Take note of Myth#4. I would just wipe it down with a cloth!
Ten Venison Myths
1, Hang venison for 5 days
Deer shouldn’t be hung at all, because life begins at 40. At 40 degrees bacteria come alive and usually, if a deer is hung in a garage all day long. It will be above 40degrees. The fat turns rancid and the meat begins to rot. To tenderize deer, leave it in the freezer for a few months. Butcher right away, freeze fresh. That’s the best way.
2 Leave the fat on for moisture and flavor
If you’ve hung the deer the fat will be partially rancid. Venison fat is strong (except over the front shoulders where it tastes like lamb fat) and it’s like tallow when it cools down. Trim the fat off, all or it and cook the meat lightly to retain moisture. Venison fat is the gamey part.
3 Make burger from shanks and scraps
Shanks and scraps are fine if all the fat and connective tissue are trimmed away. Most hunters and butchers don’t take the time to do it. Commercial grinders can slice the sinews and connective tissues into small pieces, but that’s where the off taste is concentrated. Trim your meat scraps then make burger, all the difference in the world.
4 Hose out the deer with water after field dressing
Three things work to ruin deer meat, dirt, heat and moisture. One minute after the inside of a deer is wiped down with a cloth, a thin dry film forms that prevents flies from laying eggs. Water it down and it’s vulnerable. The meat is warmed, moistened, and bacteria grows at a fantastic rate. Don’t soak your deer down; let it dry naturally the good meat is on the other side of the ribs anyway. Excluding the tender loins.
5 Cook venison thoroughly until its well done
Who wants shoe leather? You wouldn’t cook a T-bone steak that way. Why cook venison until it’s dry and hard. Either cook it lightly (10) minutes or long and slow with moisture.
6 Marinate Venison in wine for palatability
What does venison taste like that has been marinating in wine / Wine of course. If you haven’t trimmed off all the fat and you’ve cooked it for an hour or so, you will have a gamey tasting slab of shoe leather that tastes like wine. If that’s what you want have at it but why would you treat excellent meat that way.
7 Some cuts are tender some are tough
True if you don’t trim your venison. Shank meat for example, is just as tender as round or loin---if you remove all the connective tissue. But will be tougher than the inside of a golf ball if you leave all the white fell and silver skin around the muscles. Trim it away and all venison will be tender.
8 You need a professional butcher to prepare venison
If you don’t have time, yes. But is you can take a few hours, bone it out, cut the meat away from the back bone like you would filet a fish. That’s the loin. Cut off the other muscles and trim away the membranes and connective tissue. It won’t look like cuts of beef in the store, but the boneless meat will be delectable. After you try it you’ll always butcher yourself. Really if you take into account all the time you spend scouting, building stands a few hour extra caring for the meat is nothing and it pays big dividends in flavor.
9 An average deer gives you 75 pounds of meat
Dream on. The average yearling buck weight maybe 150 pounds on the hoof, down to 115 field dressed. Cut away the skin, bones, head, feet, and put the boneless meat on a scale you are talking 35-40 pounds. It’s still a lot of meat, and it will taste best because you got it yourself. Deer don’t have a lot of meat but they do have plenty.
10 Venison cuts should resemble beef cuts at the store
Many hunters and their family want deer meat to look like beef. A chuck roast form a 1000-pound steer might weigh 6 pounds. The entire front shoulder from a 150 lb. Deer will weigh 6-lbs. Steaks cut from a deer look like lamb chops. That’s because deer are closer in size to sheep than a cow.
If you want beef buy beef. If you want the best meat you’ve ever tasted, butcher your deer yourself, bone it out, trim it thoroughly. Cook it lightly and it’s tops! But don’t buy into the venison myths. Good meat shouldn’t be treated that way.
. Wondering if it is safe to eat...
