aging venison

[one shot scott]

Just wondering who here ages venison. I know its a tender meat to begin with, but I just finished watching outdoor edges video. He mentioned that a rule of thumb is 3 days per 100lbs of meat. it also evaporates body moisture, and body moisture is the primary source of "gamie-ness" I intend to butcher my own and just wondering who does what with what results as far as aging??

[Dereck]

Hunting up north we would let hang three days but cool weather helped a lot.
If you could Quarter it and keep it cool for a few days in a fridge that would be alright if you get one early in October.

[Boo]

Some butchers that I've spoken to on aging wild game have told me that because of the lack of marbling there is no advantage to aging. When I butcher my own I don't age the meat at all and see no big difference.

[Big John]

Same here. I dont age Venison. As Boo pointed out, there is no marbling.
As well if you cant control the temp correctly, between 36' to 42' deg. then it wont help much. Pretty hard to do without a cold storage or fridge hollowed out. I have had both ways and really couldn't taste any difference. The Deer down here are so well feed, it's always tender and tastey. Up North more some people hang it because of the bush Deer there. Totally different diet. I field dress, take home, cover with ice bags, including the interior chest cavity, next day skin and butcher, and vacuum seal, same night. As Bob stated I go for as much grill meat as possible.

PS: Bob I'm really liking the looks of that new Vacuum seasler you got there!

[lscha]

Aging deer? Not intentionally. If weather conditions are right and we aren't ready to come home the deer will hang a day or two. Never noticed any difference either way. It is always good. No white, no bone or connective tissue on any of the meat (including hamburger) means no strong, gamey taste. I used to cut steaks but not any more. We like the solid roasts marinated med rare, wrapped in bacon so I put everything in 1 lb chunks and then I can choose the thickness of the steaks when I want to cook some. I also vacuum pack all meat. Venison lasts ALOT longer in the freezer than other meat because of the lack of fat. I cooked up a package that was 3 years old once because it was overlooked and we didn't realize it until I tossed the vacuum bag and saw the date. It was great tasting. Before that I would not have believed it could last that long.

[Cossack]

Aging, properly done, requires a constant temp just shy of freezing, which most home deer butchering environs lack. I try to get the hide off asap. Let the meat set set up overnite and butcher the following day...if it's cool enough out. If warm, cut same day. Deer tallow spoils very quickly and contributes to the 'gamy tast' when it does. For the same reason I don't cut any bones wehn processing deer. The marrow is very fat laden and spoils - even in the freezer - much like port fat, if kept to long.

[dutchhunter]

i have been doing my own deer at home since i can remember granddad and my uncles doing it the same way .we kill m claen out the gut then rince with cold water hoses .hang by back feet in shade with breeze for a day or two if nice and cool i will hang for 5 to 6 days .then i will peel the hide off and bone out the whole animal right off the hooks .i also us brown butchers paper with the wax inside . I frealy ;ove my wild meat and most folks that eat at our place never are sure thy are eating wild meat or not .i think a big part is knowing how the cook the meat to get the most of the different cuts of meat .oh man you got me thinking about a big neck roast in the crook pot with tomato soup from a can and a packet of onion soup mix cover with beer and cook for 4 to 6 hours till it will just fall off the bone .yummmy DUTCH

[B-Logger]

Except for one year when I shot a buck on October 1 and the temperature was 78 degrees. We had to board an airplane the next morning at 5:00 so I took it to a butcher. Other than that we have always processed our own meat.

We can most of our meat (not the backstraps or tenderloin!) so perhaps it is different. We have experimented and have found that the quicker we cut the meat up the better it is. However, we usually cut it up one day and the canning gets done the next.

[chris4570]

I don't age my deer any longer than it takes to get them from the field to my garage.

I haven't had any complaints from non-hunters. If anything I've had requests for more!!!

[michiganman]

i also do not age it.been cutting up deer since i was 15 ,so 41 years.

most time here,i have to quarter it up ,sometimes same day.i set fridge just above freezing and let it set 2-3 days.debone and clean it up real good and cut steaks we want,and burger the rest.i see no reason to let it hang ,except to drain some blood from the meat.but its usually to warm ,to do that.

[Migabby]

Stop it. Your making me Hungry!!!!!

[Gimpaw]

Well, by now you must be seeing a theme. lot's of good advice here.
Congratulations on cutting up your own deer!
I took my first deer to a butcher. Never again. They make their money by doing it as fast as they can.
There are many good books and DVDs on the subject, but I learned on my own.
I lay an old table top over the bed of my pickup to use as a cutting table. As you cut parts off the hanging deer, lay them out on the table. This keeps me from working hunched over, and it saves much of the backaches.
Just skin them out right away, even if you don't cut it up that same day. Cutting them into roasts works best for me. I can always cut steaks or stew later. Cut along muscle lines. The muscle lines are clearly seen when the hide is off. Clean the silver skin off the meat.
I don't have the funds for a vac sealer, so I wrap each cut in saran wrap and then put it into freezer bags.
I did invest $80 in a meat grinder. You're going to find a lot of bits and parts that you can't use for anything but jerky or stew chunks. I buy cheap burger and grind about 1 pound for every 3 pounds of venison burger. This way there's enough fat for grilling burger. OR, you can just grind the meat and add an egg to the burger before grilling.
The first deer may take you awhile, but you'll get faster as you learn, and you'll never get a better job at a butcher.
Find someone to help you. it makes the job more enjoyable.
A country boy can survive!

[wabi]

A good friend of mine runs a processing business and has a walk-in cooler. I usually take it to his place ASAP, skin it, hang it until the next day, then cut & wrap it.
I've hung then skin on and skinned and let them hang from 1 to 3 days, and to be honest I can't tell any difference in taste. The main thing is just to get it cooled out good and past the rigor mortis stage making it easier to process.
I've done a few fresh kills in years past (before I had access to the cooler) and believe me - cutting one up while it's still warm is no fun! Taste isn't altered, it's just hard to work up.

[michiganman]

we took a old cast iron grinder,and added my plaster drill.this set up works great,and really puts the deer through it.we do about 10 deer a year through it./

i buy some good ground chuck,and mix it in it 15lbs venison,10lbs chuck.this comes out real good.you can go leaner if you want,but we like it for every thing from meat loaf to spegetti,burgers,tacos and you name it.even the non venison eaters eat it,i just dont tell them

[sipsey]

"The Complete Venison Cookbook"- was written by a chef who happened to grow up on a plantation in Mississippi. His opinion along with several other veteran chefs say that aging venison for 4-7 days makes a world of difference in taste and tenderness. I have been doing just this thing before even reading these opinons.

I agree that proper aging and handling of the meat can make a real difference in the final outcome. I realise that it is time consuming and not readily available to everyone. I simply cut my deer into quarters and such and place them in heavy-duty garbage bags with a twist tie, and place on the bottom shelf of the fridge for 4-7 days, or till my wife gives me funny looks.

I have made several converts to venison that had tasted venison years earlier and hated it. A good chef can take a bad cut and make it taste good, a bad chef can take a great cut and make it taste like leather.