hanging meat....
- Thread starter GunGuy34
- Start date
If the temperature is correct, I'll hang a moose or deer for at least a week.
ALso, it has to be still on the bone or at the very least in large chunks. If you debone the whole animal as I have had to do to backpack it out, try to leave the meat in large chunks.
ALso, it has to be still on the bone or at the very least in large chunks. If you debone the whole animal as I have had to do to backpack it out, try to leave the meat in large chunks.
I hung my deer in a fridge at about 2 to 3 degrees C last fall for the first time. Did it to for about a week to four different deer and it worked great. I'll be looking for an old fridge that I can dedicate to this use for this fall.
Meat is hung in order to allow the natural enzymes in the muscle tissue to begin breaking down a lot of the connective tissue which in turn will help make your meat more tender/flavorful. I know guys that will hang their meat for 4 days to 2 weeks (if it's in a very cool place) before butchering. I also know guys who will butcher immediately but always allow their meat to sit in the fridge for 3 or 4 days after its thawed before they cook it. Apparently both methods work well.
That being said I usually hang my meat for 4-7 days in cooler temperatures before butchering as I like to be able to toss a steak on the BBQ as soon as its thawed.
Just my 2 cents.
Cheers,
That being said I usually hang my meat for 4-7 days in cooler temperatures before butchering as I like to be able to toss a steak on the BBQ as soon as its thawed.
Just my 2 cents.
Cheers,
Do you have any proof of this, i have an older brother of mine that says its nonsense cause back in the old days as he calls it, he knew people that shot a moose in the winter and cleaned it and by the time he got back the moose was frozen. So does it matter if the moose is hung frozen or hung thawed before its frozen? Will the same thing happen to tenderize the meat if its frozen? Or does it have to be hung for four days thawed before its frozen?
Frozen meat won't age and tenderize. This doesn't make it inedible, just not as good as it could be. The benefits of aging meat are well documented.
I shot a very old bull last year, a senior citizen that was regressing. 54" wide rack.
Via good aging, this bull is much more tender than he would have been if I had just cut him up and put him in the freezer. In fact, he is pretty damn tasty and tender!
I shot a very old bull last year, a senior citizen that was regressing. 54" wide rack.
Via good aging, this bull is much more tender than he would have been if I had just cut him up and put him in the freezer. In fact, he is pretty damn tasty and tender!
- Location
- AB foothills
Do you really think that "back in the old days" they had a choice as to how they aged their meat? They did what they had to do.
I guess it all depends on how old your brother is and what he considers to be the old days though.
07blackwater
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Port Coquitlam, BC
As long as the temp hovers between just below 0 and just above during the day it's perfect.
I know some guys will say BS but I've hung moose and deer for 2 weeks when it got up to 10C above and the meat was fine (and especially tender).
As long as it's out of the sun and there's a breeze it will keep.
As far as the optimum time for hanging? Deer and calf moose I'd say 7 days, a bull or cow moose I'd hang them about 10 days.
The enzymes in the meat need time to do their tenderizing magic.
I know some guys will say BS but I've hung moose and deer for 2 weeks when it got up to 10C above and the meat was fine (and especially tender).
As long as it's out of the sun and there's a breeze it will keep.
As far as the optimum time for hanging? Deer and calf moose I'd say 7 days, a bull or cow moose I'd hang them about 10 days.
The enzymes in the meat need time to do their tenderizing magic.
I asked an old butcher the same Q.
He told me really whats going on is it gets the moisture out of the meat. Were not talking like jerky here but just the moisture you see around the sinu n stuff.
How long depends on the amount of meat. The optimal temp however is between 0 and +5c . This is above freezing but still cold enough to pervert bacteria.
He told me really whats going on is it gets the moisture out of the meat. Were not talking like jerky here but just the moisture you see around the sinu n stuff.
How long depends on the amount of meat. The optimal temp however is between 0 and +5c . This is above freezing but still cold enough to pervert bacteria.
07blackwater
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Port Coquitlam, BC
He is 53 and is a bit of a know it all, i listen to people with experience, he is the type of guy that thinks he is the oldest and wisest man on the planet, i knew he was wrong just wanted something i could print off to prove it too him.
He is not the oldest or wisest man on the planet. He is an imposter.
Odd that we refer to hanging the meat as "aging" and yet no one has mentioned what part the 'age' of the animal plays.
It is more important to get the animal dressed and cleaned and COOLED as soon as possible. Once that is done then decide about hanging it.
I've processed deer within a day or two of killing when it is a young animal, and I've also hung Moose and elk for up to 3 weeks when they were old animals. Reliable temperature is very important as well.
I find it hard to believe that a moose that is field dressed is frozen solid the next day. It may have some freezing on the outside few inches, but it takes a long time for the core temp on a hind to cool.
I have gone on extended trips where a couple deer were killed in the first few days. It was warm so we skinned them and covered in cheesecloth. We normally leave the hide on to keep the meat clean but because of the heat we skinned.
Over the next few weeks the temp dropped and by the time we got home and started the processing, a couple deer had been hanging for 3 weeks+
They had lost a lot of weight due to moisture loss. There also was a dark 'skin' on them. The skin helped keep the flies off, but it is trimmed off because of esthetics.
The deer was very tender and tasty, the down side was the shrinkage.
Odd that we refer to hanging the meat as "aging" and yet no one has mentioned what part the 'age' of the animal plays.
It is more important to get the animal dressed and cleaned and COOLED as soon as possible. Once that is done then decide about hanging it.
I've processed deer within a day or two of killing when it is a young animal, and I've also hung Moose and elk for up to 3 weeks when they were old animals. Reliable temperature is very important as well.
I find it hard to believe that a moose that is field dressed is frozen solid the next day. It may have some freezing on the outside few inches, but it takes a long time for the core temp on a hind to cool.
I have gone on extended trips where a couple deer were killed in the first few days. It was warm so we skinned them and covered in cheesecloth. We normally leave the hide on to keep the meat clean but because of the heat we skinned.
Over the next few weeks the temp dropped and by the time we got home and started the processing, a couple deer had been hanging for 3 weeks+
They had lost a lot of weight due to moisture loss. There also was a dark 'skin' on them. The skin helped keep the flies off, but it is trimmed off because of esthetics.
The deer was very tender and tasty, the down side was the shrinkage.
Pete04. I've killed a ton of birds from sparrows to geese and would not age them. If I get an old bird I cook it low and slow or pressure cook it.
With birds, it is nearly impossible to get them without holes in the gut from the shot. As soon as the gut is punctured the juices start to marinate the bird. Trouble with that is those juices are a bacterial soup which includes some that are not human friendly.
I field dress within 15 minutes of killing and pack a paper towel in the cavity.
I wash with salt water when I get home and sometimes will soak older birds or bloodshot birds in salt water or vinegar and water.
I have hunted with old guys who claimed they used to hang birds for days with guts in, but when I offered to do their birds for them that way they declined.
I have heard a lot of guys talk about it, but never met one that wanted to 'show' me.
With birds, it is nearly impossible to get them without holes in the gut from the shot. As soon as the gut is punctured the juices start to marinate the bird. Trouble with that is those juices are a bacterial soup which includes some that are not human friendly.
I field dress within 15 minutes of killing and pack a paper towel in the cavity.
I wash with salt water when I get home and sometimes will soak older birds or bloodshot birds in salt water or vinegar and water.
I have hunted with old guys who claimed they used to hang birds for days with guts in, but when I offered to do their birds for them that way they declined.
I have heard a lot of guys talk about it, but never met one that wanted to 'show' me.
Thanks Redfrog,
I have no experience with this as I don't hunt yet and so was just wondering. Guys at work say you can't eat the leg portions of these birds because of being too tough and I wondered if aging would help in this respect.
I have no experience with this as I don't hunt yet and so was just wondering. Guys at work say you can't eat the leg portions of these birds because of being too tough and I wondered if aging would help in this respect.
Definitely hang it if you have a place to keep the temp right. When we had a butcher shop, we hung all game, and it definitely benefited. Since then, I have done some deer without hanging with mixed results, some hung in a garage with good results. If I couldn't hang something big like a moose/elk, I would go commercial.
Pete04, there sure is not a lot of meat in the legs but there are lots of ligaments and tendons. I don't bother with the legs except to make soup or stock sometimes.
Wild birds also do not have a lot of fat so are dry if you roast them. They need bacon or something else to keep them moist. I roast with a lid on and some kind of liquid, wine, beer, broth, etc.
If I'm gone longer than a day trip, I make a 'hunter' stew in the pressure cooker. I could eat it every day. It starts with a mixed bag of birds, ducks, pheasants, sharptails, huns and maybe a rabbit or two. I skin the birds and use the breasts and the legs. By the time it is ready the meat has fallen off the legs and most of the tendons are still attached. I pick the legs out and toss them. I flour the birds and bunnies and brown them. Add vegetables and a some beer or wine or Yukon Jack,mmmmm Yukon Jack and pressure cook for about 12 minutes. Thicken with corn starch or flour and enjoy.
Meat is moist and tasty and never enough. Biscuits or dumplings top it off.
Wild birds also do not have a lot of fat so are dry if you roast them. They need bacon or something else to keep them moist. I roast with a lid on and some kind of liquid, wine, beer, broth, etc.
If I'm gone longer than a day trip, I make a 'hunter' stew in the pressure cooker. I could eat it every day. It starts with a mixed bag of birds, ducks, pheasants, sharptails, huns and maybe a rabbit or two. I skin the birds and use the breasts and the legs. By the time it is ready the meat has fallen off the legs and most of the tendons are still attached. I pick the legs out and toss them. I flour the birds and bunnies and brown them. Add vegetables and a some beer or wine or Yukon Jack,mmmmm Yukon Jack and pressure cook for about 12 minutes. Thicken with corn starch or flour and enjoy.
Meat is moist and tasty and never enough. Biscuits or dumplings top it off.
