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I cut all of our meat around here, process one for family occasionally as well. I have a grinder, a canner, and a big old antique slicer.

My general plan of attack is like this. Backstraps get cut into steaks 1” thick and packaged 5 to a pack for deer 4 for elk. Each hindquarter gives us one or two roasts plus steaks cut 3/4” thick for chicken frying or cutting up for fajitas. Front quarters get deboned and all the silver skin and connective tissues trimmed off then into either the grinder or the canner. Any trim or odds and ends like briskets or neck meat goes into the canner or grinder.

I ask mainly because of some guys I work with. One guy grinds everything and mixes it 50/50 with store bought pork sausage. Another makes his all into jerky or summer sausage.

I always assumed that most folks did them similarly to the way I do but lately I’ve found almost no one who actually eats deer steaks. Just seems odd to me to use prime cuts for jerky or burger.

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back straps do make excellent jerky .


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Originally Posted by TheKid
I cut all of our meat around here, process one for family occasionally as well. I have a grinder, a canner, and a big old antique slicer.

My general plan of attack is like this. Backstraps get cut into steaks 1” thick and packaged 5 to a pack for deer 4 for elk. Each hindquarter gives us one or two roasts plus steaks cut 3/4” thick for chicken frying or cutting up for fajitas. Front quarters get deboned and all the silver skin and connective tissues trimmed off then into either the grinder or the canner. Any trim or odds and ends like briskets or neck meat goes into the canner or grinder.

I ask mainly because of some guys I work with. One guy grinds everything and mixes it 50/50 with store bought pork sausage. Another makes his all into jerky or summer sausage.

I always assumed that most folks did them similarly to the way I do but lately I’ve found almost no one who actually eats deer steaks. Just seems odd to me to use prime cuts for jerky or burger.


I do pretty much the same as you, except no elk here and I don't do roasts on the hindquarters, I make it all steaks, sirloin, sirloin tip, top, bottom and eye round are all cut into 1 inch steaks except for the eye which is so small I cut it in half longways to make 2 steaks. I also will cut the backstraps at a slight angle to make a wider piece of meat and slice thin for cutlets. Any scrap pieces from here go into the grinder along with all the front quarter, neck and brisket meat.

I just can't see grinding hindquarters or backstraps, it is way too good as steaks/cutlets.

For the grinder I buy beef fat from a local butcher and grind 4 lbs. meat and 1 lb. beef fat for 80% chop meat. Hard to tell the difference from store bought 80% lean chop meat.

And backstraps cut into cutlets and made as deer cutlet parmigiana along with spaghetti are to die for.


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I don’t buy beef, and all my elk, moose, sheep, and pronghorn get made into mostly fresh cuts (roasts, steaks, stew meat, grind), and all my WT and MD get made entirely into sausage and jerky. I suppose if I ever ran low on fresh non-deer meat, then the deer would turn into fresh cuts, as well, but so far that’s never been necessary. I used to make fresh cuts out of deer as well, but decided I prefer the other critters if eating fresh meat, and deer sausage/jerky is mighty fine.

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Bucks go into summer sausage, brats pepperoni, backstraps and all. Bulls are for eatin and cannin.


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I leave everything in trimmed chunks instead of slicing them even the backstraps. Sometimes I want to cook them as a roast etc.. and it is a whole lot easier down the road to make chunks into steaks than it is to make steaks into chunks. I grind meat from the front quarters except for the chuck roasts. The shanks and necks get pressure cooked and made into soup. Sometimes I leave the ribs whole for the grill and sometimes I bones them out and add to the grind with every other scrap I can get off the bone. Heart and liver are saved for frying and the tongue gets boiled and peeled.


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As an interesting aside.

I grew up in SW Oklahoma eating deer and elk from here and elk and muleys from SW Colorado. I never had a preference between our whitetail deer and elk from CO or from here. Occasionally we’d get a big mule deer that was musky and strong but never an elk or whitetail.

Therefore I never understood people like my cousins from NM or my mother in law who’s from the MT/ID/WA neighborhood, who emphatically stated they absolutely do not like deer. Until last month when my mother in law moved down here.

After eating some deer we killed in Nov and some elk I killed last week she remarked at how weird it was with the game down here. She explained that the deer here don’t have the “deer” taste like they do where she’s lived and that they are just as mild as elk. Made sense to me then as I hadn’t experienced that and never really got how everyone always went on and on about how great elk are.

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I process my own stuff as well. My current process is geared towards versatility with cooking as well as time saving during butchering. Currently what I do:

Back straps are trimmed cut into 8-10” chunks. I like to leave them whole and usually prefer to cook them whole And then slice into steaks just before serving. Sometimes I’ll do a Wellington. Can still be cut into whatever you at time of preparation. Very versatile to have a whole chunk.

If I have the whole animal then I’ll split down spine and cut some bone-in steaks from the backstrap

Hind quarters, all the whole muscles get separated and I take a lot of roasts off the round. I leave them whole for versatility just like the backstrap. Jerky, breakfast steaks, cubed for taco meat, carpaccio, sushi, braise, you name it. It’s great meat and I take what I can. My kids love steak and eggs

All shanks get cut for osso bucco or left while for braising. Ain’t got time to trim tendons and they are fun to prepare as shanks and it’s easy to butcher this way

Front quarters get ground

Clean trim gets ground

Trim that is fatty or bloodstained, ribs, stuff that is otherwise edible but I suspect may alter flavor of grind at all I save and do random stuff with it. I’m not picky so I’ll make sure and eat it but also generally don’t serve it to others as it’s occasionally gamey although usually I think oh I should have ground that. Usually a heavily seasoned braise or tacos and such

For grind I usually split between burger and Italian sausage. Italian is a versatile sausage and we love pasta and meatballs. Burgers are great too. Occasionally we smoke summer sausage or make other sausage depending on how the meat situation looks for the year

Organs get saved as well and I try to eat heart, liver, kidneys and tongue that week. Sometimes the balls as well





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Backstraps, Eye of round, top round , bottom round , sirlion, next roasts. and trim. Make various sausages and burger out of the trim.

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Originally Posted by TheKid
I cut all of our meat around here, process one for family occasionally as well. I have a grinder, a canner, and a big old antique slicer.

My general plan of attack is like this. Backstraps get cut into steaks 1” thick and packaged 5 to a pack for deer 4 for elk. Each hindquarter gives us one or two roasts plus steaks cut 3/4” thick for chicken frying or cutting up for fajitas. Front quarters get deboned and all the silver skin and connective tissues trimmed off then into either the grinder or the canner. Any trim or odds and ends like briskets or neck meat goes into the canner or grinder.

I ask mainly because of some guys I work with. One guy grinds everything and mixes it 50/50 with store bought pork sausage. Another makes his all into jerky or summer sausage.

I always assumed that most folks did them similarly to the way I do but lately I’ve found almost no one who actually eats deer steaks. Just seems odd to me to use prime cuts for jerky or burger.
The plan is usually Backstraps and tenderloin, then a hindquarter used for a roast or general meet used in recipes and the rest turned into sausage. It depends though what I have on hand, how many deer, elk, pronghorn and bear I’ve shot this year. I hunt multi state and we are a small family. A lot of times I give it away. I can get burned out on deer steaks but if I use it creatively like in tacos, bean soups and what not I am good. Elk is another story.
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I just polished of the last of the elk heart we had for supper last night. Still have one heart and one liver left that I need to fry up this week. Easily my two favorite parts of a deer or elk.

What do you do with the kidneys? Indians around here eat beef kidneys but they usually eat them raw with a little salt, I’m fairly adventurous but I’ll pass on that.

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I Butcher em with as few cuts possible and don’t trim them at all. Triple wrap each muscle group (2 plastic wrap with as much air removed as possible, then butcher paper) with trim sides out so that if something gets freezer burned it’ll be the stuff I’d intended to trim anyway.

Trim, flank steaks, and shoulders go to local butcher to be ground and made into brats which I grill during the summer.

Tongue & shanks are frozen until I have enough to serve a bunch of guys and, along with backstraps, I bring those to “hunting guy gatherings” of various sorts that take place during the summer, or save them for a holiday (serving oso bucco to family Christmas day this year).

Heart, neck roast, and tenderloins are eaten fresh never frozen.

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I have sausage made out of my deer, pigs become coyote and buzzard food.

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Very interesting... My first wife and I processed our own deer, antelope, elk and moose.. Also one bighorn sheep.. We did this until she passed in 2006.. We ate lots of wild game, but some beef and pork..

Now, I usually have my wild game processed with a local processor.. My second wife and I used some wild game, but mostly gave it to her children.. Since her passing, I doubt I keep any wild game.. I will give it to friends or process it and give it to my step daughter.. I am on the down hill side of this now.. The last deer I had done, we made into roasts and hamburger.. When I get home, I will give it to folks who can use some wild game..


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Originally Posted by efw


Heart and tenderloins are eaten fresh never frozen.


Same


Originally Posted by TheKid


What do you do with the kidneys? Indians around here eat beef kidneys but they usually eat them raw with a little salt, I’m fairly adventurous but I’ll pass on that.


I’ve tried them a few ways and the only way worth a damn so far:

Deviled Kidneys

I use this English chap’s recipe with a few modifications. Firstly I ditch the accent. I also sauté some mushrooms, the brown ones are best and if you can find the baby brown ones use those. Sauté them in a little bacon fat and olive oil or butter with salt and pepper. As soon as they are soft remove and set aside. The mushrooms add volume, have a similar texture to the kidney and help cut the sharp flavor of the kidney. Taste of kidneys is similar to liver but texture is like mushrooms

Then I use the English chap’s recipe and add back the mushrooms right after the flambé. For whisky I use Famous Grouse but any light clean whisky would be fine. Anything Irish, Jameson, would be great. I think a good clean bourbon would work, as would brandy.

I use a regular heavy cream. I use Coleman’s English Mustard. also use a toaster to make the toast like a regular bastard

When done right this recipe is dynamite and is fun to do

Elk kidneys, cut lengthwise and remove white stuff, then I cut into cubes. I also soak them in milk for 1-24 hours if possible. Then follow the recipe:
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Reducing after adding cream
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

The fresh parsley on top is a nice touch
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]




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Interesting thanks. 👍🏻

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Bone in shoulder roasts, everything in larger cuts until time to cook. Backstraps in 8-10” pieces, cooked whole and sliced thin. Scraps for jerky.

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If I want some jerky I’ll bone out a shoulder and run it through the slicer about 1/8” thick. Makes it nice to have all the slices a uniform thickness as far as a consistent end product.

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Originally Posted by TheKid
I cut all of our meat around here, process one for family occasionally as well. I have a grinder, a canner, and a big old antique slicer.

My general plan of attack is like this. Backstraps get cut into steaks 1” thick and packaged 5 to a pack for deer 4 for elk. Each hindquarter gives us one or two roasts plus steaks cut 3/4” thick for chicken frying or cutting up for fajitas. Front quarters get deboned and all the silver skin and connective tissues trimmed off then into either the grinder or the canner. Any trim or odds and ends like briskets or neck meat goes into the canner or grinder.

I ask mainly because of some guys I work with. One guy grinds everything and mixes it 50/50 with store bought pork sausage. Another makes his all into jerky or summer sausage.

I always assumed that most folks did them similarly to the way I do but lately I’ve found almost no one who actually eats deer steaks. Just seems odd to me to use prime cuts for jerky or burger.


Back straps I cut into 3rd's & vacuum pack - Like to cook them that size & slice to plate.

Whole muscles from the hinds get vacuum packed - versatility (Can steak, cube for steak, cut for stir fry etc)

Tenderloins - removed after 24hrs hanging & eaten the next night.

Heart - removed, cleaned with cold water, sliced to clean thoroughly - Into a zip lock & marinaded for next day dinner.

Neck roasts removed in 4 pieces - vacuum pack - Love low n slow pulled neck roast sammies !

Shanks remain whole - 2 per bag & vacuum packed.

Sirloin tips removed - will be cut into strips & made into stroganoff the on butchering night.

Front shoulders de-boned, chunked & into grind bin - add other clean trim, vacuum pak in 10-15lb bags.freeze all when done for later grinding, usually on a brutal Jan/Feb day.

****All my meat is butchered clean, no fat, no silver skin, no hair !

To grinding - I add roughly 30% pork to all my burger, not for fat, nor flavour, but to increase volume. This pork is always whole pork loins. Remove meat from freezer, before bed & put in shower stall of second bathroom.

Get up, coffee on, organise work area, chunk the mostly frozen pork loins, open the mostly frozen deer chunk bags & get at it.

I grind twice, with the same plate - only to help mix the pork & deer.

I make 2lb softballs, vacuum pack & flatten under the vacuum.

Zero jerky, sometimes smokies, when we have an abundance of deer meat.

YMMV !

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

grin


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Straps and rears into steaks.
Rest is ground.
Some ground used for summer sausage and jerky.
Rest of ground given away.

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