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.
Cooked it too long !
Had heart last night, it was tender.
Paul.
"Kids who grow up hunting, fishing & trapping, do not mug little old Ladies"
I generally save the loins as 6-8" chunks, they can be sliced after thawing. Hindquarters make up 3 roasts each, can be sliced to steaks if desired later. Fronts and all trim go to grind. We eat more burger than steaks or roasts, so need more of it. Older bucks are ground other than the loins and tenders, again the wife likes more burger.
Thanks for your insight New 2 99s. Lots of great stuff in here.
Another thing I’m surprised at is the number of guys I run into who’d never dream of cutting up a deer themselves. Some of them act like it’s a task on par with building a space shuttle. The local processors here charge $100-$150 to cut and wrap a deer. Our little deer yield about 25-40lb of meat, no way my cheap ass is paying that for 3-4 animals a year!
I did my first one at about age 13. A cousin who’s family was of pretty limited means had shot a buck. He hung in the barn for a few days with him wondering what to do with it. We got some kitchen knives and a steel and just kind of winged it. Probably wasn’t the best job anyone had ever done but we ended up with steaks and roasts and it all turned out okay. Since then I’ve done some reading on the subject and it’s no sweat.
I’m home with a sick kid for the next little while pending Corona test results and our main task is to get the last 3 elk quarters off the barn rafters and into the freezer. The backstrap steaks I ate with a 3 egg omelette for breakfast were a nice side benefit to having a pile of fresh cut steaks in the reefer waiting to be wrapped! The two elk I killed last weekend have been hanging in the barn since Saturday with temps getting in the 20s at night and 40ish during the day, prime eating.
I usually dice up the tenderloins and use them in omelets. Usually make bone in roasts out of the front shoulders and steak out the hind quarters or grind depending on toughness. Those big old iffy ones get the frying pan test as we butcher. Tough ones get ground, canned or made into jerky or sausage. I also usually smoke the hocks for soup.
We have been taking moose to a processor. We do a 3 week moose camp and by the time we get back and get things sorted at home, I dont feel like cutting up 700 -1500 lbs of meat. Same goes for caribou if there are a bunch of them hitting the ground at the same time and weather is warm. For smaller critters like sheep, goats, deer, I prefer to cut them myself.
I'm far from a pro butcher, but we generally steak the entire strap and cut roasts from the hinds. I always break down the hocks and always wish I hadn't. I make jerky out of an entire shoulder from a moose or bou occasionally. If i know I'm going to do that, I'll set aside better trim for that too. We always end up with plenty of grind , so I don't have to go looking for things to grind.
JW thanks for the thoughts. Little guy was in the truck with my folks when they started to come down with the chinee crud al he can’t go to school and I can’t go to work until he tests clear. He was sniffly for a couple days but he’s finer than frog hair now. Mom and Dad seem to be getting past it pretty quickly with no major issues.
Cwh2. I hear you on the marathon butcher session with a moose or a stack of caribou. My dad and uncles were “kind” enough to hop their plane home one year and leave me and the Mrs with 5 bulls hanging in the back yard.
Thanks for your insight New 2 99s. Lots of great stuff in here.
Another thing I’m surprised at is the number of guys I run into who’d never dream of cutting up a deer themselves. Some of them act like it’s a task on par with building a space shuttle. The local processors here charge $100-$150 to cut and wrap a deer. Our little deer yield about 25-40lb of meat, no way my cheap ass is paying that for 3-4 animals a year!
I did my first one at about age 13. A cousin who’s family was of pretty limited means had shot a buck. He hung in the barn for a few days with him wondering what to do with it. We got some kitchen knives and a steel and just kind of winged it. Probably wasn’t the best job anyone had ever done but we ended up with steaks and roasts and it all turned out okay. Since then I’ve done some reading on the subject and it’s no sweat.
I’m home with a sick kid for the next little while pending Corona test results and our main task is to get the last 3 elk quarters off the barn rafters and into the freezer. The backstrap steaks I ate with a 3 egg omelette for breakfast were a nice side benefit to having a pile of fresh cut steaks in the reefer waiting to be wrapped! The two elk I killed last weekend have been hanging in the barn since Saturday with temps getting in the 20s at night and 40ish during the day, prime eating.
Also too tight to pay. Plus, most won't bone it out and trim to my standards. They bandsaw and pack.
Grew up on deer meat and cutting it. When you eat as many deer as we did, and are limited to 1 tag per year. You couldn't afford a butcher.
Ironic. Now I can get a bunch of tags, but there are so few deer I won't kill more than one doe. And reluctantly on one.
Parents who say they have good kids..Usually don't!
Deer backstraps do make great jerky especially when left whole length and cut 1/4” thick! I butcher pretty much the same as most here. I don’t cut very many steaks though. Backstraps and tenderloins are usually cut into 8-10” pieces and saved for BBQs on the red oak pit. Sometimes I’ll cut a pocket into one and stuff it with cream cheese, sautéed onions,garlic,jalapeños and then wrap it in bacon and cook it on the BBQ. I prefer to have a lot of my game meat ground and made into bulk burger, mild/hot Italian and chorizo. We use it in a lot of dishes and everyone likes it in my house.
Here’s an elk Backstrap before hitting the BBQ pit. Bacon was wrapped and grilled until meat was medium rare. Didn’t last 5 minutes and could’ve even get a pic of it.
We ran 18 deer/antelope through my garage/locker this past fall from 8 hunters. With 12 of them ending up in our freezer. We had an exceptional year.
I process everything myself since I do not trust anyone else to do it.
Tenderloins get eaten fresh. I like to age them in saltwater in the frig for 5 days changing the water everyday. They come out TENDER!
I cook them similar to TheKid above. Season to taste and use similar methods with the cast iron sear and into the oven, or on the grill at 500-600 degrees for 4-8 minutes total. Time varies with the size of the tenderloins. Always shooting for med rare. Rest for 10 minutes and slice.
After aging:
Loins get divided into thirds and vaccum packed. Cooked similar to above.
Never used to saved the shanks whole, going to try them this year.
Save the two big roasts out of each hindquarter. They will get tipped, steaked, smoked, or grilled whole depending on mood.
Everything else gets trimmed and cubed for future grinding. Frozen in 5 or 10 pound lots to make the math easier.
When it gets ground, it is made into 10% beef or pork burger. From there it is plain burger or turned in different flavors of breakfast sausage, brats, chorizo, ring bologna, ground jerky, or whatever the desire. I really want to try a dried venison recipe this year for sandwich meat.
Still have over 100# of venison in the freezer for grinding and future recipe testing.
Hank Shaw has a couple of recipes for shanks. It converted me to saving them. Stroganoff is great for game meat. Made Steak Diane backstrap last night and nearly started a fire when I flambed it. Turned out good enough I am going to freeze the base sauce so I can do it in short order again.
I used to go for about half sausage but lately I won't make any sausage or just some pan sausage variations. If I shoot three or more deer then I will make sausage but the first deer are almost all steaks and roasts. I like it when I only buy a really good beef steak a couple of times a year, the rest is all game meat.
How do others use the rib meat and flanks, and brisket off a deer? Except for fajitas these usually get ground.