Processing

[muzzyhans]

Been processing my own for 47 years.

I take extra care of my gutted, skinned, and quartered deer to trust it to no one. Just my .02.

 

[muzzyhans]

 

[Superman2318]

do my own 90% of the time. I only use a processor if im on the first day or two of one of my Tenn trips. I take 11 day long trips, and i was introduced to one guy that does really good work. But i have the setup to grind, cube and smoke. Plus roast and stew are easy. Still want to learn sausage making, but when ever i need that, i have him do it. I invested in a good grinder and vacuum sealer and its nice knowing how everything was handled

 

[Shorty]

Hello Superman2318. If your talking sausage like hot, med, mild and breakfast try Leggs old plantation. Its very easy to make, directions on packets. The best part is its super delicious. We always mix , 50% venison, 50% pork butt. Shorty

 

[Superman2318]

Thanks for the information. I think im going to try with some pork shoulders during the off season and see how it goes. I dont want to risk screwing up a deer when they are a little harder to come by.

 

[Patrick McChristy]

Shorty thanks for posting that - I made summer sausage last year with friend using Leggs seasonings & it turned out great. My boy & I are going to make this breakfast sausage at home - didn't realize they made that mix also

 

[Shorty]

You can use the 50/50 mix or if you are low on deer meat, go 100% pork butt. Leggs makes a bunch of great tasting meat seasonings and they never use msg in it. !!!!!! Good luck and post a pick stuffing ur face…you will love it..

 

[Rvrrat14]

View attachment 39781

Looks good! I do the same, but use non-scented white trash bags to keep meat from water. In the south, we don’t get too many days you can hang a deer, although I’d love to overnight.

 

[Shorty]

We had a really warm spell here in ny lately. A couple weeks ago my deer that were hanging were frozen solid, that doesn’t age the meat really well either. I like to hang them after skinning them immediately, for 4-6 days, then butcher..

 

[Rvrrat14]

What temp range do you hang skinned deer?

 

[Shorty]

Our range of temps differ from day to day. This time of year it’s usually about 32*for a couple hours in the middle of the day. Down to teens at night. The sheds we hang them in tend to stay cold all day and night. Its really good for the meat to hang for a few days. You can tell the difference when butchering them tic toters…

 

[TiggerLueb]

I am like most others and process my own deer meat. I do something that nobody else has mentioned. I can some of the less desirable pieces of meat. I use the canned meat for soup, stews and with Hamburger Helper.

Another trick that some have mentioned is using a Saw-Z-All to cut through the bone. I use a cordless with a pruning blade. I have used a pruning blade to split beef in half. It is a Game Changer

 

[Superman2318]

You can use the 50/50 mix or if you are low on deer meat, go 100% pork butt. Leggs makes a bunch of great tasting meat seasonings and they never use msg in it. !!!!!! Good luck and post a pick stuffing ur face…you will love it..

Yeah my plan is to use 100% pork butt as my practice round. It will be easier to replace a 15$ butt than an 800$ deer. But ill def that seasoning. I might try

 

[Wilyote1]

If you are going to make any sausage. The meat has to be cold. If your hands don't hurt from mixing, it isn't cold enough. If you are making sausage stuffed into casings, you should have a designated stuffer instead of stuffing from a grinder. There is a night and day difference between the two. I have been keeping notes of the sausage mixes I do for years. If you take good notes , you won't make a bad batch twice.

 

[Shorty]

If you do decide to stuff meat into a casing. The meat has to have enough water , without over doing it, in the mix to glide it through the stuffer. Very easily done and very helpful tip. Do not be afraid of making sausage it is easy and really tastes great. I usually grind my breakfast fine and my hot not as fine. Good luck and keep us informed…

 

[MrTom]

If you do decide to stuff meat into a casing. The meat has to have enough water , without over doing it, in the mix to glide it through the stuffer.

And make sure you use bottled or distilled water. Or water from an un-chlorinated well. Treated municipal water can spoil a batch of sausage in a heartbeat.

 

[southdakbearfan]

I am like most others and process my own deer meat. I do something that nobody else has mentioned. I can some of the less desirable pieces of meat. I use the canned meat for soup, stews and with Hamburger Helper.

Another trick that some have mentioned is using a Saw-Z-All to cut through the bone. I use a cordless with a pruning blade. I have used a pruning blade to split beef in half. It is a Game Changer

Cordless sawzall in the field can be handy as well. We always pack one elk and deer hunting and it’s worth the weight many times over.

 

[MrTom]

Cordless sawzall in the field can be handy as well. We always pack one elk and deer hunting and it’s worth the weight many times over.

There's one within reach where my deer hang too.

 

[GrandPaBrownBear]

I am new to the site but have been reading all the articles with enjoyment. I am a 66 year old Yankee readneck and can relate to what I am reading here. I spent most of my summers as a boy killing ground hogs with a drop block Rem. model 6 on My Uncles Dairy. I saw him take that 22Lr. and hog tie a beef steer to a tractor, pop him between the eyes slit its throat and hoist him up. I must have been driving that man crazy with all the questions I was asking but he found the time to satisfy them all. First don't stress the animal before you dispatch him. Second was try to drain all the blood out by slitting the throat if you head shoot it. Skin as quickly as possible and get it in to a cooler to hang and age if possible as these things all made the quality of the meat paramount. I knew right then I wanted to learn to butcher. Many years later at the age of 19 I did an Apprenticeship in a local market. The only thing different about how things are done by us in the field and at home with our harvest is we are not cutting fancy for display in a case.

 

[GrandPaBrownBear]

Well I guess now that I started this book... What I am trying to say is other than a few methods I have read , Everyone on here is doing it right. Just remember quality of taste and tenderness relies solely on timing. If the animal is not gutted right away it starts to immediately damage the meat. And the quicker the skin is removed so the body heat can leave the less the odd tastes in the flavor. And if possible ( and here is the difficult one ) allowing it to age under controlled conditions (temp. and Humidity) allows the natural enzymes to flavor and break down the meat.