Venison

Karl_TN

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You guys that are using ground venison, are you grinding your own? I've always just cut into roasts and keep all the trimmings for soup and stew.

If you are grinding your own, are you mixing in beef fat, using deer fat, or making it ultra lean?

I use a $450 LEM meat grinder at home. I first grind up the venison & some bacon using the course die. Then mix these two meats together with breakfast sausage seasoning(I buy this at a local butcher shop which is much cheaper than sporting goods store). This mix is ground a second time using the finer die into plastic game bags for freezing.

If making burger patties then mix in some grated cheddar cheese by hand before forming the patties. The extra fat from cheese & bacon and the seasoning throughout the meat will make the best burgers around.
 

barefoot

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A reciprocating (sawzall) works wonders for this and I just found a working Dewalt 20v battery powered one with 2 good batteries and a charger for $20 at a garage sale

Tried once. Cutting the brain out was a pain. (die-grinder would have been nice back then) Used a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood as a backer, fleshed hide, let stand 1 night and brained...hair started falling out a few weeks later. Never really used it other than to stare at. Got mold at some time and ended up heating the house. I'm sure there are right ways of doing it, I was a kid flying by the seat of my pants at the time.
That sounds absolutely ghastly! I think I'll never try that.
 
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El Guapo

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I paid to have it processed and had 10% pork fat added to the ground venison. My wife’s friend’s husband processes his own so I might do that with him next time if the timing works out. Certainly cheaper that way. It would also be really educational.
 

trc65

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Thanks guys for sharing what you do with the ground meat. I've just about reached the conclusion that I need (want) a grinder. Been labeling scraps and small cuts as soup/stew meat, but still have a lot left from last year plus the fresh that went into the freezer today.

Really like Karl's idea of including bacon, cheese and seasoning. One of our favorite grill items is bacon and cheese bratwurst patties, and I think I may be trying some homemade ones with venison.

BTW, one of our favorite things to make with roasts (other than pot roasts) is to make Italian Beef (venison) sandwiches. Here is the recipe we use, and I've not had better in any restaurant.

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/...f-sandwich-recipe-chicago-style-beef-52488911
 

Mr. Peet

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Thanks guys for sharing what you do with the ground meat. I've just about reached the conclusion that I need (want) a grinder. Been labeling scraps and small cuts as soup/stew meat, but still have a lot left from last year plus the fresh that went into the freezer today.

Really like Karl's idea of including bacon, cheese and seasoning. One of our favorite grill items is bacon and cheese bratwurst patties, and I think I may be trying some homemade ones with venison.

BTW, one of our favorite things to make with roasts (other than pot roasts) is to make Italian Beef (venison) sandwiches. Here is the recipe we use, and I've not had better in any restaurant.

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/...f-sandwich-recipe-chicago-style-beef-52488911

Ask Santa for one that mounts on your Kitchen-Aid mixer.
 

Wildthings

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Thanks guys for sharing what you do with the ground meat. I've just about reached the conclusion that I need (want) a grinder. Been labeling scraps and small cuts as soup/stew meat, but still have a lot left from last year plus the fresh that went into the freezer today.

Really like Karl's idea of including bacon, cheese and seasoning. One of our favorite grill items is bacon and cheese bratwurst patties, and I think I may be trying some homemade ones with venison.

BTW, one of our favorite things to make with roasts (other than pot roasts) is to make Italian Beef (venison) sandwiches. Here is the recipe we use, and I've not had better in any restaurant.

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/...f-sandwich-recipe-chicago-style-beef-52488911
I would go with a LEM grinder and a minimum of the Big Bite #8. I've used the Kitchen Aid, Harbor Freight and Bass Pro's and now just use the LEM and haven't looked back

Here you go... thank me later

1605924841712.png
 

trc65

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Barry's recommendation of the Hi Mountain jerky seasoning was reinforced by my shopping trip this afternoon. At the local farm supply store which stocks 4 different jerky seasoning brands, all were in full stock, except the Hi Mountain, which only had one package left (after my purchase).

One other brand was attempting to piggyback on the Hi Mountain brand with a very similar name and almost identical package and artwork.

Finally, the Hi Mountain includes a shaker for applying the cure/seasoning, a table with amounts for doing as little as one pound batches, and thick plastic bags with zip locks for storing unused amounts.

BTW, my jerky this year will be mesquite flavored as that was the only flavor left....
 

Wildthings

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Barry's recommendation of the Hi Mountain jerky seasoning was reinforced by my shopping trip this afternoon. At the local farm supply store which stocks 4 different jerky seasoning brands, all were in full stock, except the Hi Mountain, which only had one package left (after my purchase).

One other brand was attempting to piggyback on the Hi Mountain brand with a very similar name and almost identical package and artwork.

Finally, the Hi Mountain includes a shaker for applying the cure/seasoning, a table with amounts for doing as little as one pound batches, and thick plastic bags with zip locks for storing unused amounts.

BTW, my jerky this year will be mesquite flavored as that was the only flavor left....
We, as advisors, all expect to sample the results!!
 
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El Guapo

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Had a broadside shot on a good sized cull buck, but it wasn’t light enough yet for me to feel good about the shot (It was legal, just didn’t trust my eyes quite yet) so I passed. Didn’t see him again. Still a great morning to be out!
 

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Had a broadside shot on a good sized cull buck, but it wasn’t light enough yet for me to feel good about the shot (It was legal, just didn’t trust my eyes quite yet) so I passed. Didn’t see him again. Still a great morning to be out!
What you didn't sling an arrow at it anyway? I'm being sarcastic of course. I have a brother-n-Law that told me he many times he's seen a deer and taken a potshot at it with a slug. That's why some of the deer he's harvested were hit in the nose (No-Nose) we call him, rump, shoulder (low) and spine. He's a real hunter (being sarcastic again). Pick up his shot gun once a year and no practice.
 

El Guapo

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What you didn't sling an arrow at it anyway? I'm being sarcastic of course. I have a brother-n-Law that told me he many times he's seen a deer and taken a potshot at it with a slug. That's why some of the deer he's harvested were hit in the nose (No-Nose) we call him, rump, shoulder (low) and spine. He's a real hunter (being sarcastic again). Pick up his shot gun once a year and no practice.
Yeah, I’d rather pass and miss a chance than take a shot and not have a clean kill. Or take a shot and miss completely and never hear the end of it from my buddy I was out there with. We shifted species and got a handful ducks off, so I should be frying that up tonight!
 

djg

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Yeah, I’d rather pass and miss a chance than take a shot and not have a clean kill. Or take a shot and miss completely and never hear the end of it from my buddy I was out there with. We shifted species and got a handful ducks off, so I should be frying that up tonight!
Sad part about it, my Brother bow hunts the same land. After a couple of scouting trips and several hunting trips, carrying his climber on foot, he's had a big buck around him, but no shot. Now comes shotgun season. My BIL, who's never shot a gun this year, will ride his 4 wheeler down, walk about 50 yards and will probably take a shot the big buck if he sees it. It's happened before usually on the first day. And let's not talk about the poaching he and his family does. No ethics.
 

trc65

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Here is a pic of the deer that is in my freezer. No, that is not me, that is Haley, the wife of the friend. She shot this one with a bow last Monday. Nice buck, but it was actually the smallest of four deer that she, her brother, dad and husband shot on Sunday-Monday.

image_6483441.JPG
 

El Guapo

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Here is a pic of the deer that is in my freezer. No, that is not me, that is Haley, the wife of the friend. She shot this one with a bow last Monday. Nice buck, but it was actually the smallest of four deer that she, her brother, dad and husband shot on Sunday-Monday.
Beautiful deer!
 

Wildthings

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Here is a pic of the deer that is in my freezer. No, that is not me, that is Haley, the wife of the friend. She shot this one with a bow last Monday. Nice buck, but it was actually the smallest of four deer that she, her brother, dad and husband shot on Sunday-Monday.

View attachment 196466
Beautiful colored deer and beautiful huntress!
 
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