate climate to hang deer to age or mature (not cure, sorry I'll put away my Chefs Nazi Touqe now). The temperature in North Dublin peaked at 11C last week, I was watching closely as I had a hind and calf hang in my own shed for a few days prior to cold storage.
Flies will hatch at anytime of the year once the temperature is right for them regardless how sort a period. Bacteria are present all year round and only need the right combination of Time, Warmth, Oxygen, Food and Moisture to cause spoilage or food poisoning.

Study the best practice guidelines as in the other post, these are what they say 'best practice' and should be considered the lowest degree of standards one should apply. Their guides on gralloching, butchery etc are industry standard. One guide describes in detail butchering a carcuss of deer.

Again don't want to preach but if we kill it we should do it justice all the way to the plate. I've saved a few carcasses that lads thought they could store in their sheds during 'cold' days when their fridges went down.

SakoHunter75

FISMA. wrote: »

Hanging should take place with temperatures above freezing but below (about) 40°F. 45°F as a maximum day time high, for a garage, would not bother me in the least. Extended periods above 50°F would.

If you have a clean dry room in that temperature range, definitely hang.

FISMA you seem not to bother with the coke chiller that's usually mentioned when this subject comes up. I'm new to this myself, so I'm probably missing something obvious, but is there a reason for that?

FISMA.

SakoHunter75 wrote: »

FISMA you seem not to bother with the coke chiller that's usually mentioned when this subject comes up. I'm new to this myself, so I'm probably missing something obvious, but is there a reason for that?

No reason at all. We all have to make the best with what we have. Ideally, we would have a cold room, with perfect temps, humidity, and air flow. 'Til then...

Those chillers are grand if you can get one at the right price. Where I am, they are very expensive. Much more than what they go for in Eire.

Currently, I am saving up for a standalone fridge/freezer. That is, one large compartment, big enough to chill a hanging deer as a fridge, but when desired, can act as a freezer. Most normal units are either a fridge or a freezer. Gadgets that get fridges to act as freezers are usually highly in-efficient.

SakoHunter75

Thanks FISMA.

What's the going rate here in Ireland, anyone?

RKMG

After trying a few different ways, I have found the easiest method is that I gralloch and then skin (usually just hang it from a tree) and quarter the animal in the forest, I then split it into backstraps and fillets, 2 haunches and 2 shoulders. I then just keep these in mutton cloth in a 2nd hand fridge for a couple of days where I then butcher down the individual pieces and freeze when convenient. I usually butcher between 24hrs and 3/4 days later and have never noticed much of a difference in taste, either in stags or hinds. As I live in Dublin, the less waste I take back with me the easier it is. I would like to get a coca-cola fridge at some point to try out hanging them for longer but I honestly haven't really been able to tell much of a difference.

I have just invested in a small portable pulley type thing now which will help me a lot when hanging it from a tree

clivej

Groloch in the field. If an evening shot then I hang it from a tree at the side of my house until I can get to the butchers in the morning.
If a morning shot then straight into the butchers.
Hang there for a minimum of 14 days skin on.

SakoHunter75

SakoHunter75 wrote: »

Thanks FISMA.

What's the going rate here in Ireland, anyone?

That should have read "what's the going rate for coke fridges here in ireland?"

RKMG

SakoHunter75 wrote: »

SakoHunter75 wrote: »

Thanks FISMA.

What's the going rate here in Ireland, anyone?

That should have read "what's the going rate for coke fridges here in ireland?"

I have seen 2nd hand ones going any where from €150-€400 depending, I have actually been offered a free one so hopefully will try collect it soon!

FISMA.

In the field, the less cuts you make, the better.

The larger the opening, the higher the probability for contamination. The more cuts, the more waste.

At the very least, the stomach cavity needs to be cleared asap.

My procedure.

Step 1: bleed the cull.
If you have a trophy and plan to do a full taxidermy, learn how to bleed from the femoral artery of the rear haunch. For all else, a stab/incision to the jugular/carotid, is grand. You could bleed a trophy with a small incision in the jugular. However, your taxidermist will appreciate less sewing.

Don't remove the head in the field, you're just asking for contamination and throwing away delicacies like cheek and tongue. Also, if you're sawing the head off in the field or cutting throats, you're losing a lot of great meat like neck rings. When done properly, a knife is all that is needed to remove the head.

Have a look at what professional butcher, Scott Rea, can do with neck meat.

Step 2 - open as little of the abdomen as possible.
When I gralloch, I open just enough from the abdomen to the sternum to pull the stomach out. Unless you have to, do not cut farther than the sternum and definitely not end to end.

Step 3 - do the rest at home.

If conditions are fine, I take the bits out of the fore cavity in-field. Otherwise, I will leave removal of those details for the preferred conditions of at home.

DO NOT rinse the cavities with water. You're only encouraging bacterial growth. If you HAVE to rinse, because of contamination due to a gut shot, ruptured bladder/intestines, very bloody area, or the like, get a spray bottle with 50% water, 50% vinegar. Spray and wipe with clean paper towels.

Always try to keep the cull: clean, cold, and dry.

Leave the butt end in, until you get home. After pulling the stomach in the field, tie off any bits of the anal canal leading to the but end. Don't go hacking the coccyx with a saw and losing beautiful haunch meat. I always bring wire ties for the job.

When home, you can spend plenty of time to surgically remove the butt end and minimize any problems removing the final bits. More important, when done right, none of the haunch meat is exposed.

Once hanging, you want to get the butt end out to allow the chimney effect to circulate air and best cool the hanging carcass.

Trying to get the finer details out in the field, in cold wet conditions can lead to a lot of waste and can be unsafe. If you have a nice spot at home to work in comfort, do so.

cookimonster

In the beginning I practiced what I was shown by experienced lads and the more I got involved the more I saw, both good and bad.
For the last few seasons I have developed my own system by cherry picking from what I've learned and influenced by the situation at hand. I deal with a hill side animal differently then a one easily extracted from a wood or farm as I would also differentiate between a calf and mature animal.
As in FISMA post, I'll bleed the animal, but I'll cut the jugular just under the jaw line on both sides. For the start of the gralloch the wind pipe and oesophagus are cut trough and loosened from surrounding tissue (here some will strip back the oesophagus and tie it off).
I'll then cut out the anus and vulva or peel back the penis and testicles then cut anus. Loosen the tissue around the rectum and withdraw it from the cavity. 'Milk' the rectum of faecal pellets and tie off if desired. On a female cut around the udder or remove it, split the hide up to the sternum, make small incision into the tissue of belly around the area of the pelvis. Using the standard techniques split the belly up to the sternum, roll the animal onto its right hand side or to your left as you stand over it. Reach into the cavity and pull the main organs out, reach into the pelvic area and gently pull on the rectum and bladder etc, lay this away from the animal. Using a knife cut the diaphragm from the upper rib cage, withdraw more of the internal organs tearing away any tissues holding them to the loins, then cut through the other side of the diaphragm. Reach up into the rib cage and firmly grab the wind pipe and oesophagus and pull out from the neck cavity, out of the rib cage and walk it backward away from the carcass. Do your checks for infection etc and harvest the offal if desired ( I use the hearts and liver, but only the liver of females, calves and spikers, well out of the rut, the stags liver especially rutting ones are woeful IMO and although I like lambs kidneys I don't like deer kidneys).
This process will remove all of the undesirable matter from your animal and reduce the chance of intrinsic contamination. By keeping the cuts small you will reduce external contamination and loss of meat. But if the animal is big and you are not able to cool it rabidly then it is advisable to open the chest cavity and to allow proper cooling once in a more hygienic place.
Even with the shortest drags I now choose to leave the lower legs and head on until the last moment and if I know I'll be out stalking within a week or so I'll leave them on the animal in the cold room and bring them back out to may permission to fertilise the ground and feed the carrion eaters, I tend to do this now with younger animals as I don't for personnel preference hang them for more the a few days. Any hide or heads etc I'm left with will store in the fridge until next bin day or visit to the permissions. If I'm up the back end of a mountain with a long drag then I will leave the anus in, tied off, to reduce external contamination on the drag back to the car and finish the job at the car.
Hang the carcass skin on / skin off your preference, but unless you have good humidity control I suggest skin on as long as you like, but ensure you have plenty of fresh air circulating in your fridge. I have access to a walk in refrigerator and if that is not opened regularly mould can appear on the exposed flesh of the carcass. So as a matter of habit it is a good idea to open the door of your fridge once a day for a few minutes to allow the stale air to 'fall' out and fresh air in.

Just some information I dug up about meat storage:

'Chilled meat must be kept cold until it is sold or cooked. If the cold chain is broken, condensation forms and microbes grow rapidly. The same rules about not overloading, leaving space for air circulation, opening doors as little as possible and observing the highest hygiene standards when handling the meat apply. An ideal storage temperature for fresh meat is just above its freezing point, which is about - 1°C (- 3°C for bacon because of the presence of salt). The expected storage life given by the International Institute of Refrigeration of various types of meat held at these temperatures is as follows:

Type of Meat /Expected storage life at - 1°C
Beef up to 3 weeks (4–5 with strict hygiene)
Veal 1–3 weeks
Lamb 10–15 days
Pork 1–2 weeks
Edible offal 7 days
Rabbit 5 days
Bacon 4 weeks (at - 3°C)

Under commercial conditions, meat temperatures are rarely kept at - 1°C to 0°C, so actual storage times are less than expected. The times would also be reduced if RH were greater than 90 percent'.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/T0279E/T0279E04.htm

So if the professionals have their doubts about the actual storage times of meat then we as home processers must look at our hanging times and consider if we are in fact eating 'rotting' meat as opposed to 'well aged'.

Another guide line outlines the need for rigor mortis to set in and the recommended time for hanging, a far cry from some practices of 3 weeks.

'Ideally the carcass should be skinned while warm, or as soon as it has been lardered. The carcass may still be warm after skinning, if possible allow it to
cool without chilling for 6 hours or so to ensure the full and rapid onset of rigor mortis and prevent ‘cold shortening’ of the soft muscles. The carcass should then be chilled at 1° to 4° C and could be stored for up to 10 days to ensure tenderness and maturation, depending on age'.
http://www.thedeerinitiative.co.uk/uploads/guides/133.pdf

I know there are plenty out there who hang their venison for a long time and are going strong with no problems, but with every thing there's a fine balance and if it goes wrong then it really goes wrong. I feel that wild venison has the flavours and eating qualities inherent to it by the very nature of the product, ie the diet and activity the animal experiences. Basic meat handling practices will bring out the flavours and qualities with out having to hang the animal for excessive periods of time. But this is just my opinion and the most important thing is each and everyone should enjoy the eating experience of venison no matter what their individual preference is.

By the way just as a side bar and to high light the absurdity of the regulations, all wild game and fish may never be classified as organic due to the fact that provider of such products cannot trace the animals/ fish diet. :eek::D

FISMA.

cookimonster wrote: »

... and the most important thing is each and everyone should enjoy the eating experience of venison no matter what their individual preference is.

+1

I eat Venison because it tastes like venison, not steak!!!

CookiMonster - can anything be done with shins? There's no meat on them worth speaking, but what about marrow? If you have any ideas, please advise.

Also, I plan to make some: bolonga, kielbasa, and sausage out of a recent cull. Most of the fat I will be adding will be from pork, however, did save as much deer fat as possible. Is using the deer fat a good idea? How does deer fat taste?

cookimonster

FISMA,

If by shins you mean - hocks then have a look at this recipe-
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=88994035&postcount=275
I also use the hock meat for stews as they are full of collagen and make excellent Irish Stews or equally good Beef Burginonne......if on the other hand it's the actual 'shin' from the hock down to the hoof, nope I haven't done anything with it. Yes the marrow could be harvested and used for petite marmite or as a garnish to steaks but I have no idea as to the eating quality.

I do make venison sausage and in the beginning was adding pork fat but after some research and a lot of practice I now use exclusively venison meat to make them. Shoulder meat contains enough natural fat to make sausage meat without the addition of any other fat. If you are using other meat from the deer then you may add in additional fat from the carcass. Use the clean white and brittle fat. I've just finished butchering a skis hind and she was in great condition with loads of clean white winter fat.
I'll try and post a link to the recipe section for the sausages.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=85853368&postcount=255

This season I varied the recipe with a mix of venison and pork shoulder, this was a whiter, paler sausage.

FISMA.

Thanks for the links CookiMonster. True artistry!

By shins, I meant



and was hoping to make something like this



But as you mentioned, not sure how they will taste.

Thanks for the advice on the venison fat. I did not harvest much, but will use what I have.

This time around for the sausage, I purchased some whole trimmed pork butt, with the shoulder bone still in. Looked nice and fatty. Thought it would be better than just mixing in some bacon fat alone. 50% 50% - pork - venison sound like the right combo for bolgna, kielbasa, or [beer] salami?

Would the hocks be suitable for adding to the sausage?

cookimonster

http://gearpatrol.com/2012/10/25/new-yorks-finest-bone-marrow/

There's a few recipes that would make even the most feeble appetite drool...

You got me thinking, and you'll have to wait until Monday for real world experience as I have four legs off a Fallow calf in the fridge at work. But I did manage to find some medical pictures of the dissection of a deer leg. The pictures of both cross cuts and lateral cuts both depict that the leg bone has a very thick wall and a narrow channel of marrow. All the recipes I've come across direct you to the larger marrow bones stating that the ratio of marrow to bone was at its best with the centre sections. I would then hazard a guess and say that if using leg bones at all I'd go for the soup recipes.

Pork butt is perfect for sausages as it contains the required amount of fat. This fat is contained in the tissue so even if it's well trimmed of visable fat it is still a fatty meat . Shins are always good in any ground meat dishes and would certainly bring flavour. I do put other meat trimmings from the carcass into the mix, but in the beginning I was adding pure pork fat, then later bacon but now I don't add in any fat from another source. I will add in the pork shoulder meat just or smoked bacon just to change the recipe.
Due to their fatty content shoulder meat is perfect for burgers / ground meat
and I also add to it by using up all the trimmings that are too thin to dice for stews. Again this meat is the better meat for stews as it remains moist during the stewing process.

FISMA.

cookimonster wrote: »

But I did manage to find some medical pictures of the dissection of a deer leg. The pictures of both cross cuts and lateral cuts both depict that the leg bone has a very thick wall and a narrow channel of marrow.

Decided to cut up a few white-tails and expected very thick walls as you suggested.

However, was surprised to see a lot of marrow, relatively speaking, and thinner walls.

May try to cook them up tomorrow as a side.

cookimonster

Please post your finished dish, I tend to bone our the larger legs and up to now being roasting the bones for the dog, he may be out of luck in the future.

clivej

What about just boiling up the shins for a stock to add to a venison stew?