Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game What do you do with your critters

Hey ‘99s, point me towards a good stroganoff recipe? Been wanting to give that a try

I’ve been called an ass for being stingy with our kills. A guy I used to work with would make huge meatloaf type dishes with probably 5lb of deer burger at a time and bring in. Then complain in February about being out of meat.
We generally eat about 2 deer and one elk in a year at our house. We eat it in some form at least 3 days a week. Supplement with fish we catch and birds we shoot. We have honestly bought less than 10lb of beef in the last 4 years and that’s been burger patties down at the grocery store. We enjoy it and the less we spend at the grocery store the more we can blow on hunting and fishing.

My uncle tells me I am the grocery store.

Will do Bud !!

Perzactly our lifestyle too !

Minus the elk.

No moose since 2014, when they altered the Ontario regs, severely reducing tag numbers, making it only possible to be guaranteed an adult tag, for groups of 10-12 +.

Most of our local tags go to big groups that come from Southern Ontario - 17-20 hours drive away.

Oh, but everybody has to buy a calf tag, to be eligible for the draw.

110,000 calf tags @ $60 each = $6,600,000.00 !!

Oh, but think of the tourism benefits - There is basically none. These groups bring everything with them, including reefer trailers.

Sorry - rant over.

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I have never thot about Back Strap for 'jerky'. IMO it's too tender and tasty. Great steaks, BBQ, Fried, Charcoaled et.al.

Whitetail Deer - Steaks, Roasts and Jerky. We 'used' to grind some but have quit.

Jerry

ps: I kill deer for friends who process their own. I gut and rinse thoroughly and they come and get it >> With Smiles.
I give away a few deer every season.

I passed on these 2 'fryers' this evening.



I've killed enuff for the freezer and looking for one like this. He lives in my neighborhood.



Great deer season. Looking for Mr. Big

Jerry

ps: OOPS forgot. Buck pic take Oct 6, 2020 in my pasture.

Me too, please.

Pretty simple.

We actually like deer meat.

Backstrap, tender loin, about all the hind quarters are steaked, or roasts.
Usually butterflies.

Trimmings are ground with either beef steak trimmings or
80/20 burger. Enough to add some fat, but not hide the deer.

We used to can a lot.
But i got sick after eating it one night.
Not from the meat, I was the only one sick.

Since then, I get queasy if I smell canned beef or deer.

If we want jerky or something like that, I buy beef.
It's easily available, everyday, unlimited.

We don't "waste" deer meat on those things.

I try to keep roasts whole. Can always cut into steaks later.

I try to get the blade roast off the front quarters, sometimes it isn't worth it. The rest of the front quarter gets ground. On occasion, I'll keep a whole front quarter from a small deer whole and smoke it.

I like 8" or so backstrap pieces. Lots to do with those.

I haven't had problems freezing hearts. Trim the heck out of them before cooking, so that may be why.

Ground is usually a mix. Some goes with 10% beef fat. Some goes with nothing. Some goes with pork butt and sausage spice.

I’d happily shoot and deliver a doe for anyone who wanted one after we have our needs for the year met. It’s doe season starting Saturday and running until the end of the month or so and wouldn’t be a problem to gather a couple up. Except I’ve never had anyone want “a deer” they usually just want the finished product.

We used to get the gal at the meat counter down at the grocery to save us pork or beef trim to mix with our burger. Never had great luck getting it thoroughly mixed to where a patty wouldn’t crumble and rarely make burgers anyway. So nowadays we just grind it lean and add a dollop of lard to the frying pan before the meat goes in when making tacos or spaghetti sauce type dishes.

I improvised a pastrami with a chunk of shoulder roast a couple weeks ago. Brined and rolled in spices before smoking and running through the slicer for thin slices. It was a pain in the butt with all the steps and waiting but man was it good.

Imagine That ! (sarcasm) Agree. Why waste good meat on 'drying out'.

Jerry

Helped some boys in Alaskan that were self proclaimed seasoned moose hunters. Finishing up a critter we’d all chipped in to break down I asked if they’d gotten the tenderloins. Sure did was their reply whilst pointing to the backstraps. “No the tenderloins” I said, to which they gave me a confused look. I reached in and produced both of them shortly to which they replied that they didn’t think moose had those!

They’d been leaving them in the gut pile for however many years! Then the bastards had the audacity to swipe them and the heart along with my ice chest they were in.

That's M..... D..... Sorry !

Ignorance raises it's ugly head.

Jerry

Deer tenderloins are so tiny compared to pork that I don't make steaks out of them. Do you guys really make 2 inch diameter steaks?

I have more ways of processing a deer that I like than I can get out of a one. I like backstrap steaks, hindquarter roasts, stew meat, ground meat for hamburger patties, and link sausage.
I'll also eat liver, but I've tried the heart and it is too rubbery for me.

I process elk the same...Choice meat is steaks and roasts. The rest is grind for sausage and pepperoni sticks.

Front shanks get cut at the joints. I release some of the silver skin, leave connective tissue to keep it on the bone.

Wifey, puts a shank in a Dutch Oven with a broth concoction of meat bouillon, seasonings, water and red wine.

She slow cooks the shanks for 5-6 hours in the broth. When done, the meat is tender and almost coming off the bone.

Boil up some Russet potatoes,,,use some of the shank broth to make gravy...Enjoy!

To me, the meat tastes just like a beef roast.

Way easier than peeling all the silver skin and connective tissue for just grind. Plus, tastes amazing.

Slow cook them elk legs....You won’t want do them any other way.

😎

Negative on the tiny steaks. I put coarse salt and pepper on the whole tenderloin and roll it across a smoking hot griddle. Get a good sear on it all the way around and stick it in a 400 degree oven for a short time, never past a very rare shade of medium rare. I prefer mine purple and cold in the center but the wife likes them a little more done. Pull it out and let it sit beside the stove with some butter melting over it. Slice into 2” thick chunks and enjoy with whatever sides you like. Most often at my house they get eaten with steamed broccoli, fried potatoes, and a salad. I’m a savage so mine gets washed down with a cold High Life, the Mrs pretends to be more refined and has a glass of red wine alongside hers. Either way it’s living in high style.

Nodding

Butterfly them.

TL steak nuggets and gravy... Andy G says “mmm GOOOD”

Jerry