# DIY deer processing for dummies! We did our first home venison grind...



## q2_hunter (Nov 17, 2006)

Very nice write up.. Only thing I would suggest for doing burger is to get a stuffing horn for your grinder for filling poly bags rather than Ziploc bags.. Its alot quicker and far cheaper than ziploc bags.. You can get the poly tapers for around 25-$30 and 1,000 poly bags for about $45 equates to about 4.5 cents per bag..


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## damageinc (Jan 28, 2010)

THat is how my venison usually comes from the butcher.I think we try that. Thanks!


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## WabbitSwayer (Aug 10, 2009)

Please tell me you didn't grind the whole deer?!?! If so, you really should learn to butcher the rear into top and bottom rounds. These cuts are fine steaks. Check out williescountrymeats on youtube. He has some great butcher your deer at home videos (4 parts) that will show you how to professionally butcher your deer into some fantastic cuts of meat.

Edit: I also recommend double wrap in the wax coated freezer paper. I just pulled out my last ground meat and a pack of chops from last year (yes 1 year old) and there was absolutely NO freezer burn.


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## ahb (Oct 11, 2009)

WabbitSwayer said:


> Please tell me you didn't grind the whole deer?!?! If so, you really should learn to butcher the rear into top and bottom rounds. These cuts are fine steaks. Check out williescountrymeats on youtube. He has some great butcher your deer at home videos (4 parts) that will show you how to professionally butcher your deer into some fantastic cuts of meat.
> 
> Edit: I also recommend double wrap in the wax coated freezer paper. I just pulled out my last ground meat and a pack of chops from last year (yes 1 year old) and there was absolutely NO freezer burn.


I usually grind the the whole thing on my first deer of the season, minus the backstraps and TL's. We make more meals out of ground meat than any other cuts. I also double wrap in paper with the same results of it lasting about a year.


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## q2_hunter (Nov 17, 2006)

Im with ahb, minus the backstraps and loins everything else goes through the grinder, not because lack of knowledge of butchering but as a family we just consume more burger than anything else..


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## Crusher (Jan 27, 2003)

Suggestion...Invest in a decent vacuum sealer. You won't be sorry!


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## TheHuntingMedic (Aug 30, 2010)

Yeah I normally grind most of my first deer as well. We don't buy ground beef cause we only use deer burger. The rest of the deer are butchered into roasts, jerky and sausage/hotdogs.

+1 On the vacuum sealer.....keeps your meat up to 5 times longer.


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## WabbitSwayer (Aug 10, 2009)

TheHuntingMedic said:


> +1 On the vacuum sealer.....keeps your meat up to 5 times longer.


My meat has lasted over a year with double freezer wrap. That's the longest my deer will ever last. I'm telling you guys, find out how to separate the top and bottom round from the rear leg, on these <4 year old deer it's like filet. The rest you can just chuck into ground, but try the top and bottom round. I used to just cut the whole rear into "round steaks" and burger, then I learned how to separate the different cuts and tried it. At first I wasted one of the "bottome roudns" as a roast. It was so tender I then tried roasting it fast and high temp (like a whole filet) and it was incredible.


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## damageinc (Jan 28, 2010)

Can you give me an idea (or write up) that I can post? I'd like to try it on the next deer then add pics or stream it live on my site.



WabbitSwayer said:


> My meat has lasted over a year with double freezer wrap. That's the longest my deer will ever last. I'm telling you guys, find out how to separate the top and bottom round from the rear leg, on these <4 year old deer it's like filet. The rest you can just chuck into ground, but try the top and bottom round. I used to just cut the whole rear into "round steaks" and burger, then I learned how to separate the different cuts and tried it. At first I wasted one of the "bottome roudns" as a roast. It was so tender I then tried roasting it fast and high temp (like a whole filet) and it was incredible.


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## bsites9 (Mar 22, 2008)

i wrap mine in plastic wrap, then freezer paper. lasts a long time that way.


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## WabbitSwayer (Aug 10, 2009)

damageinc said:


> Can you give me an idea (or write up) that I can post? I'd like to try it on the next deer then add pics or stream it live on my site.


 Which part the wrapping or the different cuts on the rear?


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## damageinc (Jan 28, 2010)

WabbitSwayer said:


> Which part the wrapping or the different cuts on the rear?


The cuts. I'd like to try it on my next deer.


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## WabbitSwayer (Aug 10, 2009)

Check out this youtube video. It is by williescountrymeats. He is a professional butcher. There are 4 parts and he takes you from the skinned deer to the individual cuts. The sound isn't that great but the best videos I have seen. This is part one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzYGBNDc_xU

Like I said there are 4 parts to his butchering video (How to butcher a deer at home part...)


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## Snoman6115 (Sep 29, 2010)

hell we usually just wrap ours in one layer of freezer paper ( old stuff, prolly made better lol) and after a year or even longer we never get freezer burn


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## cusportsman (Jul 23, 2009)

My dad wraps his in butcher paper and I just finished eating burger from '06 and it was like I just killed it last week. I've got a vacuum sealer now and use it for everything. I'll buy a big pack of pork chops from the grocery store and package them 2-4 together and put in the freezer. 

Give some feedback after you use the grinder a few times, I'm in the market for my own as well so I don't have to keep borrowing dad's.


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## dustyvarmint (Dec 22, 2005)

Crusher said:


> Suggestion...Invest in a decent vacuum sealer. You won't be sorry!


Absolutely! Use it to package chili for huntin' camp also - boil right in some water in the bag, no mess! Seal up that stupid caulking and Goop in a bag too. 

fhbh, I have a diagram from an elk magazine with the cuts from the hind quarters that I use to help me butcher. I'll see if it'll scan. How you use it will be up to you.

happy hunting, dv


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## LeftemLeakin (Feb 19, 2007)

I usually steak out my hams, occasionally I will grind the sirloins along with my shoulders and clean trimmings. I make sure my cuts for grinds are really clean. I have found that if you run your grinds through a chili plate JUST ONCE it holds together great and you DO NOT have to add any fat at all.


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## dustyvarmint (Dec 22, 2005)

LeftemLeakin said:


> I usually steak out my hams, occasionally I will grind the sirloins along with my shoulders and clean trimmings. I make sure my cuts for grinds are really clean. I have found that if you run your grinds through a chili plate JUST ONCE it holds together great and you DO NOT have to add any fat at all.


Nice Leftemleakin! Here's the chart from the RMEF magazine I was talking about. It has definitely improved my culinary skills by allowing me to pick the right cut when cooking certain things. 









happy hunting, dv


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## WV Switchback (Jul 26, 2010)

Crusher said:


> Suggestion...Invest in a decent vacuum sealer. You won't be sorry!


I agree, the meat keeps really well. Found a pack of ground venison marked 08 in the bottom of the freezer the other day and it was still good.


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## bsites9 (Mar 22, 2008)

WabbitSwayer said:


> Check out this youtube video. It is by williescountrymeats. He is a professional butcher. There are 4 parts and he takes you from the skinned deer to the individual cuts. The sound isn't that great but the best videos I have seen. This is part one:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzYGBNDc_xU
> 
> Like I said there are 4 parts to his butchering video (How to butcher a deer at home part...)




those videos are very good...I've suggested them on here before, but didn't know his name. but you're right, the sound sucks. he also has some others called "how to cut deer steaks" or something like that i think.


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## damageinc (Jan 28, 2010)

*We are going to Live cam this*



bsites9 said:


> those videos are very good...I've suggested them on here before, but didn't know his name. but you're right, the sound sucks. he also has some others called "how to cut deer steaks" or something like that i think.


We are going to Live cam butchering a rear quarter to remove this( uncut and un edited) since we haven't don it before it should prove to be funny.
I am also going to smoke jerky on a gas grill with wood chips and do a write up on it and post it up on here...

Rear quarter butchering and jerky


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## damageinc (Jan 28, 2010)

I am looking forward to cutting up the quarters this sunday...
The grinder is overkill for whtetail. I am positive there won't be an issue.It never even got close to jamming on the last deer.


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## damageinc (Jan 28, 2010)

11- 2pm Eastern from our kitchen! We are going to do jerky (on a gas grill!) , sausage and burger...
It might be on all day depending on how many are watching and how long it takes us to cut the rear quarters up to separate the more tender cuts out of 5 rear quarters.
Live deer butchering broadcast




damageinc said:


> We are going to Live cam butchering a rear quarter to remove this( uncut and un edited) since we haven't don it before it should prove to be funny.
> I am also going to smoke jerky on a gas grill with wood chips and do a write up on it and post it up on here...
> 
> Rear quarter butchering and jerky


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## damageinc (Jan 28, 2010)

Live Cam Venison sausage,jerky and burger <--- Click link and schedule
Today's post with more information <---Click link


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## damageinc (Jan 28, 2010)

I put the smack down on a doe last night...double lung 30+ yard recovery...
We will now be cutting up 2 deer and a rear quarter from the "road kill cafe" ( a deer a buddy brought over he saw get hit but was pretty much destroyed) near where we were hunting...
double lung smack down


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## damageinc (Jan 28, 2010)

Hopefully you will be watching.We don't have a clue and will be learning it as we go...


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## MNmike (Dec 27, 2003)

LeftemLeakin said:


> I usually steak out my hams, occasionally I will grind the sirloins along with my shoulders and clean trimmings. I make sure my cuts for grinds are really clean. I have found that if you run your grinds through a chili plate JUST ONCE it holds together great and you DO NOT have to add any fat at all.


Yhat is a good clean discription there. You can also see alot of the "caps". The tallow or membrane the separates the muscles. I usually make a couple cuts and then start pealing them off in caps. Then removing the membrane or silver skin.


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