wooohoo I found my source

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Mohawk
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Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 7:24 pm

Re: wooohoo I found my source

#11 Post by Mohawk »

I recommend not putting fat in with deer meat when processing. Especially deer fat! Deer fat is not pleasant tasting to me at all. Other fats seem to not be compatible with deer meat and throw off the flavor even being frozen. I try and to rid the meat of as much fat as possible and put pure deer meat in the freezer. Then, upon cooking and depending on the recipe, I'll add ground beef, pork, sausage or just leave it plain. In sausages, ground pork or sausage is best.

Mohawk
Posts: 403
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 7:24 pm

Re: wooohoo I found my source

#12 Post by Mohawk »

On a related but different matter, I really like aging deer meat! At one time, I had an old working fridge that was best used for aging meat. I got to use it for 3 seasons and loved the results. The meat was prime for lack of better words, fork cutting tender and a very mild but obvious deer flavor. I aged 10 days, but I've heard of going 14. What aging does is allow the hormones, enzymes and rigor mortis to break down and leave the meat and connective tissues to somewhat break down as well. After aging, the processing commences and you can feel the softness in the meat vs the immediate processing. I don't have the means to do it this year, and our temps won't allow it just by hanging. It's either too warm or too cold or both over 10 days or so.

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Ole Dave
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Re: wooohoo I found my source

#13 Post by Ole Dave »

Jim,

Thanks for your comments on another thread...

I had some tough times in Montana keeping temps cool...here's what I did.

I was in the Helena area and annual precip was like 11", (10" is a desert) and it got COLD at night but up into 80's in daylight. What to do?

I'd hang with windows open in garage to chill overnight, then get up and use one of those fiber woven space blankets and clothes pin it tight around the hanging carcass. I stuck a meat thermometer in the meat and checked interior temp, then went to work... at Noon, I came back and it was still cold...did same after work and STILL cold...that thermal "blanket" kept it cold...then come night and dropping temps, I'd undo the space blanket and let it cool down further...

Seemed to work... never got Montezuma's revenge and temps held constant once chilled... Doesn't get that chilly here in TN so that is out....just a thought... :) Another of those "personal" experiences...
All we have and call our own, once belonged to someone else, and will again. Our purpose here is not to serve ourselves.

Bigfoot SAS LB (47# LB limbs 38# Semi Static RC limbs)

Couple of old Bear bows

Mohawk
Posts: 403
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 7:24 pm

Re: wooohoo I found my source

#14 Post by Mohawk »

Dave, that's brilliant thinkin! I would do that in a minute, but the lows here have had a hard time getting into the 40's so far this year. I recently moved and don't have a garage...yet. It's on the list though. I have threatened to build a small shed and put a winder air conditioner in it, and maybe run my oil filled radiator heater should it get too cold. I may try to just age my deer in a cooler this year and try that 3 day age! I'm really hooked on that aging. I think it sure makes a big difference.

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Ole Dave
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Re: wooohoo I found my source

#15 Post by Ole Dave »

So, Jim,
In KS they don't do fridges on the front porch where you live? :lol:

YOur point is very well taken...one of the myriad of reasons I've not pushed to hunt this year... weather. I am not set up with a way to hang and skin ASAP, nor place to chill except to put food into a cooler, cooler is a 5 day coleman I've tried on 3D trad shoots in sweltering heat and it does hold cold well...

Buddy framed out a small box and used A/C to chill it to about 38*...said the AC froze up at times...had it on top the "unit" so's the cold fell down... said he should have put a switch box on side to cut it off when it froze up so he didn't have to crawl up to unplug it... :0

used the foil faced hard insualation and said it worked like a trooper... But big eye bolts in top rafters and built around it, but in his garage... a "shed" would work just as well...

Lots of choices, but all BEFORE you bring in a dead critter... not after!

Guys say about he cooler process... I've read often that 99% of plastic bags the protein in meat leaches out some bad crap from the plastic and use food grade plastic bags... Where does one find those?????

WE soaked a lot of small game in salt water in fridge so not sure why soaking venison in water in cooler would be awful... some said to keep the drain hole open to keep water off, but where does one let that drain out? Yard? Every possum and coon in 3 miles would be there! In house drain for septic? Not the best overnight place for cooler...

Not a problem here this year... I haven't yet seen a deer and with it popcorn dry here, I'm not blasting a MZ out over dry leaves.. fires everywhere as it is! :(
All we have and call our own, once belonged to someone else, and will again. Our purpose here is not to serve ourselves.

Bigfoot SAS LB (47# LB limbs 38# Semi Static RC limbs)

Couple of old Bear bows

Mohawk
Posts: 403
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 7:24 pm

Re: wooohoo I found my source

#16 Post by Mohawk »

:lol: :lol: They don't allow a fridge on the porch here unless the doors are removed. :evil: I would imagine that after 1 peek into my porch fridge, no snot nosed brat would ever come near it again, let alone crawl in.
It's pretty dry here too, been wet all year. Figures, when I don't want to sound like a herd of bull moose in the timber, we can't buy a rain to quiet the leaves.

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Ole Dave
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Re: wooohoo I found my source

#17 Post by Ole Dave »

We're in a horrific drought, but not alone...much of country is... Started in summer...record # of over 90* days..normally like 14 all year and we had like 96 total...and little rain all summer... dirt is like dust... most guys I talk to are afraid to even SHOOT a muzzle loader for how dry it is the particles falling on leaves could smolder and set the woods afire...not that we don't have a record # of fires in TN and every adjoining state but my KY...dunno about it.

They had laws about fridges outside with doors off...where I lived in PA, too....I've seen some in MD back East with chains and padlocks on porches... Bears would tear off a door to get to the goodies here...
All we have and call our own, once belonged to someone else, and will again. Our purpose here is not to serve ourselves.

Bigfoot SAS LB (47# LB limbs 38# Semi Static RC limbs)

Couple of old Bear bows

Mohawk
Posts: 403
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 7:24 pm

Re: wooohoo I found my source

#18 Post by Mohawk »

If we had bears here, I'd try it! There's a balcony over my porch. :lol: :roll: I think it'd be cool to harpoon one of them guys, especially with a trad bow.
Hopefully you folks out your way get some good soakers soon! I sure hate dry weather, always been more of a rainy day guy I guess.

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