Deer processing

[Sponxx]

I tried to use the search function, but didn't easily find a thread that answered my question:
How and for how long should the meat be aged? I always took the quarters, rib/neck to the processor for steaks and ground meat, but I'm going to do it all now.

Took a fat doe during archery season in Texas. this past Thursday am. The backstraps, tenderloins and flank meat as well as the quarters were in the iced cooler until last night. Last night I cleaned the silver skin and vacuum sealed the backstraps and tenderloins, and already in freezer.
The quarters were rinsed with water but I didn't get the chance to get to them. I have left them in the fridge racks, but covered in plastic bags, and was planning on working on them tomorrow (working all day and night tonight)

Should the be unwrapped and exposed to the fridge air? for how long?
Thanks

 

[Ucsdryder]

Nope. Get to the fresh meat, meaning clean any dried out rind or silver skin and go to town.

 

[Bubblehide]

Ageing meat and processing meat are two very different things. From what you have written, you are not talking about ageing. I generally soak my meat in a light brine, spices and ice solution. I do that generally for one week, before starting to do final processing and packaging. So at times, by the time I have finished it all, some of it has soaked for up to two weeks. I use frozen gallon jugs to rotate in and out so it stays cold and does not dilute. But, there are 100 ways to skin a cat, so to speak. You just need to find what works best for you.

 

[Jay_Alberta]

I've had my best results by hanging (either the full animal, or just quarters) for 7-10 days, then trimming all fat/silverskin, and then freezing from there. Then, when I go to defrost and eat the peices of meat I'll leave them on a cookie sheet in the fridge for a couple days to let any extra blood drain out. Good luck!

 

[Ucsdryder]

No need to age meat you’re grinding. Keep that in mind.

 

[Jn78]

And no need to wash it, especially if you are if you are aging it because you will be trimming the rind. Also, I would prefer to not age meat in plastic - I think you are better off to let it breathe.

 

[Sponxx]

Thanks everyone for the advice. l was planning on get steaks from the quarters, but wasn't planning on aging and then I wondered if the quarters I had sent to be processed for steaks and ground meat had been aged in the past. No issue with them being refrigerated, but wrapped in plastic overnight?
If I decide to age, I will unwrap and let them sit exposed in fridge.

Maybe I will do that for 1 quarter, just to try and see if it differs?

 

[Gearqueer]

I tried to use the search function, but didn't easily find a thread that answered my question:
How and for how long should the meat be aged? I always took the quarters, rib/neck to the processor for steaks and ground meat, but I'm going to do it all now.

Took a fat doe during archery season in Texas. this past Thursday am. The backstraps, tenderloins and flank meat as well as the quarters were in the iced cooler until last night. Last night I cleaned the silver skin and vacuum sealed the backstraps and tenderloins, and already in freezer.
The quarters were rinsed with water but I didn't get the chance to get to them. I have left them in the fridge racks, but covered in plastic bags, and was planning on working on them tomorrow (working all day and night tonight)

Should the be unwrapped and exposed to the fridge air? for how long?
Thanks

I live in a suburb and try to avoid hanging meat outdoors so I go the iced cooler/refrigerator route as you described, and I age it 3-4 days at least.

Still learning what works best for me in the last 10 years of amateur DIY butchering, but my opinion is you’re doing just fine. I avoid rinsing the meat.


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[WCB]

Thanks everyone for the advice. l was planning on get steaks from the quarters, but wasn't planning on aging and then I wondered if the quarters I had sent to be processed for steaks and ground meat had been aged in the past. No issue with them being refrigerated, but wrapped in plastic overnight?
If I decide to age, I will unwrap and let them sit exposed in fridge.

Maybe I will do that for 1 quarter, just to try and see if it differs?

IMO, If at all possible do not cut and then age. If you can leave the quarter intact straight off the animal and then age do that. A lot less waste.

 

[22lr]

The Meateater podcast has a great episode on this topic with a legit meat scientist. It was called "Red Cutter" and had a lot of good science based info on aging and how to get the best results.

 

[Neverenoughhntn]

Robby has a good thread under the “meat and trophy care” tab. I think it’s titled “the deer aging thread”, and is at the top of the thread list.

 

[Antarctica]

I saw a fantastic you tube vid on aging the other night - check this out...

I couldn't believe the funk this guy lets grow on meat, but he seemed to know what he was talking about...

several weeks aging with an inch of mold on it...

 

[bowieknife50]

We never age our deer more than a day. Day we shoot it we skin and get quarters off (bone in) and in the fridge. Next day cut/ grind/ wrap. I'm not saying it couldn't be better but we've never had a problem eating any of it. I guess I am saying that I don't believe there's a magic number of days to hang it. Just keep experimenting and find what you like best.

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[Sponxx]

IMO, If at all possible do not cut and then age. If you can leave the quarter intact straight off the animal and then age do that. A lot less waste.

YEs, if aging I would leave and intact quarter, as I know there is a lot of crusting and drying that will need to be cut off.

 

[bowieknife50]

Also one of the old guys always shot a doe early and hung it in his attic. Wouldn't touch it for a month. Always talked about cutting mold off it. Ahem...barf...ahem

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[Azone]

Robby has a good thread under the “meat and trophy care” tab. I think it’s titled “the deer aging thread”, and is at the top of the thread list.

This is a very good thread.

 

[Rich M]

They'll be fine. I'm taking it that you just ran out of time.

I keep my meat in a cooler on ice for about a week before processing. Drain am and pm, top off w ice as necessary to keep it cold.

Tried the fridge thing w meat in bags and it got all slimey, so went back to cooler cause it's easy and works for me.

 

[Gobbler]

We never age our deer more than a day. Day we shoot it we skin and get quarters off (bone in) and in the fridge. Next day cut/ grind/ wrap. I'm not saying it couldn't be better but we've never had a problem eating any of it. I guess I am saying that I don't believe there's a magic number of days to hang it. Just keep experimenting and find what you like best.

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Same as bowieknife said I haven’t found any advantage in aging deer meat (in the east) I cut it the day after. Freeze it air tight and it’s perfect. But as others said cut off all the silver skin and fat before you freeze it.