Butchering your own meat...

[rayporter]

i have a counter top like this that i put legs on so it can store easily. scraps go down the hole where the sink used to be.
it would be nice to have a permanent set up like this but we dont have room.
we cut , can, grind all out own.

 

[dreamingbig]

We do. We have a cooler we can hang meat in. Let it hang 7-10 days and then cut it up in the garage. We own a solid grinder and a vacuum sealer. Takes 8 hrs to do an elk. Probably could go faster but we are picky with fat and silver skin.


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[Jbxl20]

I always do my own deer. I also raise chickens and turkeys. We have three deep freezers in the basement filled with meat that we have raised/killed and processed our selves. Deer gets made into the usual burger/roasts/ steaks and Jerky. The chickens are mostly froze hole and thawed in the fridge and cooked hole. Some of the turkeys just get too big and need to be quartered to fit in the freezer. We do meat swaps with family that raises beef.

 

[Zappaman]

There are some are pretty nice set-ups here, and I can see where several of you are quite serious about more than just a few deer a year I'm hopeful our next place will have a dedicated "shop" (big garage/utility room, whatever) with some bench space for future butchering (and reloading too).

I suppose, like most deer hunters, my kitchen gets cleared off, and I pull out the big cutting board, grinder and press out from the utility closet, and I commence to butchering for usually 4-6 hours straight-on until done- then clean it all up and make dinner.

I often butcher down two-four deer during the rifle season (a few weeks long and I'm doing it today) saving up the shank/tough cuts and freezing them as I go. This gets my good cuts mostly done and in the freezer before X-mas (where I am gone until January 3rd).

Then we have a "late" doe hunt here in January where I'll usually tag one more deer- the "sausage doe". I'll just take her straps, hangers and sirloins- but use ALL the rest of her for making sausage. I thaw the kept back tough fall meat (*and sort out the worst for the "dog grind"), then add it to this last doe and do about 40-60 lbs. of burger (15% beef fat) and another 60lbs in ring (hog) sausage and buck sticks. My dog gets a good 25lbs of her own too (and some toasted bones as well).

Then in March I usually shoot pigs and pretty much do the same process over again. But that's when freezer management must occur as I'll have upwards of 200 lbs of meat after the deer. I finally bought another freezer (stand-up) and sold off the smaller chest freezer. I used to fill a box with fresh packed bags of meat and toss it in the freezer- I don't do that anymore! (hate "dumpster diving" in my chest freezer with an ice pick!).

Now, older and (maybe) wiser, I pre-freeze individual bags (first in my kitchen freezer) then I re-packed in boxes that fit good into the stand up freezer. This keeps the frost DOWN and makes it easier to pull meat out of the box as needed. Nothing worse than a 30 lb box of meat all frozen together .

The above are some of my processing "lessons" learned over years of hunting and butchering my own meat. I'm sure we all do it kinda different, and so I appreciate other's posts and descriptions on their own process (and any tips if they have some to share). Electric grinders, presses, and for me: Zip Lock Freezer (quart) bags are truly priceless tools. But learning how to USE THEM takes time and all the advice now available online (and maybe here) helps.

Thanks guys and gals... keep it coming!

 

[TSAMP]

My garage setup. Everything I need store's below the table. Tape cardboard over the stainless when not in use. Bags over the other equipment to keep dust out. Everything there is around 1k total investment. It will pay for itself but I will say, high temp cheese, casings, seasoning all do add up quick once you start using it all though.

 

[Mikido]

I think a lot of people skip the very basics. Keep the animal clean and keep your knife sharp. It amazes me how carelessly people cut through hair. My knife never cuts across hair and only makes 2 incisions for the entire animal…..

Don’t be afraid of the “bad” cuts. A slow cooker makes everything taste fabulous. For too many years, I’ve watched family members throw away entire halves/quarters of animals. The first deer I shot, I brought home just the back straps and hind quarters (from my cousins influence). My father, a non-hunter but seasoned butcher, slapped the sh*t out of me and told me never to disrespect an animal again. Learned my lesson quickly.

Lastly, try the organs, you’d be surprised how tasty heart, liver, kidney, testicles, tongue, brain. Its actually my favorite pieces, which we eat immediately, and it helps me feel like I’m celebrating the animal.

 

[Gmr777]

I butcher all my wild game as well. Agree that keeping the animal clean and getting rid of any hair will make a big difference in taste. If you can’t dry aged your meat there are some great articles on wet aging, Rinella has one. Buddy just did his buck that way came out awesome.

I’ll second some of the above that heart is excellent. Anyone not keeping their turkey legs and thighs are leaving a ton of meat behind! Crockpot overnight and ready for so many dishes, turkey pot pies! Most people add pork fat to their ground meat but technically supposed to cook pork well done so when I want more fat I add ground lamb. Has a great fat content and a 80/20 ratio the lamb doesn’t alter the taste. Adding some lamb to beef burgers will also make some amazing and juicy burgers!

 

[Zappaman]

Huh... I've always added beef fat to my deer burger grind, never thought of lamb (which I love). Might have to check with my butcher for some lamb fat

And cleanliness is absolutely key from dressing to sealing the bag for the freezer (as well as proper refrigeration between process steps- especially with sausage making).

I WISH I could "like" the sweetbreads, but I have tried many times and just don't have a taste for most (although heart is wonderful- but it's muscle so I'm not surprised). Ate all the "calf fries" for a lifetime (marking our cattle on the 80s, 90s). Kinda like eating "mud bugs"- getting to the meat takes some work and need a lot to get a meal- still tasty when done right. Never tried deer nuts yet

Good tips guys! Keep em' coming!

 

[Gmr777]

Huh... I've always added beef fat to my deer burger grind, never thought of lamb (which I love). Might have to check with my butcher for some lamb fat

And cleanliness is absolutely key from dressing to sealing the bag for the freezer (as well as proper refrigeration between process steps- especially with sausage making).

I WISH I could "like" the sweetbreads, but I have tried many times and just don't have a taste for most (although heart is wonderful- but it's muscle so I'm not surprised). Ate all the "calf fries" for a lifetime (marking our cattle on the 80s, 90s). Kinda like eating "mud bugs"- getting to the meat takes some work and need a lot to get a meal- still tasty when done right. Never tried deer nuts yet

Good tips guys! Keep em' coming!

Yes, I’ve used beef fat also but have really like how the lamb mixes with the venison and fattier than beef. I actually don’t even use pure lamb fat. I get some high quality ground lamb and just mix that. The ground lamb has enough fat that it works for me. Straight lamb fat would probably be good also but maybe harder to come by…

 

[butcherboy]

Yep, I’ve processed my own animals forever. Lol I don’t add beef fat to my burger. I use bacon, pork butt, brisket, or lamb.

Here’s a pro tip:
Use patty paper or steak paper between your individually cut steaks if you cut steaks instead of leaving them as whole muscles. For example, lay two or three steaks down side by side and place the steak paper on top. Add a few more steaks on top of the steak paper and now wrap it up. This will also help a lot with stopping freezer burn. I still also highly recommend wrapping in plastic wrap first then freezer paper. If vacuum sealing, I still recommend wrapping in a layer of plastic wrap first.

 

[Zappaman]

Yep, I’ve processed my own animals forever. Lol I don’t add beef fat to my burger. I use bacon, pork butt, brisket, or lamb.

Here’s a pro tip:
Use patty paper or steak paper between your individually cut steaks if you cut steaks instead of leaving them as whole muscles. For example, lay two or three steaks down side by side and place the steak paper on top. Add a few more steaks on top of the steak paper and now wrap it up. This will also help a lot with stopping freezer burn. I still also highly recommend wrapping in plastic wrap first then freezer paper. If vacuum sealing, I still recommend wrapping in a layer of plastic wrap first.

I agree the wax paper works wonders. But I found my best method after years was to not cut steaks until I thaw it-- keping the meat a bit more fresh (red).

I probably need a video to show how I do it... but here's my mastermind (in my own mind anyway):

1) Put your meat (steaked out or still a roast) in a GOOD (pre-labeled) freezer zip lock bag, then fill it with water well above the meat.

2) With the bag open, work the air bubbles out and up to the top of the water line where it's solid water around all the meat- no air bubbles trapped down in the corners.

3) zip the bag across 3/4 the way closed- but leaving just enough open for water to come out.

4) Set the bag to the side of the sink and squeeze around the meat pushing the water up

5) And the trick part here... once you get the water coming out while squeezing around the meat, tilt the bag over the sink (where water doesn't come out all over the bag). AS SOON as the water starts coming out you want to get it ALMOST upside down ASAP. the lip of the sink keeps it from falling down into the sink. You can ALSO use the middle of a two sided sink, taking the top of the bag around and over it pushing water out and around and back down to the other side- with the top of the back upside down and your finger on the zipper when you get all the water you can out- have to time it and it takes practice.

What happens here is that once the water starts flowing out the top, you keep pushing the water out- air bubbles won't come back up through the top of the bag-- if you keep the flow of water going OUT- so don't stop in the middle of "the move" here. You can't fill the bag ALL the way as you need at least a few inches of the top of the bag to work this method.

When you see your water running about 80% out and almost emptying right above your small opening- you zip it shut quickly (before it can breath back air into the bag). Then pinch and swipe the water out from between the upper part of the gag (above the zip lock where some water will get between). Wipe the bag down, completly dry then put it on a tray in the freezer. I like to later take them and put them frozen into my freezer's cages or cardboard boxes (in a pinch) in my larger stand-up freezer.

It takes some practice BUT what you get is your meat froze in solid WATER (like the super tasty, fresh frozen, 40k year old mastodon steaks gold miners in Alaska ate a 150 years ago). It CAN'T freezer burn using water in the bag this way, but you want to just have a think skin of water between the meat and the plastic.

I threw out the (damn loud) freezer bag "sucker" rig years ago. The plastic roll was super expensive, out-of-stock when you needed it, and we ALWAYS ran out (or the machine broke). I can pull out two year old meat stored this way- it might be a touch darker (like ANY meat that old) but it taste 100% perfect. I rarely let meat get that old, but this system works, it's CHEAP, and I've showed it to my hunting "tribe" the last 10 years and most use this method now.

 

[z987k]

The meat is the trophy I'm after. I have no idea why I'd let anyone else touch it. Plus the typical things butchers turn wild game into is so boring... and not very good.

 

[butcherboy]

The meat is the trophy I'm after. I have no idea why I'd let anyone else touch it. Plus the typical things butchers turn wild game into is so boring... and not very good.

The only things I turned wild game into is what the customer requested. Customers brought their animals to me specifically because of how we cut it, packaged it, and the many specialty sausages and jerky I make. I’ve had customers from all over the US tell me my sausages were some of the best they have ever had.

 

[go_deep]

I've butcher my own for over 2 decades. I will say though @butcherboy is right, there's a few specialty things out there that I just can't make, so I occasionally will have some specialty item made at the butcher shop. A good shop has its place.

 

[gonhunting247]

The only things I turned wild game into is what the customer requested. Customers brought their animals to me specifically because of how we cut it, packaged it, and the many specialty sausages and jerky I make. I’ve had customers from all over the US tell me my sausages were some of the best they have ever had.

I do take boned out meat to a local shop to make pepperoni and spicy beer dogs. They are delicious and as long as I bring enough they guarantee to keep it in a separate batch. The shop happens to be named Butcher Boys .
So far I have never been able to match these two items! Like I said above I still only bring in trimmed and boned out meat in the amount I'd like for each specialty item.

 

[Zappaman]

The only things I turned wild game into is what the customer requested. Customers brought their animals to me specifically because of how we cut it, packaged it, and the many specialty sausages and jerky I make. I’ve had customers from all over the US tell me my sausages were some of the best they have ever had.

Thus you handle here

I use my buddy Gene to make his amazing buck sticks each year *when I have an extra deer. I often have deer gifted to me by a few hunters who don't eat it, but like to shoot deer (horns). In fact, as I butcher this afternoon, I'll start cleaning up around 5 because there is a likely chance I'll get the call to come saw the horns and take that deer home tonight

 

[z987k]

The only things I turned wild game into is what the customer requested. Customers brought their animals to me specifically because of how we cut it, packaged it, and the many specialty sausages and jerky I make. I’ve had customers from all over the US tell me my sausages were some of the best they have ever had.

That's fair. Maybe we just have a bunch of shady people, or the business is just too good(there's 5 people waiting in line for every 1 you lose). But I've got nothing but horror stories from places around here. For the time, energy and money that went into getting an animal, I just can't justify the risk. Plus I really like making sausage. I only hunt for the food, and I enjoy doing 100% of the food myself. From the animal's death to my plate.

They also don't offer to do just any sausages. It's all really standard fair. Brats, jerky, hunter sticks, summer sausage. All very uninspiring. Probably because no one's ever requested it, or even knows there's wildly better sausage out there.

No one's doing the stuff you get at the nice delicatessen shops. The stuff you're proud to put on a charcuterie board.
Spanish & Portuguese Chorizos, Mortadella, any of the cured and fermented salamis that take a week to a month to age, Bresaola, Kulen, prosciutto the 100 different types of German sausages.
Depending on the wild game, some of that isn't safe to make, but the ungulates are fine. I won't do anything with black bear that isn't 100% cooked to 160F+.

 

[Zappaman]

I want to step in here and just say that even though I butcher 90% of my meat, I am VERY happy with GOOD butchers who make a few "extra" treats for us. I mentioned Gene... a SUPER dude who has a licensed (catering) man cave. He does it RIGHT- 100% of the time. I have learned from him with conversations had while picking up AMAZING sausage and jerky he makes for me every few years!

But I understand the issue with shops that don't really get into what the customer wants, or just plain don't do a good job. Like everything in life, you have to shop around sometimes to get what you want and sadly that might mean mediocre results. My advice is ask around AND TIP good butchers who do GOOD work for fair prices-- well!!!

 

[Ryanbusk23]

I do, usually shoot 5-7 deer a year. Going rate here for a deer processed is $125… without cutting it up myself it would cost a fortune, that’s a new gun every year instead

 

[Mike Islander]

I bought a huge custom cutting board (4' x 3', not on attached picture) and process on my warehouse work bench with the custom Meatcrafter and bone saw. Wrap on plastic wrap then store in groups in freezer bags.