Soaking your deer meat in salt water

[chris4570]

I don't age my deer. I don't soak 'em. I will marinate prior to cooking, and do my best to not overcook. The results have been excellent. Venison has it's own unique flavour, just as beef, pork and chicken do. You either like it or you don't

I don't think salt is a tenderizer. If it is used as a preservative it cannot be a tenderizer. A tenderizer will actually break down the protien molecules, and if left long enough will turn your toughest cuts into mush. Try using papaya juice if you want to tenderize your meat, or if you can find it papian(sp?) the enzyme responsible for the break down of the protien molecules.

[tcthomas]

People don't use salt to tenderize. Salt is used to draw the blood out of the meat, which as someone mentioned earlier, is where some of the 'gamey' taste comes from.

Tim

[Tar Heel]

I got a piece of the old doe out of the salt water after 4 days and sliced a steak for supper, wife fried it slow it was tender with a good flavor thats the most
deer my wife has ever eat so it must have been good.
I was susposed to drain the salt water and put clear in to pull the salt out
but I wanted to see how much salt the meat took it was just a little too much. Tomorrow I will drain
and put fresh water in and refrigerate 2 more days the aging should make it even more tender.
I will try another steak in a few days and let you know how it was.

[CYCLONE]

Putting plain tap water on red meat is a bad idea. Tap water contains many different forms of bacteria. Adding this bacteria to the meat will not help it in any fashion.

Salt does just the opposite. It kills many different forms of bacteria. It will also make the meat tough (and too salty) if you over do it. Just a very light sprinkle and you will have clean meat with a hint of the salt taste keeping the bacteria count way down. The game taste comes from bacteria. Get rid of the bacteria and the game taste/smell goes away with it.

Very good information bstout. I do have a couple of questions. What are the bacteria in common tap water that are bad for meat, I assumed the water would be cleaner than the meat surface after feild dressing and butchering? Also, what bacteria are killed by salt and what % should the salt be on the surface of the meat to kill the bacteria and eliminate the game taste/smell without making it tough and salty.

[leonk]

I soak a lot of game meat in lightly salted water with vinegar