Deer Processing

[rogdan]

I usually process 4-6 whitetails a year by butchering them and than going to a relatives to use a grinder and meat saw. I am tired of this and ready to get my own equipment.
Has anyone used one of those combo meat saw/grinders that Northern and Harbor Freight makes? Do these machine do a good job?
Thanks for all responses!

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I have never used one but if you do like us then just look for an older industrial grinder and buy it. It is well worth the investment. We have two bandsaws and one grinder as well as one slicer. Usually we do at least 6 deer, 5-6 pigs and a couple beef per year for us and our other family members. The old industrial machines come up every now and then and they will last a lifetime.

 

[LMTC]

Ditto on Robert. We acquired a nice Hobart band saw some years ago when a meat market was auctioned off piece by piece. Perhaps $300, don't really remember. It has made meat processing dramatically easier. I know it has been used for at least 100 animals. Friends come use it (hard to hurt it, but I do make them clean it good), and the cleanup takes as long as the cutting now. We have done deer, hogs, sheep. It was worth every penny.

We use an old, very heavy hand grinder to which my FIL rigged a gear reduction motor. Takes a while, but all you have to do is cut meat into small chunks and drop them in.

 

[eee]

Rogdan,
What year is your Farmall 140 ? Is it in pretty good shape?
Thats the same tractor we had when I was growing up/learned to drive on.I mowed a lot of pastures on our farm in WVa with the ole 140.

(sorry I am not able to help you with butchering equipment)

 

[beenthere]

I take a different approach to preparing venison for eating.
I've butchered 2-5 deer a year since '64, and only use sharp knives, from skinning to final packaging. I remove all bone and trim off all fat, or 'white' sinew and tendons, leaving nothing but the red meat. The larger, more tender muscles and loin, I freeze for grill meat (like it at least 2" thick and at least that in the other dimensions for the grill). The rest of the meat (except leg muscles with a lot of tendons and tough meat) I dice up in about ¾" cubes for stew meat. Used to grind to make hamburger, but had trouble with the 'gamey' taste, no matter how we used the burger. If anything, this meat that doesn't make the good, lean stew meat will go for sausage (at a sausage shop).
Without bone and any fat, the venison has no 'gamey' taste that has to be hidden with marinating sauce, spices, garlic, seasoning, etc. just to get it down.
Now, this is just my view of the venison preparation. There are plenty who like it prepared other ways. My hunting partner would serve venison at his home, but only on very warm plates, as the tallow would set up too fast if the meat would cool. I had a bite in my mouth once and took a drink of milk. The tallow set up, such that I thought I had just chewed up a wax candle. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Once he decided he had the perfect solution for cutting up venison. He skinned them, quartered them and placed them in the freezer to freeze. Then he took them out and cut up the frozen carcass on his big band saw with a meat blade. Wrapped those packages (still frozen) and put them back in the freezer. Only did that a couple years. I think his wife protesteth too much. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I love venison, better than I like beef. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I spent a couple hours today cutting, wrapping, and packaging deer meat.

 

[InlineDieselFan]

I'm with 'beenthere,' no bones for me, and I trim off all the sinew and fat.

right now I just have the Kitchen Aid mixer grinder attachment and I will hopefully get a real grinder from Santa Claus in a few weeks.

steve

 

[fishman]

How well does the Kitchenaid grinder attachment work? I've been tempted to get one, along with the stuffing attachment, to do some small sausage projects I've got in mind. My main fear is that the sinew will bind up in the grinder and it won't work well.

 

[beenthere]

When I tried a couple years of grinding to get hamburger, much of the stringy sinew did wrap up in the grinder around the auger and behind the cutter. Worked okay, but it just meant cleaning it, and the tough stuff didn't get into the hamburger. Suspect the kitchenaid attachment was similar to the old hand crank grinder that I had (have but don't use).

 

[MarkV]

I don’t hunt so excuse my ignorance on the processing. A friend is hunting our property this year and we used a local processor for the one deer he has gotten so far. He was telling us that hanging the deer in the cooler to age for 3 days was important to tenderize and minimize the gamey taste. Do you guys age your venison before processing? I suppose it is cold enough up North to hang with out a cooler but how do you Southern folks do it? We have an interest in processing the next one ourselves but are unsure how we could age it.

MarkV

 

[LMTC]

Upper 40s is cool enough to hang one to age, just keep it under cover in the shade. As long as there are no flies, etc. around, we hang in the barn and have not had a problem with highs even hitting 50 if overnights get in the upper 30s or less. Chill the carcass asap with cold water (washing it usually does this) and then let it hang 2-3 days. Make sure it is cleaned well inside...we hang with the skin on to help keep it clean.