Processing after hanging

[Zkep]

So ive typically let my meat age in a cooler and recently had access to a walk in cooler for my elk so i hung it. Its developed a dry rind (no mold or discoloration, just dry and jery like) of course....my question is does all of it get trimmed or is it ok to leave that on for certain areas? Shanks for instance that will be braised or ground?

 

[wytx]

Trim it, you'll have less meat but do not put it in your burger.
Some times we leave the hide on for aging to get less meat loss due to the rind. Conditions must be right for that though.

Congrats on the elk !

 

[Laramie]

I trim mine.

 

[Zkep]

Trim it, you'll have less meat but do not put it in your burger.
Some times we leave the hide on for aging to get less meat loss due to the rind. Conditions must be right for that though.

Congrats on the elk !

Thanks! My first one! That sounds like a plan, i was hoping to get away without trimming those shanks but it sounds like itll be a good idea. I appreciate the feedback!

 

[godwinmt]

I always trim the rind on mine, but will admit that it's a quick job always falling on the side of leaving a little dry opposed to hacking away more meat...especially things like roasts that are going in the crockpot for a bit will rehydrate the bits I may miss.

 

[AKBC]

I hate throwing it away and the next time will try working the trimmed dry meat into the pile that will be pressure canned. A little bit of water added to each jar should rehydrate it. I prefer to process meat before it gets the dry rind.

 

[Zkep]

I hate throwing it away and the next time will try working the trimmed dry meat into the pile that will be pressure canned. A little bit of water added to each jar should rehydrate it. I prefer to process meat before it gets the dry rind.

I agree, i think this will be the last time i hang as the cooler system seems to allow the meat to keep its moisture and has produced great results thus far from a tenderness standpoint. But i guess its always an ongoing process to figure out what works best for you.

 

[butcherboy]

Like others have said, trim it off. Do it before you debone though. Just trim it off like you would filet a fish. I’ve trimmed thousands of animals over the years and it’s always best to trim it all off and then debone.

 

[wapitibob]

Separate every muscle then with the rind side down, fillet off the rind.

 

[280Ackley]

I save all my trimmings and grind it up for my dog.

 

[beachbunny]

I save all my trimmings and grind it up for my dog.

yup my dog loves butchering daY!

 

[UtahJimmy]

As with the above 2 posts: dog treats

I throw them in the dehydrator to finish them off. Bag em up and you have months of amazing dog treats. If you don't have a pup, give them to a friend with one. Way better than the crap you can buy at the store

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[PathFinder]

Definitely trim. In the future, don't bother aging the shanks. The way they get slow cooked, it doesn't make much difference for them and they sometimes don't work out if they are hung too long. I hang everything else for 3 weeks, sometimes 4. Rind gets trimmed and I feed it to the hounds.

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[Holocene]

Lots of good advice here.

Age a few days less in the walk in and get into processing bags. It's happened to me, too, and +1 on the dog. On my elk this year, I took EVERYTHING and gave lots of trim to my pup. She can eat for weeks!

If your goal is to get good aging on big muscle cuts, keep in mind that you can continue to age AFTER freezing and storing. Simply ask your butcher to put major muscle cuts into a large chamber sealed bag. Good butchers should be set up to do this.

Then, you can bring out a large bottom round (for example), and let it thaw and continue to age in your fridge. My family will cut steaks off a big leg cut like this for a week plus. The meat ages (very slowly) in the freezer too.

In short, it's helpful to consider that aging does not have to happen all at once. You can piece out the muscle breakdown process over time.

 

[Bloomscorners]

I started using the cheese cloth elastic carcass covers when hanging and aging meat. It helped minimize the amount of the surface I had to trim away. Can get them on Amazon