How do you guys process your venison?

[Gabe]

Do you take yours to a butcher or DIY? You can also drop your favorite venison recipes because I'm tired of just making burgers and chili

 

[Indigo22]

Steaks, Jerkey, and Slimjim sticks... although I haven't been deer hunting in quite a while.

 

[Tabby]

Do you take yours to a butcher or DIY? You can also drop your favorite venison recipes because I'm tired of just making burgers and chili

Do you take yours to a butcher or DIY? You can also drop your favorite venison recipes because I'm tired of just making burgers and chili

I used to process my own, it's pretty easy, doesn't require a lot of tools or equipment. Unfortunately many years ago the slip of a knife during the processing cut my right thumb down to the bone, severing the blood vessels, ligaments and muscle. Cost me several hours in the emergency room with a microsurgeon repairing all that was severed. After that I was prohibited from doing my own processing. At that time processing was a hefty $45 to cut and wrap. Last year It cost me $195 for the same cut and wrap. I am again thinking of doing my own, albeit with a knife guard glove this time. That price is outrageous, even without all the fancy equipment it only takes a little over and hour to do it yourself. If you want burger, a meat grinder is only a couple of hundred bucks and then you have it forever.

 

[JeffG]

Hang skinned carcass from rear hocks. All you need is a hacksaw or sawzall, and a sharp knife. Start from the front shoulders, work your way up. Ring around the bone with a knife, cut the bone, put chunks in gallon freezer bags. Go back with a fillet or boning knife and trim what's left. Think in terms of roasts and stew. Lots of delicious crockpot meals.

 

[Robin1]

Hey @Gabe , I'm a DIY guy for sure, mainly just to keep the cost down. It’s a good way to stay connected to the whole process, too. I bought a decent meat grinder a few years ago, and I mostly do my own steaks, roasts, and trim. I mix a lot of my burger with bacon ends for flavor and fat. it makes a huge difference compared to just adding beef fat

 

[Pedro]

I used to process my own, it's pretty easy, doesn't require a lot of tools or equipment. Unfortunately many years ago the slip of a knife during the processing cut my right thumb down to the bone, severing the blood vessels, ligaments and muscle. Cost me several hours in the emergency room with a microsurgeon repairing all that was severed. After that I was prohibited from doing my own processing. At that time processing was a hefty $45 to cut and wrap. Last year It cost me $195 for the same cut and wrap. I am again thinking of doing my own, albeit with a knife guard glove this time. That price is outrageous, even without all the fancy equipment it only takes a little over and hour to do it yourself. If you want burger, a meat grinder is only a couple of hundred bucks and then you have it forever.

That is a brutal story, sorry about the accident.

 

[Gabe]

I used to process my own, it's pretty easy, doesn't require a lot of tools or equipment. Unfortunately many years ago the slip of a knife during the processing cut my right thumb down to the bone, severing the blood vessels, ligaments and muscle. Cost me several hours in the emergency room with a microsurgeon repairing all that was severed. After that I was prohibited from doing my own processing. At that time processing was a hefty $45 to cut and wrap. Last year It cost me $195 for the same cut and wrap. I am again thinking of doing my own, albeit with a knife guard glove this time. That price is outrageous, even without all the fancy equipment it only takes a little over and hour to do it yourself. If you want burger, a meat grinder is only a couple of hundred bucks and then you have it forever.

Yikes, that's a serious injury! $195 is steep though, might be worth it with a cut-resistant glove. Do you debone everything or leave some bone-in cuts?

 

[Gabe]

Hang skinned carcass from rear hocks. All you need is a hacksaw or sawzall, and a sharp knife. Start from the front shoulders, work your way up. Ring around the bone with a knife, cut the bone, put chunks in gallon freezer bags. Go back with a fillet or boning knife and trim what's left. Think in terms of roasts and stew. Lots of delicious crockpot meals.

That's a straightforward approach, the roast and stew mindset makes sense for maximizing yield. Do you do any marinade or brine on those roasts before the crockpot?

 

[Gabe]

Hey @Gabe , I'm a DIY guy for sure, mainly just to keep the cost down. It’s a good way to stay connected to the whole process, too. I bought a decent meat grinder a few years ago, and I mostly do my own steaks, roasts, and trim. I mix a lot of my burger with bacon ends for flavor and fat. it makes a huge difference compared to just adding beef fat

Bacon ends instead of beef fat is genius, I have never thought of that! Does it give the burger a noticeable bacon flavor, or does it just add moisture and richness? I am definitely trying that this season

 

[critterpicker]

I have been a DIY guy since the mid 70's. The last couple years I made steaks out of the back straps and cubed the rest, probably 3/4 " or so. I dice a medium onion per about 20 lbs. of meat mix it up and cold pack in pints jars leave about 1/2 " of head room. Add 1/2 tsp canning salt per jar. Pressure can at 10 lbs. pressure for 90 min.

You can use for stew, our favorite is put canned venison in sauce pan with 1 cup water and 1 tbl sp Orrington beef broth base. Heat to light boil chicken with flour or corn starch and serve over rice,or mashed taters,English muffins, bread, egg noodles. Quick easy meals.