butchery and venison

norma 308

Well-Known Member
just wondered how many stalkers prepare the venison they shoot or rely on the local butcher ect to mince sausage burger joint .
the last few carcases I've taken and my pals have been turned into the above to furnish the various land owners and farmers with some venison and I've really enjoyed processing it especially the sausage .
my local butcher gave me some skins and a few pointers and away we went .
proper tasty and satisfying .
great if you use the butcher but I'd say give it a go .I'm lucky I've somewhere to process not in the house and a semi industrial mincer /sausage stuffer .
Norma
 
I do all my own break them down then when there's enough shoulders and trim in the freezer have a morning making sausages, burgers or meat balls. To me its as rewarding as the shot turning the carcase into as many meals as possible. Over Easter I turned the last roe doe into steaks joints and mince then stocked the bones for a soup on Easter Sunday loads of veg, 200g of mince, diced heart, stock and seasoning really good and no waste
 
What kjf says[emoji115]

Venison is king .

Very therapeutic travel mug of tea , radio on & breaking down / processing a carcass ...,
End result never cease to amaze

Paul
 
My mentor showed me twice and I've done myself on the seven carcasses since. I still make a right royal mess, but there is a satisfaction of doing oneself. At some stage I'll save the funds to do a proper butchery course.
 
As someone who doesn't shoot hundreds of deer a year, for me its part of the whole process.
When I have a carcass it is the raw materials from which I create various meals, be it burgers, stew, steaks or roasts.

I also enjoy shareing the various cuts with friends, as a way of repaying favours etc.
 
I've had my first two Roe carcasses from a friend who gave me good advice and have processed them differently. First was a yearling buck that I sorted with one knife. Second was a 3 year old doe that I butchered with a saw as well as knife. Common sense and respect for the meat and cuts in relation to impact damage was all I needed and I'm well on my way with this now.

Used some fillet and loin cuts straight away and some is frozen for bigger family meals, e.g. haunches, and some for sausages etc.

Whole experience has been a brilliant experience, one which I've waited too long for.

Cheers

Mick
 
I do my own as well. It's too expensive to pay a butcher for me, and I get the satisfaction of knowing exactly what I have, and how it was prepared. I use a vacuum packer to package the meat. I also like to make pan sausage for breakfast, very tasty.
 
Those that I keep (rather than passing on to the dealer) I butcher, or at least I do the main cuts, stew meat, etc. Anything for mincing I take to the local butcher who adds pork belly to my requirements, and seasoning to his, and he then then sticks it through his mincer/stuffer. For deer shot on the ground I have near my village I then drop off half to the farmer.

After 20 years and countless deer the novelty of processing it from nose to tail has somewhat waned, but I could do so if I wished.
 
Do all my own, including mincing etc.

Pretty easy really.
I do it with the beast hanging, much easier imo.
 
Those that I keep (rather than passing on to the dealer) I butcher, or at least I do the main cuts, stew meat, etc. Anything for mincing I take to the local butcher who adds pork belly to my requirements, and seasoning to his, and he then then sticks it through his mincer/stuffer. For deer shot on the ground I have near my village I then drop off half to the farmer.


like you willy it did wane a bit and most beasts went to a butcher quite some way off as he paid better than the local game dealer but lately we've processed our own and a butcher more local will hopefully take some .I've got the bug again now decent vac pack maybe the way forward too as mentioned .
certainly saves on the red meat ££ bill for sure


Norma
 
My wife and I have a good system, I shoot them and skin them and she does the butchering. First time she followed a YouTube video -well to be honest one video in 3 parts which was excellent and Karen did a great job. As others have said it is part of the whole experience and one I would recommend. Just cover the work top oin heavy duty bin bags get a nice sharpe knife and give it a go. regards SBM
 
Yes, I do all my own, properly butchered, vac-packed and soon also with a custom label. Some 50% of the venison will be given back to the landowners. They usually get the fore-quarters by way of burgers, sausages, mince and casserole meat; and I keep most of the prime cuts (fillets, strips, legs, and salami) for myself. Yes, it is not fair! ;)
Shooting/hunting is an extension of my hobby of cooking and making charcuterie, not the other way around.
 
I too enjoy the prep and cooking of the deer, I also do the same with pheasant etc.
Without sounding off, try adding shop bought sausage meat to the venison when making sausages or terrines, venison is a dry meat to cook and needs the pork to add fat.
How long does food last for in the vac packs.
 
Do all my own, including mincing etc.

Pretty easy really.
I do it with the beast hanging, much easier imo.


+1 and if you leave the carcass in the chiller for 7 - 10 days you barely need a knife as the meat virtually peels from the bones, especially the haunches and the saddles!! ;)
 
I do all the venison we keep or give to land owners. Usual cuts plus sausages and burgers. Best received believe or not are sausages and venison scotch eggs.
However tomorrow I will do 5th beast this week and getting just a bit bored with it all. At least roe deer peel easily.
 
I butcher mine and my wife helps with the finer bits. The mincing was a bit of a struggle before I got an electric one, worth every penny. Offcuts from a couple of reds through a spong hand mixer takes some time.
 
I too enjoy the prep and cooking of the deer, I also do the same with pheasant etc.
Without sounding off, try adding shop bought sausage meat to the venison when making sausages or terrines, venison is a dry meat to cook and needs the pork to add fat.
How long does food last for in the vac packs.

1. I would be weary of 'shop bought' sausage meat, it will be full of rubbish and off-cuts. You'll get better quality by buying a pork shoulder and have it minced there and than as you are waiting. At least you than know what is in it. For sausages I would use 60% venison/40% pork; or maybe 70/30.

2. Vac-packing meat will extend its shelf life in the fridge by 3-5 times. However I would err on the side of caution with that, maybe limit it to assuming you double the shelf-life. A lot depends on how hygienic and at what temperature and for how long you process the meat before it is vac-packed... and in a home-kitchen environment we don't have the same amount of control as in a factory environment.
Freezing vac-packed meat greatly enhances the freezer-life, because you eliminate freezer-burn.
The third advantage is that well-butchered cuts of meat present much nicer when vac-packed, in particularly if you add a label to it. Just think about it: You can deliver a haunch of venison to your landowner, covered in hairs and in a bin-liner. Or you can deliver a nicely tied joint bone-in or bone-out, vac-packed and labelled.
 
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