Deer Meat Aging

[woody-san]

I was snooping around on the net yesterday and found some interesting info. They say not to butcher the deer until the rigor mortis has run it's course, usually about 24 hours. The rigor mortis can make the meat very tough. I hadn't heard this before, but it makes sense.

[dan]

I block it out, put it in garbage bags

A lot of people do this, and I just want to remind everyone that some garbage bag companies put chemicals in the garbage bags to keep garbage from stinking or break it down... A butcher told me this when I brought him meat in a garbage bag. He said if I can't find food grade bags big enough to at least turn the garbage bags inside out so the chemically treated side is not against the meat...

[buck_junkie]

Something else to add to this thread, you know those annoying hairs that tend to be on everything no matter how much you try to pick them off? I have tried the water hose and it is not much help either except...under high pressure, that's right I use a pressure washer sometimes but turn the pressure down or stand back but it helps out tremendously. After that I use a propane torch to finish off the rest. Those hairs being hollow they burn up quickly. My wife and kids love venison but if there is a hair to be found my little girl thinks the whole meal is ruined because their 'yucky'.

[Sneaky]

I always age at least a few days. What I like to do is let it age in a cooler on ice, or in an old fridge, for about three days, and then I'll start butchering. That way, it all ages some, and I can take my time butchering it. I'll do a quarter at a time, unless I have a few deer, then I'll do more. So the total process is about a week. Some ages three days, some ages more, but it all ages and I'm not rushed to do it.

I started doing it like that because of elk. Butchering a whole elk by yourself is quite a job. Spreading it out over a few days really helps. It also helps when you come home with three deer, too.

[dan]

A friend of mine hangs deer for months and to the point where any reasonable person would throw them out. I can remember going over to his place about 15 years ago to visit in late February and his gun deer from November were still hanging and there was mold all over them and he just cut off the green stuff and butchered it up and ate it... He must have the gut of a Labrador retriever. It stunk, I wouldn't even eat that.

[Sam Ubl]

My face just turned green. Did you ever talk to him about his problem, lol?