Question Regarding Butchering

[LotusLacer]

Going hunting this weekend and possible following weekends depending on our luck.

If luck is on my side, and i happen to get a deer, i had a couple of questions regarding butchering. I was talking to my father in-law and he was saying he normally cuts up his own steaks/roast off the deer using the hind-quarters (? I am a bit unfamiliar with this area, so i may use the wrong term), and what not.

I'd also want to turn part of it into jerky, and he was thinking that it might be possible to use the front shoulders or other parts for it, but hadn't ever had his turned into jerky.

Basically my question is... What part of the deer can i take into a butcher and have them turn it into jerky?

[chapster5]

Whats the best way to make deer vinison into jerky??

Hope that helps on the Jerky

[MaineLotus]

Usually neck/shoulder, shank, etc. is used for jerky or burger. Mmmmm, venison

[GR82DRV]

I usually save the tenderloins (inside and outside) as the best for steaks. Next, I separate the largest muscle groups in the hind quarter for steaks and roasts. The smaller groups in the hind quarter plus all other meat I separate mostly for sausage or jerky.

Ask your butcher if you can bring in the whole front shoulders and neck for sausage, or if you have to separate and prepare this yourself. Frankly, I think most any cut can be turned into jerky, but I would save the prime cuts for other uses.

[LotusLacer]

Awesome! Thank you guys

[chazzer]

1. The hind quarters are the two large Rump areas on the Behinder of the Deer. That's why they call the roasts that are cut from there them Rump Roasts I believe.
2. All the meat can be made into Jerky if you want it to be. (My friend does that) The only problem that I have seen with taking the deer into the Processing Plant is that you are never sure that you are going to get your own deer and meat back. I always cut and wrap, into steaks and roasts, and grind into Burger my own deer and elk. That way I am sure that I get what I took in. Make sure that you cut all the tendons, fat and membranes off of the muscles when you're doing it yourself. What ever you leave on and in the meat is what makes it taste like deer meat and I mean Bad Deer meat. Never leave anything that has blood or hair on it. Yuck. I also wash off the sections of meat when I'm done cutting it with cool water. It won't hurt the meat at all. Just make sure it is all CLEAN.
3. The tenderloins are the 2 Back Straps that are on the top of the spine. They are the best and just cut them out in long sections like you see at the meat dept's. Then cut them into small steaks and cook them up with garlic and butter. Oh man they are good. Good luck.

[goldengatehornet]

If you've never done anything like this, your best bet is just to take it to a place that specializes in it. They know the right cuts, prep for jerky, smoke it the way you want. I've found pricing to be worth it. It's definitely not worth it if you do this at home and piss off your wife with the smell, etc.

[dwkoski]

I have just a bit of experience with game processing (that's the fancy name for butchering venison), having processed close to 100 deer and larger size animals over the last 50 years. First , if you have never seen it done, you would do best to have it done at a commercial game processing shop. Most butcher shops that process domestic meats are not permitted to process game meats in the same establishment (laws vary from state to state.) The technique for doing it yourself is relatively simple but not intuitive and if you have no medical/farm/ veterinary experience you will quickly become lost and waste most of the meat which is a great shame. It can be done from a book but you will most likely make a mess of the first few deer size animals that you attempt and don't even consider learning on anything in the moose/elk size class. the New York State University Extension Service produces an excellant step by step instruction pamphlet which shows how to make the appropriate cuts. You should be able to Google a source for this. If not, most bookstores will stock a book or two on processing wild game, some better than others.
Should you decide to proceed, I offer the following tips.
Do NOT attempt to age your meat by hanging the carcass (unless you have a meat locker and can maintain the temperature at a constant 34-38 degrees F. After field dressing your deer, cool the carcass as quicly as possible and if you live in a warmer area of the country, butcher it IMMEDIATELY. What most people think of as the "gamey" taste of venison is actually the taste of spoiled meat. Be meticulous about getting absolutely no hair on the meat when the carcass is skinned. This is very hard to do and takes much practice. For equipment, you will need a gambrel (a spreader with hooks on the end for the rear legs and an eye in the center for hoisting, a stout rope, a pulley and something like a stout tree limb to hang it from, a razor sharp skinning knife (disposeable blade utility knives work well), a5 or6" inch boning knife, a meat saw ( you can substitute a carpenter's rip saw but I'd recommend the genuine article, obtainable from Cabela's, etc.). a large clean flat surface to work on, a cutting board, freezer paper, and plastic bags.

Hang the deer suspended head down with the gambrel, rope and pulley. I use my lawn tractor to lift and lower te rope. Start skinning at just below the knees ( the hocks are not worth saving as they contain too many tendons) . Skin around the hocks and as you pass the knbee joint, stop and wash you hands and knife, You will probably have come in contact with the scent glands on the hocks and you don't want to contaminate the hams with any carry over from them. There is a really good trick for peeling the skin off a deer starting from the neck and going in the reverse direction by tying a golf ball or small rock under the skin and pulloing it off with a lawn tractor or truck but it only works if the carcass is still warm.
Once the deer is skinned, you next remove the tenderloins from inside the abdominal cavity. You then use the boning knife to remove the ouside loins to the shoulders. You then separate each shoulder and its paraspinal musculature from the carcass. You then cut off the neck, rib meat if desired, and brisket. With the meat saw you cut off the spine at it's junction with the pelvis the split the pelvis to leave the two hams hanging seperately on the gambrel.
You then have to take the individual quarters,loins and extra pieces and cut, label and wrap them,,
All in all, it take me about six hours to do the whole job and clean up, First attempts will probably take double that.
commercial processors in this are charge about $100 to cut and wrap a deer. Expect to get 30-40% of the dressed weight of your deer as packaged meat. And despite what you might think, A whitetail buck only averages 150-160 pounds and an immature buck or doe considerably less...Dave