Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Do you eat the meat?

I ususually multiply Butchered weight by 2.5. So, I'm a-guessin' that it was 612.5 pounder (more realistically between 600-625 pounds).

Just a rule of thumb I developed after seeing a few undressed animals weighed, then fully dressed, skinned, etc and taken to the butcher. We did this with animals shot "real close" to the truck and only a mile or so from the barn. Just load it up and do the dirty work in the barn. Threw 'em on the scale for laughs once or twice.

Does anyone else know more than me about this ('cuz I don't know that much)?

BMT

BMT
Have had quite a few opportunities to weigh a number of different critters and the 40% meat rule is usually real close... Indy did not say if the meat is bone-free or if they added suet to the ground meat, pork to sausage or some other trick...

I agree with your guess assuming no bones and no extras tossed into the pile...
art

Forgot to add that a hind-quarter, trimmed close to the pelvis, but disarticulated at the ball, will weigh very close to 10% of live weight. The 40% and 10% weights agree very closely whenever I have had a chance to check it...
art

For you guys soaking meat in brine...How much salt per gallon are you using? I have always taken mine to the butcher, but I want to do some myself this year..

TIA,

Mike

FWIW:

"my" 40% is figured with the Head, Hide (and extra fat), legs below the knee and tail removed. It is based on a "hanging" carcass (as it hangs in the cooler), not a "deboned" carcass.

But . . . I am glad that the rule of thumb is at least close.

BMT

Sitka Deer, the 245 pounds was bone free. There were about 40# of hamburger and 40# of summer sausage, both of which had some domestic fat added. The rest was steak and roasts.

How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Don't eat much deer burger but love the steaks. KILL A DOE and bone out the meat. Remove ALL fat. Sprinkle with Lowery's seasoning salt and garlic powder. Place on hot grill and cook until pink in middle basteing with a little butter. Add pepper to taste and serve with a good red wine. Nothing is better and beats beef of any cut. Do the same with Elk.

av - Where have I heard that before????

Regards, sse <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

yes
With the exception of ground hog and coyotes.

I cook deer just like beef.

FWIW, I typically get 33% of live weight for boneless meat.

Ready on the Right,

Since no one else has responded to your question about the amount of salt needed for the brine, I'll throw in my $0.02. For thawing the meat in a covered casserole dish filled with salt water brine in the refrigerator (as I posted earlier), we use about as much salt as will dissolve in the cold water in a reasonable amount of time (a few minutes), with maybe a little extra. For the small quantity of salt we use, we don't waste much by adding a little more than can dissolve. Now if you're using several gallons of the brine, you probably want to get a more exact answer about how much is needed from someone who does it on a larger scale than one meal worth of meat at a time.

Thanks RR

I was figuring on a gallon or two in a big pot or plastic tupperware container..

Mike

I have a suggestion for dealing with a too gamey animal. just let the steak/roast marinate in buttermilk, for i think atleast 4-5 hrs. Will do wonders. My Uncle shot an old buck that we thought was going to be inedible and this worked great on it.

Luke

Well, I'm pretty sure they are better if they're cooked. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Try AD Livingston's "Rock Salt Rump Roast" -- don't have the cookbook handy but you put 1/2 inch of rock salt in the bottom of a heavy pan, stick a meat thermometer in a well-peppered 2-3 lb. roast, put it on top of the salt, pour more salt on until you've got 1/2 in. all over.

Stick it in a pretty hot oven (400 or 450, I think) until the meat thermometer says it's done rare. The salt forms a crust that will come off in chunks.

I've served this (both elk and whitetail versions) to lots of non-hunters and every single one has loved it.

John

try a tad of dill sprinkled on top of a venison roast (or a beef one for that matter) for a flavor difference.

soaking in buttermilk helps tenderize, too, for fried minute steaks (and gravy).

rather than brine, try marinading in dale's or moore's marinade. both are b'ham products but may be circulating nationally now. dal'e is saltier than moore's. i like 'em both.

Only marinade I've used on my rock salt roasts was red wine -- did that on the last one since it had been in the freezer over a year and a half and I'd already had to trim some freezer burn. Dang, it was good.

My girl is an excellent cook and I always eat her meat.

Mark

I won't kill something unless it's going to be eaten.
Everyone like upland birds and mostly I shoot whitetail.
The hindquarters get smoked into hams, the loins get roasted whole, the chops are grilled, shoulder meat is usually made into a stew. Shanks and ribs get braised or BBQ'd. Nothing is ground into burger, waste of time, plenty of burger at the A&P.

So Recoilrob, you never shoot a gopher, squirrel, blackbird, or coyote? Or do you eat those too? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />