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Posted: 4/18/2015 8:49:00 PM EDT
[#1]
I know quite a few people that will soak their venison in milk overnight before they cook it to leach out blood. They swear it makes it less "gamey".
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Posted: 4/18/2015 9:03:01 PM EDT
[#2]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I know quite a few people that will soak their venison in milk overnight before they cook it to leach out blood. They swear it makes it less "gamey". This. Soak in buttermilk overnight, then rinse. After rinsing, soak in Italian dressing for several hours until you are ready to cook. |
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Posted: 4/18/2015 9:37:53 PM EDT
[#3]
Did you age it at all?
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Posted: 4/18/2015 9:46:15 PM EDT
[#4]
Backstraps are the only thing we'll eat on the spot. The rest of everything either gets aged a bit, stored and garbage pieces are ground in with beef.
I'm kind of the same way w/ Javelina out in AZ. I stopped hunting them because even after I dropped it off and paid a butcher to make sausage, it wouldn't be something I would ever walk into the kitchen looking forward to eating. |
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Posted: 4/18/2015 9:51:27 PM EDT
[#5]
Quoted:
The fact is I don't really care for the taste of venison and neither does my wife. The jerky is good when paired up with some strong cheese but this meat in all it's forms has a strong to us gamey flavor very very similar to mutton or goat. Is it because of the age of the deer I killed? When you field dressed it, you ruptured the gut. The processor was not fastidious about removing any piece of fecal tainted meat. These bacteria continued to grow on the raw meat and are the source of your 'off' flavor. Deer is NOT gamey. Fecal matter in meat (and the associated bacteria) IS gamey. Next time, take EXTREME care to NOT rupture the gut or stomach when field dressing. Take more care to select a better processor (who make DAMN sure the fecal contaminated meat is excised and thrown away.. TRG |
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Posted: 4/18/2015 9:52:57 PM EDT
[#6]
Weird. I prefer it over any other readily available meat.
I'm assuming you're gettin all the fat off? Every little bit? The fat tastes fucky. ETA: lol, yeah, rupturing the stomach is going to present a huge contamination problem for the meat and the same goes for poking a hole in a full bladder. Is that what happened? |
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Posted: 4/18/2015 9:57:47 PM EDT
[#7]
First, do a clean job of field dressing the deer. I've never had gamey tasting venison. I fillet the meat, no bones at all because the marrow will disflavor the meat. I have the locker make a bunch of summer sausage and salami and then just grind up the rest of it and use it in chili, etc. also, if there's any fat on the deer, do not process it. Throw it away. It's not good tasting like beef fat.
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Posted: 4/18/2015 9:59:49 PM EDT
[#8]
Shoot an Iowa deer. They're corn fed, taste much better.
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Posted: 4/18/2015 10:00:49 PM EDT
[#9]
Also to add, there is a way I learned of disassembling deer/elk/pigs that gives you a very low likelyhood of rupturing bladder/stomach/instestines. Hunting in AZ sucks and we typically can't drag the animal out of where we shot it, so this lets you make multiple trips.
You basically skin one side of the animal carefully from the base of the neck, down the middle of the stomach, and up to it's spine (Skin only, don't push through to the meat), take the front quarter and rear quarter off. Use a sharp knife and follow the bones, and you can use a saw to remove the tough ball joint in the rear quarter. Run your knife along the ribs and you can basically pull all of the rib meat off in one or two pieces. The backstraps will come off nice and easy with a sharp knife against the spine.Take whatever else you can from the neck and misc parts. Then you flip the skin over the exposed part, turn the animal on the other side, and repeat. Once you get the major pieces off the animal, you can go in and pull the heart/liver, plus whatever else is left. Hang the meat up to cool while you work on the rest of the parts. You can use game bags or old pillow cases or whatever. I try to keep the quarters separate from the organs or misc pieces. It's pretty cool, and you can almost do it without getting blood on your hands. http://youtu.be/uOJ2u5V-6q4 
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Posted: 4/18/2015 10:21:00 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
When you field dressed it, you ruptured the gut. The processor was not fastidious about removing any piece of fecal tainted meat. These bacteria continued to grow on the raw meat and are the source of your 'off' flavor. Deer is NOT gamey. Fecal matter in meat (and the associated bacteria) IS gamey. Next time, take EXTREME care to NOT rupture the gut or stomach when field dressing. Take more care to select a better processor (who make DAMN sure the fecal contaminated meat is excised and thrown away.. TRG Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
The fact is I don't really care for the taste of venison and neither does my wife. The jerky is good when paired up with some strong cheese but this meat in all it's forms has a strong to us gamey flavor very very similar to mutton or goat. Is it because of the age of the deer I killed? When you field dressed it, you ruptured the gut. The processor was not fastidious about removing any piece of fecal tainted meat. These bacteria continued to grow on the raw meat and are the source of your 'off' flavor. Deer is NOT gamey. Fecal matter in meat (and the associated bacteria) IS gamey. Next time, take EXTREME care to NOT rupture the gut or stomach when field dressing. Take more care to select a better processor (who make DAMN sure the fecal contaminated meat is excised and thrown away.. TRG This is possible. There are people who just don't like venison even if the gamey taste originates in their mind. You and I may eat some of his meat and think it tastes normal. |
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Posted: 4/18/2015 11:31:15 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I know quite a few people that will soak their venison in milk overnight before they cook it to leach out blood. They swear it makes it less "gamey". I do that for folks that try venison the first time (that say they hate the game taste on other wild fare) or those that tried it but say they don't like it due to the "gamey" taste. The longer you "soak" the less game flavor it will have, it also helps in tenderizing the meat. Bit of "gamey" flavor, 24 hour soak...almost no gamey flavor 48 hour soak. The "gelatin" like goo on the meat after soaking is normal, if it bothers you...rinse it off under cold water. |
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Posted: 4/18/2015 11:48:57 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
When you field dressed it, you ruptured the gut. The processor was not fastidious about removing any piece of fecal tainted meat. These bacteria continued to grow on the raw meat and are the source of your 'off' flavor. Deer is NOT gamey. Fecal matter in meat (and the associated bacteria) IS gamey. Next time, take EXTREME care to NOT rupture the gut or stomach when field dressing. Take more care to select a better processor (who make DAMN sure the fecal contaminated meat is excised and thrown away.. TRG Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
The fact is I don't really care for the taste of venison and neither does my wife. The jerky is good when paired up with some strong cheese but this meat in all it's forms has a strong to us gamey flavor very very similar to mutton or goat. Is it because of the age of the deer I killed? When you field dressed it, you ruptured the gut. The processor was not fastidious about removing any piece of fecal tainted meat. These bacteria continued to grow on the raw meat and are the source of your 'off' flavor. Deer is NOT gamey. Fecal matter in meat (and the associated bacteria) IS gamey. Next time, take EXTREME care to NOT rupture the gut or stomach when field dressing. Take more care to select a better processor (who make DAMN sure the fecal contaminated meat is excised and thrown away.. TRG No gut rupture. Everything came out with no issues. We rinsed the carcass out and even put bags of ice in it. It went immediately to the processor whom we watched cape it out and skin it and hose it down multiple times. Deer was dead less than maybe two hours before he was processed. |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 8:06:28 AM EDT
[#13]
I think with most people, they want to taste more like beef.
Around here folks complain about it when they harvest it themselves. No one has let on that there was anything wrong with any me or my wife has prepared. I've even harvested some for other people. In this area, they shoot a deer that's all hopped up on testosterone, chasing a doe. They'll make a marginal (at best shot), then they'll chase it until it bleeds out, Forcing it to run on adrenalin for a time. Then they don't usually field dress it but if they do, they don't take precautions to keep it clean on the drag out. Then they ride around to Waffle House or wherever to show their buddies. Time from the shot until refrigeration is usually a few hours. Then there isn't anything resembling an aging period. When they get to the table they want it to taste like beef. Not saying that's what you did but that's how folks around here tend to do it. Beef is harvested a lot differently. No stress hormones, skinned and halved as soon as possible and the aged for like 2 weeks in a cooler. Not to mention the way they are raised and what they are fed. Venison is wild game but with proper prep work and care of the harvest it can taste fantastic. |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 9:47:58 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
No gut rupture. Everything came out with no issues. We rinsed the carcass out and even put bags of ice in it. It went immediately to the processor whom we watched cape it out and skin it and hose it down multiple times. Deer was dead less than maybe two hours before he was processed. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
The fact is I don't really care for the taste of venison and neither does my wife. The jerky is good when paired up with some strong cheese but this meat in all it's forms has a strong to us gamey flavor very very similar to mutton or goat. Is it because of the age of the deer I killed? When you field dressed it, you ruptured the gut. The processor was not fastidious about removing any piece of fecal tainted meat. These bacteria continued to grow on the raw meat and are the source of your 'off' flavor. Deer is NOT gamey. Fecal matter in meat (and the associated bacteria) IS gamey. Next time, take EXTREME care to NOT rupture the gut or stomach when field dressing. Take more care to select a better processor (who make DAMN sure the fecal contaminated meat is excised and thrown away.. TRG No gut rupture. Everything came out with no issues. We rinsed the carcass out and even put bags of ice in it. It went immediately to the processor whom we watched cape it out and skin it and hose it down multiple times. Deer was dead less than maybe two hours before he was processed. Then he mixed your meat with a deer that had been poorly processed and did have fecal material in it. I ruined three entire deer (150lbs of meat) because I got sloppy with ONE of the three and the meat was mixed together when I made sausage and hamburger. I tried to ignore the flavor, but, I had to throw it all out. TRG |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:03:01 AM EDT
[#15]
It should hang and age as long as possible before processing. 7-10 days. The more aging you can do the better the meat.
Also, don't overcook it. Keep it at med rare. If you just can't deal with it, make sausage or have it made into sausage. I make breakfast sausage, polish sausage, cumberland sausage, salami, etc. |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 10:28:39 AM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
When you field dressed it, you ruptured the gut. The processor was not fastidious about removing any piece of fecal tainted meat. These bacteria continued to grow on the raw meat and are the source of your 'off' flavor. Deer is NOT gamey. Fecal matter in meat (and the associated bacteria) IS gamey. Next time, take EXTREME care to NOT rupture the gut or stomach when field dressing. Take more care to select a better processor (who make DAMN sure the fecal contaminated meat is excised and thrown away.. TRG Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
The fact is I don't really care for the taste of venison and neither does my wife. The jerky is good when paired up with some strong cheese but this meat in all it's forms has a strong to us gamey flavor very very similar to mutton or goat. Is it because of the age of the deer I killed? When you field dressed it, you ruptured the gut. The processor was not fastidious about removing any piece of fecal tainted meat. These bacteria continued to grow on the raw meat and are the source of your 'off' flavor. Deer is NOT gamey. Fecal matter in meat (and the associated bacteria) IS gamey. Next time, take EXTREME care to NOT rupture the gut or stomach when field dressing. Take more care to select a better processor (who make DAMN sure the fecal contaminated meat is excised and thrown away.. TRG |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 11:22:16 AM EDT
[#17]
I butcher my own meat and I try to hang them for at least 3 days to rid the meat of gamey taste. I wash out the inside cavity of the deer and pack it in ice avoiding any fecal matter when gutting before hanging. When butchering I take time to make sure all the sinew or white film on the meat is completely cut off. I usually make steaks out of the back straps and turn the rest of the meat into summer sausage because I know my family will eat it and for the last 5 years the meat has been great.
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Posted: 4/19/2015 6:06:32 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
No gut rupture. Everything came out with no issues. We rinsed the carcass out and even put bags of ice in it. It went immediately to the processor whom we watched cape it out and skin it and hose it down multiple times. Deer was dead less than maybe two hours before he was processed. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
The fact is I don't really care for the taste of venison and neither does my wife. The jerky is good when paired up with some strong cheese but this meat in all it's forms has a strong to us gamey flavor very very similar to mutton or goat. Is it because of the age of the deer I killed? When you field dressed it, you ruptured the gut. The processor was not fastidious about removing any piece of fecal tainted meat. These bacteria continued to grow on the raw meat and are the source of your 'off' flavor. Deer is NOT gamey. Fecal matter in meat (and the associated bacteria) IS gamey. Next time, take EXTREME care to NOT rupture the gut or stomach when field dressing. Take more care to select a better processor (who make DAMN sure the fecal contaminated meat is excised and thrown away.. TRG No gut rupture. Everything came out with no issues. We rinsed the carcass out and even put bags of ice in it. It went immediately to the processor whom we watched cape it out and skin it and hose it down multiple times. Deer was dead less than maybe two hours before he was processed. You rinsed it out? One word of advise is to never rinse red meat. If there is hair on it, pick it off, don't rinse it. That is an easy way to ruin the flavor of the meat. Secondly, what was the temperature when you shot the deer? You definitely want to hang your deer in 30-40 degree weather for around a week before you process it. That will make the meat much more tender and taste better. Like another guy mentioned, are you sure that the deer you had processed was the same meat you got back? I know some butchers don't really care and just throw what you ordered in a bag that could be from a bunch of deer. If you had ground meat made, it is very likely you got a bunch of different deer ground together. Remember that venison is not beef. It has no fat content and is very healthy. You cannot cook it as if it were beef. |
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Posted: 4/19/2015 6:40:45 PM EDT
[#19]
i mix it with fat back and make burgers, they're damn good. it's also good as country style steak IMO. the backstraps are yummy too. try the buttermilk and try aging it next time.
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Posted: 4/19/2015 7:04:50 PM EDT
[#20]
I'm happy with my "caveman" ancestry, I haven't ran across a mammal yet
that I've cooked and not enjoyed. 
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Posted: 4/19/2015 7:49:12 PM EDT
[#21]
I actually enjoy the different taste of venison versus beef. I have had goat and enjoyed it as well. I don't expect for animals that are raised wild to taste like a grass and sweet feed fed beef cattle. To each their own but I really enjoy the taste of black bear, elk, moose. None taste the same to me. Just like flathead catfish tastes so much better to me than a channel cat. And then there is crappie the best there is.
So I say embrace the taste it was what your great great grandparents survived on. |
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Posted: 4/20/2015 3:36:33 PM EDT
[#22]
My first thought is I'm not quite your definition of "gamey" flavor. Sometimes when people say wild meat tastes "gamey", they mean it simply doesn't taste like beef. That is to be expected. Venison doesn't taste like beef, but it does tast good. Other times when people same "gamey", they really mean "off", and that's because of meat contamination, as other posters have addressed.
From your description of the hunt, it sounds as if you did everything right. A decisive shot that killed the deer quickly, prompt recovery of the animal and sanitary field dressing adds up to doing your part. Since you used a processor, the aging and final cutting were out of your hands. I would seriously consider changing your processor, or at least asking around about the reputation of the processor you used. A reputable processor will make sure you receive back the meat from your deer and only your deer. However, it's not uncommon for some processors to cut corners and process multiple deer simultaneously and then divide out the meat for each hunter. To me that is a cardinal sin. I take time and care field dressing my deer, and for better or worse, I want to eat the results of my hunt and only my hunt. ETA: If it turns out you just don't like the flavor of venison, you can still hunt ethically without wasting meat. Look into Hunter's for the Hungry (non profit organization) in your state. Virginia has a strong program, so if I'm every in the happy situation of having taken more deer than will fit in my freezer I can simply drop off a deer at a participating processor (most of the good ones in my area participate) and the processor will butcher the animal and then Hunter's for the Hungry will make sure the meat is provided to the needy. It's a win-win. I know several guys who, even though they love venison, try to donate one deer a year. |
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Posted: 4/20/2015 9:21:39 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My first thought is I'm not quite your definition of "gamey" flavor. Sometimes when people say wild meat tastes "gamey", they mean it simply doesn't taste like beef. That is to be expected. Venison doesn't taste like beef, but it does tast good. Other times when people same "gamey", they really mean "off", and that's because of meat contamination, as other posters have addressed. From your description of the hunt, it sounds as if you did everything right. A decisive shot that killed the deer quickly, prompt recovery of the animal and sanitary field dressing adds up to doing your part. Since you used a processor, the aging and final cutting were out of your hands. I would seriously consider changing your processor, or at least asking around about the reputation of the processor you used. A reputable processor will make sure you receive back the meat from your deer and only your deer. However, it's not uncommon for some processors to cut corners and process multiple deer simultaneously and then divide out the meat for each hunter. To me that is a cardinal sin. I take time and care field dressing my deer, and for better or worse, I want to eat the results of my hunt and only my hunt. ETA: If it turns out you just don't like the flavor of venison, you can still hunt ethically without wasting meat. Look into Hunter's for the Hungry (non profit organization) in your state. Virginia has a strong program, so if I'm every in the happy situation of having taken more deer than will fit in my freezer I can simply drop off a deer at a participating processor (most of the good ones in my area participate) and the processor will butcher the animal and then Hunter's for the Hungry will make sure the meat is provided to the needy. It's a win-win. I know several guys who, even though they love venison, try to donate one deer a year. I have had venison from multiple deer from 3 states and it all has the same taste, it's strong like goat or mutton, I am just not a fan of it. Mind you I have only eaten venison from big bucks that were older so I assume that impacts the taste somewhat. I will be trying the milk soak as well as a good marinade next time we cook some though and see what works. The processor is very well regarded in the area and assured me I would get only my meat back from him. He didn't mind my cousin and I hanging out and watching him and his crew work for over an hour and observe. I don't have any reason to believe he would lie to me. Oh no i am not worried about meat going to waste, I have plenty of friends who would take it off my hands and already have a standing offer from some well regarded chef's they would love some to cook for their chef buddies as well. |
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Posted: 4/21/2015 12:22:59 AM EDT
[#24]
I arrow mostly younger deer,
I quarter and harvest meat and put on ice in a big cooler that drains the melting ice. During the beginning of bow season it is too warm to hang deer. Then after 4-5 days, I process it myself. Taking care to remove all the fat and as much silverskin as possible. The one time I took a deer to a butcher, he made steaks and cuts that were full of fat and silverskin, that makes it gamey. |
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Posted: 4/21/2015 12:51:33 AM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
No gut rupture. Everything came out with no issues. We rinsed the carcass out and even put bags of ice in it. It went immediately to the processor whom we watched cape it out and skin it and hose it down multiple times. Deer was dead less than maybe two hours before he was processed. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
The fact is I don't really care for the taste of venison and neither does my wife. The jerky is good when paired up with some strong cheese but this meat in all it's forms has a strong to us gamey flavor very very similar to mutton or goat. Is it because of the age of the deer I killed? When you field dressed it, you ruptured the gut. The processor was not fastidious about removing any piece of fecal tainted meat. These bacteria continued to grow on the raw meat and are the source of your 'off' flavor. Deer is NOT gamey. Fecal matter in meat (and the associated bacteria) IS gamey. Next time, take EXTREME care to NOT rupture the gut or stomach when field dressing. Take more care to select a better processor (who make DAMN sure the fecal contaminated meat is excised and thrown away.. TRG No gut rupture. Everything came out with no issues. We rinsed the carcass out and even put bags of ice in it. It went immediately to the processor whom we watched cape it out and skin it and hose it down multiple times. Deer was dead less than maybe two hours before he was processed. EUREKA.... you processed your kill in the middle of Rigor Mortis. nonononononono some of the gaminess you have is from cellular toxins from Rigor Mortis starting ( this can also cause "toughness". you really need to hang a carcass for 12-36 hours at the minimum. the muscles with start to relax and give way. all the parenchyma should be stripped off the meat this is the slimy muscle coating. it has a after taste. never cook venison past medium. smaller cuts can be soaked in cold salt water to bleach out the blood. change the water several times. venison is not beef. it has its own texture and flavor. venison does not marble. beef flavoring comes from marbling. if you can't hang it, quarter it yourself and chill it on blocks on ice in large coolers or buy an old wire racked fridge just for aging. |
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Posted: 4/21/2015 12:52:40 AM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I think with most people, they want to taste more like beef. Around here folks complain about it when they harvest it themselves. No one has let on that there was anything wrong with any me or my wife has prepared. I've even harvested some for other people. In this area, they shoot a deer that's all hopped up on testosterone, chasing a doe. They'll make a marginal (at best shot), then they'll chase it until it bleeds out, Forcing it to run on adrenalin for a time. Then they don't usually field dress it but if they do, they don't take precautions to keep it clean on the drag out. Then they ride around to Waffle House or wherever to show their buddies. Time from the shot until refrigeration is usually a few hours. Then there isn't anything resembling an aging period. When they get to the table they want it to taste like beef. Not saying that's what you did but that's how folks around here tend to do it. Beef is harvested a lot differently. No stress hormones, skinned and halved as soon as possible and the aged for like 2 weeks in a cooler. Not to mention the way they are raised and what they are fed. Venison is wild game but with proper prep work and care of the harvest it can taste fantastic. good points. we have deli coolers and Ice Chests large enough to hide a Hooker if we need to. |
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Posted: 4/21/2015 9:59:31 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I have had venison from multiple deer from 3 states and it all has the same taste, it's strong like goat or mutton, I am just not a fan of it. Mind you I have only eaten venison from big bucks that were older so I assume that impacts the taste somewhat. I will be trying the milk soak as well as a good marinade next time we cook some though and see what works. The processor is very well regarded in the area and assured me I would get only my meat back from him. He didn't mind my cousin and I hanging out and watching him and his crew work for over an hour and observe. I don't have any reason to believe he would lie to me. Oh no i am not worried about meat going to waste, I have plenty of friends who would take it off my hands and already have a standing offer from some well regarded chef's they would love some to cook for their chef buddies as well. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
My first thought is I'm not quite your definition of "gamey" flavor. Sometimes when people say wild meat tastes "gamey", they mean it simply doesn't taste like beef. That is to be expected. Venison doesn't taste like beef, but it does tast good. Other times when people same "gamey", they really mean "off", and that's because of meat contamination, as other posters have addressed. From your description of the hunt, it sounds as if you did everything right. A decisive shot that killed the deer quickly, prompt recovery of the animal and sanitary field dressing adds up to doing your part. Since you used a processor, the aging and final cutting were out of your hands. I would seriously consider changing your processor, or at least asking around about the reputation of the processor you used. A reputable processor will make sure you receive back the meat from your deer and only your deer. However, it's not uncommon for some processors to cut corners and process multiple deer simultaneously and then divide out the meat for each hunter. To me that is a cardinal sin. I take time and care field dressing my deer, and for better or worse, I want to eat the results of my hunt and only my hunt. ETA: If it turns out you just don't like the flavor of venison, you can still hunt ethically without wasting meat. Look into Hunter's for the Hungry (non profit organization) in your state. Virginia has a strong program, so if I'm every in the happy situation of having taken more deer than will fit in my freezer I can simply drop off a deer at a participating processor (most of the good ones in my area participate) and the processor will butcher the animal and then Hunter's for the Hungry will make sure the meat is provided to the needy. It's a win-win. I know several guys who, even though they love venison, try to donate one deer a year. I have had venison from multiple deer from 3 states and it all has the same taste, it's strong like goat or mutton, I am just not a fan of it. Mind you I have only eaten venison from big bucks that were older so I assume that impacts the taste somewhat. I will be trying the milk soak as well as a good marinade next time we cook some though and see what works. The processor is very well regarded in the area and assured me I would get only my meat back from him. He didn't mind my cousin and I hanging out and watching him and his crew work for over an hour and observe. I don't have any reason to believe he would lie to me. Oh no i am not worried about meat going to waste, I have plenty of friends who would take it off my hands and already have a standing offer from some well regarded chef's they would love some to cook for their chef buddies as well. Fair enough. I think maybe it's not for you then. No shame in not liking a certain species of meat. I will say that in my limited experience, the deer that make the best eating don't make the best trophies, particularly if you're taking a big buck during rut. Try some of the suggestions earlier in this thread about brining or soaking the meat prior to cooking. You also might want to use recipes that are heavy on marinades or spices so the recipe provides most, if not all, of the flavor profile, which will overpower the natural taste of the vension.. I tend to avoid these sorts of recipes when cooking venison, but I love the taste of it. Try something like a Teriyaki marinade for 24 hours on steak cuts. Mix ground venison in with a heavy ratio of pork and lots of spices for heavily flavored sausage. You could substitute a vension roast for beef and make corned beef. Use your ground venison for spicy chili. Just a few suggestions. |
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Posted: 4/21/2015 2:45:25 PM EDT
[#28]
Alot of good points made so far. I am of the opinion that "gamey" flavors are the result of the meat being in contact with the fat layer of the animal for too long. Higher temperatures exacerbate this. Unless its 20 or below most people I hunt with are fast to either get it to the processer fast (if we do it ourselves which we sometimes do) we get the hyde off ASAP. As in the day it was shot. Some processing places want the hyde some dont. Non stressful kills make for better meat. Pursuit of wounded deer is a bad set up. Quick, ethical kills minimize this
We sometimes hang skinned car asses for a time if weather conditions are favorable. Good gutting techniqe and getting "shot out meat" off the animal is important too. Honestly I can only remember a really bad venison meal once in my life. It was a wounded deer that was out overn ight (we didnt want to push it at dark). Temps were high and we found the deer late the next day. We knew it was an "iffy" call but we didnt want to waste it but the taste was obviously off. The only other time I remember a meal being wrecked was when my friends wife bit into a perfectly mushroomed core-lok lead bullet. We found it amazing that we got it back but she was disgusted |
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Posted: 4/22/2015 11:36:16 AM EDT
[#29]
Gamey taste comes from the fat and silver skin that has been left on the meat prior to cooking.
Remove it. All of it. ( Some processing places burn the hair off the carcass after skinning for a quick way to clean the meat before cutting up. No one likes the taste of burnt hair. ) Mushy texture comes from over cooking. As a reference, take a 1" slice of back-strap, put olive oil & salt-n-pepper to taste, and sear it over a hot grill or skillet. ( At least a 500 degree heat ) Sear the meat for only 30-45 seconds per side and slap it on a plate. Proceed to cut with a fork and be amazed. You can cook every cut of meat like the back-strap and have virtually the same awesome result. No need to marinate in milk or anything else. Make sure the fat and silver-skin are removed. Pretty much just as simple as that. |
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Posted: 4/22/2015 11:43:54 AM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Did you age it at all? We'll bone them out usually within 6 hours, trim all the fat and membrane and rinse it, then age in a fridge or in an ice chest for a week. Pull it out, clean up any membrane or fat that's left and freeze. Many people that "don't like deer" have been converted when they've had ours that's properly aged and cooked. |
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Posted: 4/22/2015 1:37:11 PM EDT
[#31]
Quoted:
I finally got around to hunting in November. I have shot most of my life but only killed a rabbit when I was like 10 and he didn't go quietly, the pellet rifle was not a clean kill. My cousin offered to take me to a piece of property his family owned and no one had hunted on for at least 15 years or more and see if we could get a deer. The property is useless as 3/4 of it is in a floodplain and floods out every year. He bought me a rifle a savage hog hunter in 308! as a gift as I had recommended he go with the same rifle in case IN opened up for rifle calibers. I got my ammunition with some gift cards I was awarded at work for some stuff. I sighted int he rifle at 100 yards and after shooting and getting used to a bolt gun I could keep 3 rounds touching from a bipod and keep them all in 4 inches offhand so I was good. We built the ground blind out of scrap wood and camo netting. We put corn out with molasses, and then I went out a few more times with more corn and bucket syrup or something I bought. I bought insulated, waterproof camo, good stuff and it worked really really well. Here is the thread with the writeup The fact is I don't really care for the taste of venison and neither does my wife. The jerky is good when paired up with some strong cheese but this meat in all it's forms has a strong to us gamey flavor very very similar to mutton or goat. Is it because of the age of the deer I killed? Anyoen got any tricks to calm the flavor down some? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I loved the hunt, but I don't want to hunt something I really don't want to eat. My cousin has a large piece of land he is now building out into a sportsmans wet dream, 2 large ponds for fishing, a cabin, and a bunch of stands and ground blinds for hunting of all types. His game cams have picked up plenty of deer, some yotes and even a bobcat! OP, it isn't for everyone, I know a lot of folks that combine everything but the tenderloin/backstraps  with either beef or pork fat for burgers or sausage. Might want to give that a whirl. My wife makes great tenderloin (breaded and fried) but anything else is hit or miss for both of us when we cook it, but the ground deer doesn't last long at all in our house.
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Posted: 4/22/2015 7:38:20 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
We'll bone them out usually within 6 hours, trim all the fat and membrane and rinse it, then age in a fridge or in an ice chest for a week. Pull it out, clean up any membrane or fat that's left and freeze. Many people that "don't like deer" have been converted when they've had ours that's properly aged and cooked. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Did you age it at all? We'll bone them out usually within 6 hours, trim all the fat and membrane and rinse it, then age in a fridge or in an ice chest for a week. Pull it out, clean up any membrane or fat that's left and freeze. Many people that "don't like deer" have been converted when they've had ours that's properly aged and cooked. I'm new to this as well, and all of the info I'm getting here is a tremendeous help!! RDTCU, question - After you bone out the carcass, what do you put the meat into to age it? Cloth breathable bags, plastic bags? No bags? Then when you freeze, Reg butcher paper wrap, or plastic sealble bags? THANKS!! |
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Posted: 4/22/2015 8:42:43 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I'm new to this as well, and all of the info I'm getting here is a tremendeous help!! RDTCU, question - After you bone out the carcass, what do you put the meat into to age it? Cloth breathable bags, plastic bags? No bags? Then when you freeze, Reg butcher paper wrap, or plastic sealble bags? THANKS!! Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Did you age it at all? We'll bone them out usually within 6 hours, trim all the fat and membrane and rinse it, then age in a fridge or in an ice chest for a week. Pull it out, clean up any membrane or fat that's left and freeze. Many people that "don't like deer" have been converted when they've had ours that's properly aged and cooked. I'm new to this as well, and all of the info I'm getting here is a tremendeous help!! RDTCU, question - After you bone out the carcass, what do you put the meat into to age it? Cloth breathable bags, plastic bags? No bags? Then when you freeze, Reg butcher paper wrap, or plastic sealble bags? THANKS!! ZipLoc bags if it's going in the fridge. If it's going on ice, just lay it straight on the ice and keep refilling the ice as it melts and drains. It helps if you have a big icemaker... Then once it's drained/aged and trimmed up, ZipLoc freezer bags. Get all the excess moisture and air out before you zip it up. |
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Posted: 4/24/2015 3:55:37 PM EDT
[#34]
Does not compute...I prefer venison over beef any day.
In fact I wish I could get more than a deer or two a year so I wouldn't have to ration my meat. I've never had a problem with venison tasting overly gamey even if the gut got ruptured. Usually after we get it back to the guys cabin we hunt at we rinse it with water and then hang them up. In 5 months I've already ate an entire deer between the wife and I...I better get at least another deer this November as I'm on the second deer already
Need to take up archery hunting or muzzle loader or something. |
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Posted: 4/25/2015 12:56:45 AM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I'm new to this as well, and all of the info I'm getting here is a tremendeous help!! RDTCU, question - After you bone out the carcass, what do you put the meat into to age it? Cloth breathable bags, plastic bags? No bags? Then when you freeze, Reg butcher paper wrap, or plastic sealble bags? THANKS!! Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Did you age it at all? We'll bone them out usually within 6 hours, trim all the fat and membrane and rinse it, then age in a fridge or in an ice chest for a week. Pull it out, clean up any membrane or fat that's left and freeze. Many people that "don't like deer" have been converted when they've had ours that's properly aged and cooked. I'm new to this as well, and all of the info I'm getting here is a tremendeous help!! RDTCU, question - After you bone out the carcass, what do you put the meat into to age it? Cloth breathable bags, plastic bags? No bags? Then when you freeze, Reg butcher paper wrap, or plastic sealble bags? THANKS!! We normally are able to eat meat that's been frozen for two years by using the following method: I tighly wrap the meat with plastic wrap,and then following the steps in the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaIGK2wabzw I don't fool with ziplock bags if its going to be frozen more than a few weeks. |
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Posted: 4/26/2015 3:51:39 AM EDT
[#36]
My wife claims it is 'weird' out of the freezer, but she'll eat the stuff we pressure can.
Myself, I've never noticed anything 'gamey' or 'weird'. Meat is meat. |
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Posted: 5/3/2015 4:04:53 PM EDT
[#37]
The deer I've shot have all tasted okay, but I've never been a big fan of venison. My wife loves it, she has me convinced of all the health benefits, and I really enjoy being so in touch with where my food comes from, so I keep hunting. Canned meat makes my wife nervous, but we finally tried some from a friend a few years back and we both liked it. A lot. Since then I bought her a pressure canner that will handle 14 quart jars, and that's how we do much of our venison now. While loins are eaten soon after harvest, back straps are sliced and frozen, and we grind & freeze a bunch to cook with throughout the course of the year, the canned meat is by far my favorite. Just cram it into the jar with 1/2 teaspoon per quart, and follow the directions for canning meat. I suggest you give it a try sometime, as it is, well, awesome!
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Posted: 5/4/2015 10:25:09 AM EDT
[#38]
I think old bucks taste terrible. The better the shooter the worse the meat. Grind them up and make sausage out of them, then they taste great.
Year old does on the other hand taste much better and I try to slice as many steaks as I can. |
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Posted: 5/21/2015 3:38:56 PM EDT
[#39]
I've eaten meat from several dozen deer (whitetail) that have been processed, soaked, and prepared every imaginable way. I've researched and read different methods and techniques. The deer have come from TN, KY, GA, TX, and have been fed on corn, beans, milo, grass, etc... They all taste like shit. They have all been gamey to the point that the only way to make them edible is to cover them up with so much sauce, marinade, or whatever that the meat taste is hidden. Some people like that flavor, but I don't. The best solution I've found (other than heavily seasoned jerky) is to mix deer sausage with pork sausage and cover the result with mustard. That I can eat.
Elk (which is also venison), on the other hand, is so mind-blowingly good that we (wife, kids, and anyone who eats with us) can't get enough. The only things we put on elk steaks are olive oil, salt, and pepper before cooking to medium rare on the grill. MMMMmmmmmmm...... There is none of the nasty gamey deer taste and I'd take a good elk steak over beef about 95% of the time. In fact.... I'm going to go pull some from the freezer now. 
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Posted: 6/1/2015 11:21:00 AM EDT
[#40]
I see that you are in Kentucky. It would be worth your while to search out Webb's Butcher Block. I don't know where you are located, but they have several drop off locations and they are THE premier deer butcher shop in about a 4 state area. Their brats, summer sausage, snack links, and BACON are second to none. They also make good breakfast sausage and burger with beef fat. I always take my bucks to them. I process all of my other deer myself as I like to make my own steaks, sausage, and burger. You can visit their website at http://www.webbsbutcherblock.com/.
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Posted: 6/1/2015 9:54:31 PM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I see that you are in Kentucky. It would be worth your while to search out Webb's Butcher Block. I don't know where you are located, but they have several drop off locations and they are THE premier deer butcher shop in about a 4 state area. Their brats, summer sausage, snack links, and BACON are second to none. They also make good breakfast sausage and burger with beef fat. I always take my bucks to them. I process all of my other deer myself as I like to make my own steaks, sausage, and burger. You can visit their website at http://www.webbsbutcherblock.com/. That is in fact who made all my jerky and sausages. |
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Posted: 7/6/2015 1:56:43 PM EDT
[#42]
Bucks don't taste as good as does.
Younger does taste better than older does. You don't want any of the fat from a deer when you process it. If you need fat to cook with ground deer, add bacon or lard. Process it yourself and if in doubt, throw anything questionable to the dog. I try to be very efficient and minimize waste when I butcher a deer, but not at the expense of flavor. I don't understand the obsession most hunters have with filling a buck tag, but it leaves a lot more does for me. |
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Posted: 7/6/2015 2:01:41 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I quarter and harvest meat and put on ice in a big cooler that drains the melting ice. During the beginning of bow season it is too warm to hang deer. Then after 4-5 days, I process it myself. This too. I prefer hunting later in the season because I can gut, wash out the cavity, fill with ice, and leaving hanging with the fur on for several days. |
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Posted: 7/6/2015 4:47:02 PM EDT
[#44]
Not a seasoned hunter here, but this past year I got two hogs and a big buck, the wife got a decent spike. The two hogs and the spike were taken the same day and were taken to the processor, the big buck was taken a month or so later and we were strapped for cash and decided to butcher it ourselves. What a learning process.
We "aged" the meat on raised cooling racks and placed them in some short but long plastic tubs sat inside a larger tub that held ice for 3 or 4 days. (yay Texas and 50+ degree winters) After aging / draining the meat we cut it all off the bone and pretty much ground it all (minus back straps). When we first started cooking with it, it tasted 'off' to me, not gamey but different, I'm now pretty sure its the blood that was left in the meat. When we deboned it, it wasn't bloody or anything of the sort. This past weekend we made some stroganoff hamburger helper with 1lb of the ground, and it still tasted a bit off. While we were cooking that, I got two pounds out and put into a container with some paper towels underneath it (think the absorbent pad used by super markets under steaks and what not), and let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours to make burgers with. What a difference that made!!! It was delicious. A large amount of blood seeped out into the paper towels, and the meat was more "ground beef" looking than the darker red it was originally. We clearly didn't "age" or drain it completely or properly and there was clearly a good amount still in it at the first go. So that will be the routine from here on out. Moral of the story, drain the meat completely. I know many of you are probably saying "rookie mistake" but, yeah it was. It was our first go at it and lesson learned. 
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Posted: 7/6/2015 6:08:38 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Shoot an Iowa deer. They're corn fed, taste much better. There is a huge difference in taste associated to what the deer is eating. In years where there is a heavy acorn crop they can taste a little more gamey. Also a lot of deer meet isn't aged properly. 24 hours in a cooler min. 3 to 5 days is best. Many butcher's hang beef for a week. I am anal about my meat when I cut it up, to the point that I likely throw away some good meat but I trim off everything no skin, connective tissue or fat. Just muscle. |
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Posted: 7/15/2015 4:18:07 PM EDT
[#46]
Much of the taste of venison depends on how the deer is taken and how it is handled immediately after being killed. A deer that is killed quickly and cleanly will taste better than one that bleeds out slowly. Deer that run build up adrenalin and fatigue toxins in their blood that can taint the taste of the meat. A clean, quick kill prevents that from happening. Getting the carcass dressed and cooled quickly also prevents meat and blood from starting to spoil and degrading the taste.
Another significant factor is the age of the deer and the time of year it's taken. A old, mature buck will be tougher and gamier than a young one. Any buck taken during the height of the rut will be full of adrenalin and other hormones that will affect the flavor. If I'm hunting for the table I'd rather take a nice, fat doe or yearling buck than a big old 10-point every time. The meat will be more tender, have better flavor and will require less processing to make good table fare. |
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Posted: 9/7/2015 10:39:52 PM EDT
[#47]
So I have made a discovery.
When I had the deer processed I got 5 different kinds of summer sausage made and damn they are all tasty. So it's not a loss at all! |
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Posted: 9/8/2015 2:17:03 PM EDT
[#48]
When possible/practical I try to hang the carcass overnight, but that's not always do-able. I say venison has a "unique" taste to it, no matter what. Marinating is the key. In all honesty, I'm not super-cook grill guy or whatever, but I've had good results with cheap italian salad dressing and a baggy in the fridge overnight, as well as things like liquid smoke. Also caribean adobo spice is my usual go-to. Expirement.
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Posted: 9/8/2015 2:29:35 PM EDT
[#49]
Well it is an acquired taste. Hell I use to hate Indian food and now after having Indian friends love the stuff.
There is things beef eaters can do. On a Arfcom camp one time, Kybob served up the best deer steak I ever had. I'm talking Chop House Chicago move over. He marinated them for two days in his fridge and we slow cooked them over a hardwood fire. OH man, was it good. Beef eaters just need to work at, take more time in preparation, draw the game out, and use spices. Things like Chili, lazana, sausage mixed with another meat like pork, and a personal favorite Boudin can make a world of difference. Tj |
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Posted: 9/9/2015 8:44:35 AM EDT
[#50]
We ice ours down for about a day, letting water drain from the ice chest and adding new ice as needed. Back straps and tender loin get cut into thin steaks that we usually flour and pan fry. We do the rest in sausage and ground meat. We use it in everything from tacos to spaghetti to hamburger helper. I feel blah after eating pork sausage but I swear I could eat a pound of deer sausage and then run 5 miles. Last year we didn't buy any beef accept to do hamburgers. Our kids even down to the age of 1 ate it with no complaints. A lot of it is just getting used to something different i think.
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