butchering deer

[CD1]

Anyone have experience with butchering? I've been hunting for years but always had the butcher process my deer. I cut up my first deer today. When you grind meat for burger, do you have to get ALL of the silver skin off? Seems like it's going to be a real pain in the butt to get all the tendons in the shanks cut off. I got the rest down, pretty easy really. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Fred Hansen]

Hi CD1,

One trick for grinding deer burger is to freeze the meat most of the way through. Then when you grind it the cutter has an easier time shearing off the meat.

The tendons can be a real drag. I just try to "skin" off as much as I can with a razor sharp filet knife. The grinder tends to do the rest. Good luck, and enjoy.

 

[Art Eatman]

I generally left the backstrap and the hams as roasts. Sometimes, of course, I butterflied the backstraps--all manner of variations, there. I never bothered to cut the sinew off the backstraps; it trims off easily after cooking--num-nums for the dogs.

The inner tenders (aka "poison sacs", but that's another story for another time.) cook just fine as is.

Shoulders? Varied. Sometimes deboned for stew meat; other times, cooked as roasts.

Neck meat and side meat for hamburger or spaghetti sauce meat. Or chili.

 

[Bottom Gun]

Trim all the fat and don't saw through bones.
It's the fat and the bone marrow that can give venison a strong taste.
If it's still to gamey for your taste, soaking in milk overnight can help.