Do you butcher your own deer?

[tokguy]

Ever since I saw Rinella do Osso Bucco I've wondered if I wasted shanks making ground out of them. Gotta try that some time.

My son's new family ( in laws ) own a shop that takes them from hoof to package. It makes excellent summer sausage as well, the chewy bits make an great binding agent for it.
Shank really does make excellent stew, but definitely a 'brown it hard and start the slow cooker in the morning'...8 hour sort of a thing.
Don't try to hurry it or it'll be pretty chewy, lol.
Give this guy's method a try for a change h ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEucUy1KfnY

 

[GMC403]

Ever since I saw Rinella do Osso Bucco I've wondered if I wasted shanks making ground out of them. Gotta try that some time.

It's excellent!

I too would grind them up prior to watching Rinella

 

[SuperCub]

Ever since I saw Rinella do Osso Bucco I've wondered if I wasted shanks making ground out of them. Gotta try that some time.

Shanks are full of tendons. If one takes the time to remove the tendons, it makes great stew meat. In retail, most get ground up.

 

[MD]

Shanks are wonderful pressure cooked with onions, garlic and celery, then cooled and sliced. Just fabulous. I always save 'em intact or cut in half (to fit the pot) from deer and bear.

 

[mikeelliot]

First year deer hunting, took to butcher, problem was such a warm November didn't want it in the garage for any length of time at 15+C...next year will have grinder, paper, table, some beer, and do it all

 

[ironsighter]

...Still haven't picked up the Euro Wieners - hope they aren't too salty as well...

Happy to report that the Euro Wieners are absolutely perfect. The closest thing I have ever had to a genuine German Frankfurter (besides a genuine German Frankfurter). I hate "hot dogs" but these things are great!

 

[tokguy]

Shanks are full of tendons. If one takes the time to remove the tendons, it makes great stew meat. In retail, most get ground up.

Don't remove them...cook them slow and they break down into gelatin...or gravy. I was skeptical at first too...try it. It works silly good. The very part that you are removing makes the best stew.
Or don't try it...as I get older I find that if I listen to other veiws, I continue learning. That's a good thing IMO

 

[conor_90]

^exactly right tokguy, this is what makes the sauce in osso buco recipes so good.

No deer to butcher this year

 

[saskgunowner101]

I saved one shank off my buck (due to this thread!) to try an 8 hour oven date in the quest to see if it's edible.

 

[tokguy]

I saved one shank off my buck (due to this thread!) to try an 8 hour oven date in the quest to see if it's edible.

My daughter came home from work ( abbitiore down the road ) and said " Dad...umm, we put the shanks into the scrap for dogs at work..." so lots of Butchers don't even know ( or cultural differences dictate it doesn't sell ) it's treasures, lol

 

[GMC403]

I trimmed up a smallish Blacktail shoulder the other day. Dry rubbed it, wrapped it in bacon, and left it in the smoker for 6hrs at 225F. One of the best venison preparations I've done yet.

 

[trevj]

I pretty much an average guy, with an average income. While I don't live EXACTLY pay-to-pay, I can only do so by NOT paying others to do what I can do myself. At nearly $1 a pound on the hook to have a reputable butcher do my meat (whether or not you want the bone, you pay for it), it makes hunting expensive. The day I have to start paying butchers is the day I might just as well quit hunting and start buying meat. Our three deer will cost me a roll of vacuum sealer bags. Each year we add to our ability.
When we first started this, I had one nice boning knife, a borrowed grinder/stuffer, a folding table and myself. 12 years later, my wife and son help, we have a 1hp grinder (replaced the $90 Can Tire one last year), a 20lb vertical stuffer, decent knives for everyone, new food saver machine (replaced the cheap one that lasted 4 years of year-round use), meat hooks, and other food processing items. All because I spend that money one us and not pay a butcher.

Which grinder did you end up with?

I am starting to shop for a replacement. The Waring one I got a few years back has disintegrated, the Princess Auto unit I bought at a garage sale for $15, refuses to die, but I need to wear ear protection, as it is NOISY!

I want a quiet running, solid machine.

FWIW, I am going on somewhere around 15 batches of meat sticks through my PA stuffer. I think it was a really good buy, and would not hesitate to recommend it. I have the small one, and made my own half inch tube to use when stuffing the small diameter casings. If I were making larger batches, I would grab one of the larger PA stuffers in a heartbeat. File off the rough edges, and they appear to be as good as or the same as the ones several other places sell for a bunch more.

Cheers
Trev

 

[abs0Lut]

Shot my first deer this year. Never will I pay someone to butcher for me, it was really cool to learn and I thought it was actually quite easy. Made too much sausage but now I know what to keep for roasts next year.