Proper Aging of Big Game
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Andrew Leigh
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Venison does not have its own set of biological rules with regard to rigour mortis, enzyme activity or the maturing and the softening of meat. The only difference venison has is that they have more developed muscles and ere leaner when compared to domestic animals bred as a food source (which affects tenderness), additionally due to a vastly different diet much of the time (which affects taste) they have that classic venison taste. Grazers taste different to browsers also due to diet.
This debate comes up with regular monotony and as always the camps are divided, reminds one of the .270 vs. 30-06 debates. I provided some sources below for defence of my position. If anyone could find me a published sources from respected chefs and the like that disagrees with the below then I would like to see these in order to develop a better balanced opinion or indeed to overturn my currently held beliefs
From the Muledeer Foundation - Chef John McGannon
http://www.muledeer.org/truth-about-“dry-aging”-wild-game-meat
and
http://www.rmef.org/TheHunt/After/CarnivoresKitchen/Recipes/DryAgingTimeline.aspx
American Hunter - Chef Georgia Pelligrini
http://www.americanhunter.org/articles/how-to-age-venison
Missouri Department of Conservation
http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/how/cooking/venison-recipes-0/butchering-and-freezing-venison
Field and Stream
http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/other/recipes/2006/01/deer-hang-time
http://www.noble.org/ag/wildlife/propercareofvenison/
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alsaqr
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Never got into "hanging" game animals. We always field dressed them ASAP and skinned them quickly after going to the game check station. i do that today.
The vast majority of "gamey" and "strong tasting" game meat is meat that was not properly cared for, is contaminated or rotten, especially rotten.
Hog meat spoils rapidly. When the temperature is 80 degrees F one has about four hours to get the carcass cooled before it begins to go bad. i know of numerous cases where hogs went bad in processors coolers.
i see hunters driving around in pickups in 80+ degree F weather with deer, elk and hogs that have not been field dressed.
The vast majority of "gamey" and "strong tasting" game meat is meat that was not properly cared for, is contaminated or rotten, especially rotten.
Hog meat spoils rapidly. When the temperature is 80 degrees F one has about four hours to get the carcass cooled before it begins to go bad. i know of numerous cases where hogs went bad in processors coolers.
i see hunters driving around in pickups in 80+ degree F weather with deer, elk and hogs that have not been field dressed.
buck460XVR
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I've processed my own venison for 45 years. From my experience, a quick kill, and quickly field dressing the animal, plus proper care of the animal during the skinning process along with proper butchering techniques, has much more to do with the flavor of venison than aging it on the hook. The animals diet, it's age and how badly they were stressed prior to being shot also has much to do with flavor and tenderness.
35 Whelen
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X-Rap
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If one has a place to hang at the 32-40 temp I'm all for hanging a week or more but a garage, shed, or shade tree will reward the hunter with nothing but grief.
Even the experts claim that little is gained if the animal can't be hung for at least a week.
I question how well post freezing/packaging aging works but to each his own I guess.
I will say that if you use a large picnic cooler or home refrigerator to cool your quarters make sure that the blood can drain freely from the meat and it doesn't set pooled. I would also say that skinning should be done quickly so bloodshot and other nasty bits can be cleaned away from the meat.
Even the experts claim that little is gained if the animal can't be hung for at least a week.
I question how well post freezing/packaging aging works but to each his own I guess.
I will say that if you use a large picnic cooler or home refrigerator to cool your quarters make sure that the blood can drain freely from the meat and it doesn't set pooled. I would also say that skinning should be done quickly so bloodshot and other nasty bits can be cleaned away from the meat.
Joe Demko
Member
I try to get it in the freezer ASAP. Silver membrane and fat get trimmed off. I don't cut through bones because spreading marrow across the surface of the meat taints it and the bones stink up the meat during cooking. I add ground pork or sausage to ground deer just before cooking. Steaks, roasts, and such are brined or marinated. I've had aged and unaged deer and I avoid the aged stuff. Deer is not beef.
Jorg Nysgerrig
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I can't speak to other states, but in the Western US, we have game processors that will take a field-dressed (gutted, but skin/hooves/heads still on) animal to butcher. I believe that have to have separate facilities for processing domestic and wild game.
We used to hang our deer in the garage, but I don't know if it ever made any difference.
newfalguy101
Member
My routine is:
Shoot, field dress, huff and puff while dragging, hang in garage, a couple nights later, skin and quarter, put quarters into fridge, the following 3 nights are spent de-boning, packaging, and then grind/package burger on the following weekend
Shoot, field dress, huff and puff while dragging, hang in garage, a couple nights later, skin and quarter, put quarters into fridge, the following 3 nights are spent de-boning, packaging, and then grind/package burger on the following weekend
alsaqr
Member
The processors here take field dressed deer. i always skin and cut off the feet and head: That saves $35-40.
i always cut the animals throat and let it bleed out immediately after killing. Many hunters here don't do that.
MCgunner
Member
I've had sausage made, but I've never had a deer "processed". I do it myself, ain't that lazy, consider it part of hunting. Heck, I make my own sausage, now.
Ya know, you do it your way and I'll do it mine. My way works and I ain't fixin' what ain't broke. I had occasional gamey meat before I started soaking the blood out of the meat, never EVER after. I never thought of it as "aging", but whatever the term, it works.
Ya know, you do it your way and I'll do it mine. My way works and I ain't fixin' what ain't broke. I had occasional gamey meat before I started soaking the blood out of the meat, never EVER after. I never thought of it as "aging", but whatever the term, it works.
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gamestalker
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For deer size game, I wrap it well in game bags or cheese cloth, then hang it in 35 degrees for 3 or 4 days. Any longer and it begins drying out. With elk and large game I hang for 7 - 10 days. It's important to keep an eye on it so as to prevent drying out, I don't want it to turn into hundreds of pounds of jerky.
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Bobson
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I had no intention to start a debate. I realize everyone does things a bit differently; one doesn't necessarily need to be right or wrong in every situation. This is one of those where there is no wrong answer.
I only asked this question because, having never hunted big game, I read up on it and found that, from the sources I checked (which I saved and can include later for those interested), every resource said venison should be hung for 7-16 days for best flavor. I wanted to know what THR members thought, not because I expected dissent, but because I've never gotten bad advice here and expected to learn the "best" method for doing this. I would have asked right away, but I expected a lot of info online and didn't want to appear too lazy to try and do my own research first.
I certainly appreciate all the input I've gotten.
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Bobson
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In regards to the meat drying out during the aging process, which several people mentioned as a downside, I read in several places that only the exterior 1-1.5 inches of meat will dry, even over a 15-day hang. The dried meat is then to be trimmed and discarded.
That's what I read, anyway.
That's what I read, anyway.
Arkansas Paul
Member
Same here. I cut all the shoulder meat off and at the end of the year, I take it all to a butcher and have it turned into breakfast sausage and jalepeno cheddar summer sausage. Mmmmmmmmmm.
Andrew Leigh
Member
I did not mean that as a criticism by the way.
A while back I acquired a commercial meat mincer and then I made a large sausage stuffer, I got me deboning knives, a knife steel, large sealable plastic tubs for meat storage during processing etc.
The reason for doing this was that I want my meat butchered packed and processed to my specific tastes. So it was with great interest that I followed this thread as I am now butchering my own meat.
I was hoping for more factual evidence rather than anecdotal, my experience is anecdotal as I have yet to conduct any tests. We understand beef well, we know how to age it and what aging does to the tenderness. One would have thought that we have eaten venison for longer that we would have a better understanding.
I posted those links not as a "fighting talk" but I would really like someone to contradict this information as this will debunk the myth. This August will be on the hunt again and there will probably be some older Kudu on the list so at that point I aim doing a test.
These will include cutting a 2 pieces off prior to rigor mortise one will be frozen and the other will go on ice for a few days. Then I will take two pieces after hanging for 3 days, one will go to the freezer and the other will dry age for another 4 days then into the freezer. All will be cooked on the same day under the same conditions.
ridgerunner1965
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amazing how many methods there are for guys cutting up their own deer. im sure everybody totally believes in their own method.
ive been told by butchers that ageing breaks down the intramuscular fat in the animal and makes it more tender.
deer,elk,antelope etc have little intramuscular fat, known as marbleing.
ive always done it the same way. git the deer cut up and in the freezer as soon as possible if its warm. if it can hang overnite in less than 40 degree temps i do it. cool meat cuts better.
i once cut up a big doe on a 85 degree day. i thought well be interesting to see what this meat tastes like. couldnt tell it from the later deer cut up in cold weather.
i dont saw or cut bones and every thing is boned out. steaks are left whole in the particular muscle group and not sliced before freezing. sliceing just give more surface area for freezer burn.i just leave the chunk in meal sized portions to be sliced later.
ive had sum pretty gamey deer when i used to get them processed but never since ive been doin it.
all burger is ground and into the freezer quick as possible.
my awesum gfren can make so many delicous things out of deer meat it just keeps me hunting!
ive been told by butchers that ageing breaks down the intramuscular fat in the animal and makes it more tender.
deer,elk,antelope etc have little intramuscular fat, known as marbleing.
ive always done it the same way. git the deer cut up and in the freezer as soon as possible if its warm. if it can hang overnite in less than 40 degree temps i do it. cool meat cuts better.
i once cut up a big doe on a 85 degree day. i thought well be interesting to see what this meat tastes like. couldnt tell it from the later deer cut up in cold weather.
i dont saw or cut bones and every thing is boned out. steaks are left whole in the particular muscle group and not sliced before freezing. sliceing just give more surface area for freezer burn.i just leave the chunk in meal sized portions to be sliced later.
ive had sum pretty gamey deer when i used to get them processed but never since ive been doin it.
all burger is ground and into the freezer quick as possible.
my awesum gfren can make so many delicous things out of deer meat it just keeps me hunting!
buck460XVR
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Proper aging can add flavor and tenderness to any meat. The main factor tho, is the term "proper". A garage or shed is not a controlled environment and do not always have the optimal temperatures for proper aging. Freezing will stop aging and freezing and thawing over a period of time will degrade the meat. Aging @ too warm of temperature will also degrade the meat. Allowing the meat to dry out without removing the "rind" that develops, when they butcher the animal, will also taint the meat. Again other factors such as a quick kill, amount and type of stress the animal was exposed to before the kill, proper field dressing and care of the meat, along with good butchering will do more for the overall quality of the meat than aging. If one can do all of those, and properly age it, is a bonus.
I drive 2 hours to my favorite hunting area.I drop my deer off at a shop about 1 hour from home.The butcher skins the deer immediately,lets it hang in a cool room for a week.He then cuts it,vacuum seals it and calls me.Been doing it this way for years.These are deer from an agricultural area.We have never been disappointed with the taste or texture.The deer are field dressed and in the shop within 3 hours of the kill.
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