re-freezing un-cooked venison

mel

Well-Known Member
I received a lovely bit of frozen venison but it was a bit large for one sitting, even for a family. I defrosted it in a bowl of cold salted water in the fridge which is a constant 4c - it took 2 days and still had some ice on it when I started cutting.

I've just sliced it in to some nice steaks, diced some and minced the rest (it was about 3-4kg in all). At no time did the meat reach room temperature.

Since large game needs the cold chain to remain below 7c is it possible to refreeze the meat or should I cook what I can't eat within a reasonable time and then freeze it?

As an alternative I could always try and make jerky in the airing cupboard :rolleyes:

Mel
 
biltong much nicer

Makes about 250g
Ingredients
500g lean, long-grained beef offcuts from the forequarter
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 tbsp coriander seed, toasted and ground
1 tbsp black peppercorns, crushed
1 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
3 tbsp malt vinegar
Method: How to make biltong
1. Cut the beef into long steaks about 2-3cm thick. Cut along the grain and remove any sinew or fat.

2. Mix the salt, sugar, garlic, coriander, pepper, turmeric and chilli. Sprinkle a layer of this mixture into a large pyrex or glass dish, then add the meat. Cover the meat evenly with the remaining spice mix, rubbing it in well. Add the vinegar, sprinkling it evenly over both sides of the meat, then rub it in. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours, turning the meat and rubbing in the mixture again after 2 hours.

3. Remove the meat from the dish. Shake off any loose seasoning and carefully pat dry with white kitchen paper. Hang each strip of biltong individually from a hook, using a piece of string. Leave it to dry in a warm, dry place for at least four days - longer is fine. It will become harder and drier the longer you leave it.

4. You can dry biltong completely using a very low oven. Hang the meat from the top shelf with the oven on its lowest setting. If you think it may be too hot, leave the oven door slightly open. Alternatively, if the weather permits - i.e. if it’s hot, dry and sunny with a good flow of air - the biltong can be fully dried outside. When finished, the biltong should be so dry that it will splinter when bent in two.

5. Store the biltong wrapped in waxed paper. It will keep for 2-3 weeks when semi-dried and for up to 2 years when fully dried.
 
You shouldn't re-freeze it mate! Cook it and then freeze it and it will be ok. ;)
A good quality meat saw will easily cut frozen meat which saves having to defrost it all next time.
 
Hi Mel,

Refreezing meat has always been subject for debate, and understandably so.

However, in a lot of cases it is a perfectly acceptable practice to refreeze defrosted venison.

You need to be certain that the venison was fresh when it was originally frozen, and that it hasn't been defrosted and frozen previously.

If for example, the original fresh venison had a shelf life of two weeks before it was frozen, you then defrost it for a couple of days, and then spend another day deciding that you've had your fill of Rudolf, and wish to repackage and place back in the freezer, in theory you still have a further 10-11 days of defrosted shelf life left.

Just make sure, that when you repackage, you add a label explaining exactly what has happened to your refrozen venison.

Young Venison is an extremely lean meat and does not have the fat content that meats such as pork, wild boar and beef have. Fat is one of the things that causes meat to 'turn bad' :)

I do love Biltong though!!! ;)
 
I know the history of this meat as I was there when it hit the grass. But the meat saw is a good idea - I'll sterilise the hacksaw and the Workmate ready for next time :D

Didn't refreeze it in the end but it looks like we will be in for a few high protein, low fat meals over the next week or so!
 
Hacksaw is NOT a good idea as I once found out the hard way! :oops: :lol:
It takes so long as the teeth are too fine and clog up. Whilst you are furiously sawing away, the meat behind the blade miraculously re-freezes back together! :eek:
You only come to realise this fact once the blade is firmly stuck in the middle of the joint! :lol: This pocess is then followed by a short period of confusion, during which the blade becomes totally frozen solid in the centre of the proposed Sunday roast! Once you have finally dismantled the saw and constructed a heavy duty blade pulling device you may finally remove it! You then decide that you may as well defrost it all and cook it up. All you have to do now is try to explain to the guests why there is a strange blue vein of what looks like paint flakes extending halfway through their dinner!! :oops: :lol:
A proper meat saw has much coarser teeth with an 'offset' and a paint-free steel blade. It should have a deeper frame too enabling you to get right through the joint in one direction. I now have one of those! ;)
 
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