Hey ya'll, I was thinking of processing a deer on my own. I have a buddy that plans on getting a buck or two this season and offered one of the carcases for free. I can't afford the $65+ processing fee from the butchers around here. I've been perusing the internet and it looks like it could be doable by the average person with a sharp knife and possible a saw? Does anybody here process their own deer? Got any tips/tricks/advice? I'm thinking of just cutting the majority into steaks or cube meat for stews. And then I'll have some set aside for ground meat and possibly home made summer sausage.

 

Ron, it all depends on what meat you want to keep, but I expect you just want the best parts.

After skinning, remove the front quarters, then cut to the leg bone and remove meat only from the hind quarters, remove the backstrap and whatever meat from the neck. This way you don't have to break pelvic bones and worry about punctured gut bags, etc. It does take a little extra work to get the tenderloins out, though, but it can be done. Of course the backstrap is easy to remove.

Some folks like to “gut” the deer completely so that they can take their time in choosing the cuts, but unless the deer’s shot all up there’s really no need in it – the best meat is the easiest to get to anyway, imo.

Afterwards you can cut the hindquarter meat into steaks, just like beef. You can cut the backstrap into butterfly steaks and just cook the tenderloins as is or even slice them into whatever size you want.

The front shoulders are good for stew meat, imo. But, I love a good stew. Most folks like to grind the front shoulders AND the neck meat. And it is good for burgers, meatloaf, etc., as long as you add a little fat.

After cutting up or grinding the meat, you can get the freezer paper at any market (I like the freezer paper with the inner wrap. It’s more expensive, but worth the extra cost. Also be sure to pack the meat in small packages unless you know beforehand that you’ll have a large group to feed. You can always thaw out a little, but you can’t re-freeze.

Good luck and good-eating.

Orn

 

IMO the most important thing is to get the hide off the animal and get it cooled down immediately.



http://www.uwex.edu/ces/ag/issues/fm...deer-G1598.PDF

 

Thanks ya'll. I forgot to mention it will most likely be a buck. My buddy is gonna keep the head and skin.(He makes his own mounts.) He will field dress it too. So when I get it it will just be the carcas, minus head, guts, and skin. Ya, I've got to figure out what exactly makes up the back strap. I'm told that is the best part and none of the online butcher meat cut diagrams say "backstrap" on them. ?.....

 

Looking down on the backbone - it's the meat running along the backbone from just below the neck to just before the rump.

And it is tasty...

 

Most would call it loins, it is the major muscle running down each side of the spine. We just got done cutting up 17 deer last Monday, so it is fresh in my mind... the rear legs, if you go close to the spine from the tail area, and then find the ball socket in the hip, you can avoid any sawing at all. You shouldn't need a saw, just some good sharp knives.To get the loinss out, just cut close to the spine on the top of the back, and then again at the bottom part of the spine where the ribs all come up to it.

 

orn
how about stew meat and beef kidney mixed into a brown gravy over dutch butter nuddles,
you guys have me hungry for some venison right now.

 

Yea, Charlie - matter of fact, my son and grandson and me are going to cook a little of it up tomorrow.... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! I can taste it now, stir-fried onions and pepper, gravy, butter running out of some good ol' cathead biscuits, mashed taters....

 

Another thing before you go to cut it up is to get some water and run it down the inside of the deer and the outside. It will remove the "wild" taste of the meat, well most of it. The point of this is to get the blood off the meat.

 

orn
you forgot some gold mustard in with that. back strap while it's still warm in with onions, mustard and pepers. in a big pan fast cooked.
and i can walk the woods this year darn it. bear time this year/

 

I've done my share of deer and raised five kids on it in Pa. Don't worry about a saw, just debone everything. If you're not fimilar with the cuts go to a market or on the web and find a picture of where different cuts are on a beef. Loins both on top and bottom of the back bone are prime. Cut 3/4" thick they get fried very quick in butter. Twist the shoulder and seperate it from the rib cage. Deboned shoulder make great crock pot roasts. The section above the hind quarter ball joint make good rump roasts. No need to debone. Below are round steaks. When cutting steaks from the hind quarter you will know when it's time to make ground meat when you get to the part where it gets "sectioned". Depending on the size of the deer the meat between the ribs are ground meat. Scraps from steaks or roasts went to stew meat or crock pot. You will find that any place that will make sausage for you will be expensive. Cutting everything into steaks doesn't work because they just aren't tender. You have to select the tenderest parts of the animal just as beef is selected. I think you are headed for some good and healthy meals.

 

If you have an empty workgin fridge you'd be best off to quarter you deer and stick it in there for a few days to cool. My uncle does this every year for the last few years and the meat off of his has no gamey taste to it at all (according to others). Of course I have never tasted or smelled this 'gamey" taste before so I guess it doesn't bother me.

A good book to guide you along a little bit is "Kill It and Grill It" by Ted Nugent ans his wife. Also has a few great recipes in it as well.

The way I butcher mine there is almost not meat left at all on the bones I throw away. I cut out the loins (backstraps) and tenderloins, cut the shoulders off the front (if they aren't too bloody and messy) and leave the rear hams hanging. I then remove every bit of meat off the neck and ribs and start a meat scrap pile for the meat grinder to make hamburger later. Then since there is no meat hamging besides the rear hind quarters I cut the backbone offm split the hind quarters into halves and then proceed to slicing one into roasts and the other into steaks. Of course any meat that is left on the bones goes to the burger piile. Oh yeah, from the knee on down there is a good bit of meat on the front legs and back legs that many people throw away, but there is quite a bit there when you go to grinding hamburger.

I tried something new in my meat grinder this year, I added bacon to the meat as I was feeding pieces in. I'll let yall know later how it tastes!

 

I don't know the temperture in Tulsa but I disagree with the notion that the hide has to come off immediately. Most of our deer were harvested in the end of Nov. and I would always let them hang , weather permitting, until just before Xmas. That ages and tenderizes the meat. Taking off the hide lets the meat dry to a hard crust and is wasted in trimming. The best beef is aged in 40* temp for at least a month. Elk are different because the hide is thicker ond more insulating. The hide tainting the meat is just an old wives tale.

 

moms turkey stufing. she would mix chop venision and pork suausage to stuff the bird ooo what a taste.
i never have aged one yet. from the woods to the butcher bench and freezer.1 back strap always winds right up in the frying pan in butter, mustard, onions and pepers. about a gamie taste never have yet .

 

Getting hungry reading this thread.

A few years ago dad and I were butchering two in the garage and it was cold so he fired up the gas grill to heat our hands. Ended up slicing a stirp right off the deer, throwing it on the grill, poured some beer on it now and then and ate it right there. Boy it was good!