Hanging meat with skin on.

[Short Track]

I have seen plenty of butchers hang meat with skin off. I am using a new butcher, and he only hangs with skin on. Otherwise, he says it dried out, and I'm losing a lot of the outer layer.
What's your take?

I have also heard that argument both ways.. If you hang 1/4's with skin off, it will dry out, and you're losing 1/2" of meat.

What's your opinion ?

 

[mike.adams.467]

I've done both, and there are pros and cons to each method. The last few I have had to pack out solo, so removing the hide lightened the load and helped with cooling. When horses are used, the hide definitely keeps meat clean.

 

[Indian Summer]

I agree with your butcher. Hide on for me until processed. For the same reason and more.

It’s nature’s game bag. Insulated too! Once it is cool it keeps it cool.

 

[Team4LongGun]

Hide on IF in cooler. The mess hide off creates, along with yield loss is not worth it.

 

[Ross]

Hide has always stayed on the mountain since 1980. Less weight, it cools better and game bags keep it clean. Never had a butcher say anything.

 

[Jason Snyder]

I’m my own butcher. I do hide off. If I planned to hang something for an extended period, I’d think hard about leaving hide on to prevent drying. As it is, it’ll be cut and processed within 4-5 days so it’s a non issue for me.

 

[rogerdoger]

Skin off, I try and reduce any hair on meat, when I think of putting a quarter in a game bag I think if itcontaining all the hair, dirt, urine, ticks, etc. to mingle with the meat while I hike out with hide on. Would rather lose a thin layer than deal with hide later.

 

[CMF]

How long are you hanging it? If it's not hanging long, you're not going to lose meat regardless of whether the skin is on or off.

For you guys who hang for long durations, how long can you hang before you have to start trimming meat?

I think it's all situational. Out west, I'm usually packing animals out, and I'm not hauling skin and bones miles to the truck. And like roderdoger said, you'r mixing alot of crap with your meat.

I've only ever hung a whitetail overnight to skin the next day, but in MS it's rarely cool enough.

If I want to age for tenderness, I wet-age in vac bags in the fridge after my meat has been processed into roast, etc. I've done up to 30 days with good results.

 

[mad_angler]

For whitetail, I like to hang with the hide on. I don't like getting dried outer layer and having the cut that off.

For moose and caribou (and gutless whitetails), I've always done hide off and game bags. It is a bit of work to get the dried layer off but it is the price that has to be paid.

 

[butcherboy]

You shouldn’t be losing 1/2” of meat by trimming off the dried outer layer. 1/2” is a lot. I don’t even get 1/4” left on the dried trim. If you do then just lay the dried side on your table, lay your knife flat on the meat and pull the dried strip back towards you and the knife will peel that extra meat off the dried strip. I hang everything hide off. If it’s all boneless then I vacuum seal all the meat and lay it on a shelf in the cooler for a few weeks.

 

[Read1t48]

If it’s all boneless then I vacuum seal all the meat and lay it on a shelf in the cooler for a few weeks.

This is the true definition of wet aging meat, correct? I assume there’s no meat loss because of vac and just typical trimming into various cuts?

 

[Matt5266]

Always hide off for me. I've never left the hide on longer than needed. I butcher all my stuff. Sometimes its hung for extended periods of time some not. Usually depends on how much time I have. I have found a cheap long blades filet knife works great for removing the crust without losing much. Think like taking the skin off of a fish filet

 

[Fireflyfishing]

Wow. I’m floored by all the hide on posts. If I found a butcher that said leaving the hide on was better, I’d look elsewhere. Ever been to a cattle meat locker? Ever see the hide on cattle? Yeah, me neither.

Hide off every time for me. This allows me to cool the meat as fast as possible. They go into high end, reusable game bags and are hung in the shade immediately. I want the outside to dry out and get the rind going.

When get home I hang my meat in an uninsulated shed as long as the weather outside allows (meaning it’s cold enough)…this is also known as aging your meat. If it’s too warm out, I debone and put into coolers to age.

I butcher my own meat. When it comes to butchering, you maybe lose a 1/4” layer of rind. Using a very sharp boning or filet knife trims this off with minimal meat loss. Have hair or a bit of dirt in the meat? It trims off with the rind you created.

To prevent more meat loss, I try to get the meat out bone-in. The added plus is the quarters are easier to hang as well. They are of course, heavier to pack out though.

 

[butcherboy]

This is the true definition of wet aging meat, correct? I assume there’s no meat loss because of vac and just typical trimming into various cuts?

Yes, this is a true wet age. There is very little meat loss and some of it just depends on how much you trim. Done properly, there is very little meat loss on a dry aged carcass bone in. Both ways the meat needs to be pretty clean for minimal loss especially with a boneless wet age.