Wet aging game meat

[Kappa]

what makes the biggest impact on the meat in my mind is removing the fat, tendons and silver skin. I will say that if I had access to a meat bandsaw I’d make Oso Buccio or similar dishes out of the shanks. Lots of flavor there.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I always wiped down moose with straight vinegar once it was hung. It helps keep the stink off the meat when it's too warm to hand for very long.

 

[DuncNZ]

If it is wasp season they keep the flies off the meat and also eat some of the meat . Gamo in Spanish are Fallow Deer .
Tendons and silver skin shrink with heat and are best removed before cooking as they toughen up the meat , Fat is where all the flavour is , if you cant keep it on the meat at least use it to lube your frypan . Skinning birds is a lazy persons way of plucking game birds and also takes away flavour and lets the meat dry out .
Wiping down with vinegar works but first you have to pack in.
I frequently fridge age venison , , I just wrap it in cling film , which I guess is close to what you call Wet aging .

 

[Walkingeagle]

what makes the biggest impact on the meat in my mind is removing the fat, tendons and silver skin. I will say that if I had access to a meat bandsaw I’d make Oso Buccio or similar dishes out of the shanks. Lots of flavor there.

I wonder how many folks eat marrow anymore with the CWD explosion? Our provincial govt recommends not cutting bone in known CWD areas.
Walk

 

[Kappa]

I have not since a case popped up 20 miles away. They are doing voluntary checks at the county park where they have an archery and firearm hunt.

 

[Brokennock]

Fat may be where the flavor is with beef and lamb. With game it can often be the source of flavors one doesn't want. While some here appreciate some of the "gameyness" of venison or wild birds,,,, often our families or non-hunters we wish to share dinner with (maybe trying to convert to hunters or at least appreciating game meat) do not want these flavors.
One thing I noticed in the articles linked in other replies about aging game birds is that they are talking about "concentrating flavors," and only once does the writer mention that this is a gamey flavor. I'm not saying it's bad or wrong, but it might be something to be careful with depending on who else will be eating at your table.

 

[DuncNZ]

The British habit of aging game birds came about because shot birds were packed in baskets and shipped by horse and cart to London , the slow trip aged them . When rail became established birds were shipped to London in a day or so and the diners decided there was something wrong with the birds because they didn't taste right
Whitetail is the least "gamey" tasting venison I have eaten . If you want to reduce the gamey taste , marinate the meat for a day or so before cooking , Marinate in garlic , olive oil, red wine , pepper ,soy sauce , what ever you like and as much as you like or don't like , the gamey taste will reduce considerably

 

[CapPopper]

I've had real good luck aging boned meat in a mini fridge. Got to keep it in a bag or some such thing so it doesn't dry out. Cold enough it almost has ice crystals forming in it for 2-3 weeks. Usually pull the bags through the bars in a few places and poke holes in them so the blood will drain into a tray. Works pretty good but I prefer to wait till the garage is the right temperature.

 

[TDM]

Stopped taking deer to a processor over 10 years ago. It was a learning process but about 8 years ago I bought a good commercial quality grinder and built a covered cleaning shed with a large work table, a double sink, and plenty of lights. My skinning rack is also under roof. My routine is too quarter, remove the back straps and tenderloins, trim rib and neck meat and put everything on ice. I have several large ice chest if needed. I keep the meat on ice for 4-5 days, draining the bloody water off daily and adding ice if needed. Then I’ll start to debone, trim, make roast & steaks. About half gets ground and mixed with pork butt for ground meat. Everything vacuum sealed and in the freezer.

Now all this works great, but it’s WORK! As I get older I find that it’s not as much fun as it was. Need to find a good processor again.

 

[chorizo]

Stopped taking deer to a processor over 10 years ago. It was a learning process but about 8 years ago I bought a good commercial quality grinder and built a covered cleaning shed with a large work table, a double sink, and plenty of lights. My skinning rack is also under roof. My routine is too quarter, remove the back straps and tenderloins, trim rib and neck meat and put everything on ice. I have several large ice chest if needed. I keep the meat on ice for 4-5 days, draining the bloody water off daily and adding ice if needed. Then I’ll start to debone, trim, make roast & steaks. About half gets ground and mixed with pork butt for ground meat. Everything vacuum sealed and in the freezer.

Now all this works great, but it’s WORK! As I get older I find that it’s not as much fun as it was. Need to find a good processor again.

That it be. But I like doing it and I can, with one assistant, grind and package the hamburger of an elk in about 4 to 5 hours. The steaks and roasts another 4 for cut and vacuum seal by myself.

What I hate is the clean-up. I wish I had a shed with stainless steel tables and a separate water heater. I could use to wash everything down and clean-up......but if I had that again, I could afford the space for a walk-in too.

Just too damn warm in September (muzzleloader season) to do it any other way for me.

 

[Kappa]

Some processors used to let you “hang only” for a week for 10.00 that was great however no one does that anymore.

 

[TDM]

That it be. But I like doing it and I can, with one assistant, grind and package the hamburger of an elk in about 4 to 5 hours. The steaks and roasts another 4 for cut and vacuum seal by myself.

What I hate is the clean-up. I wish I had a shed with stainless steel tables and a separate water heater. I could use to wash everything down and clean-up......but if I had that again, I could afford the space for a walk-in too.

Just too damn warm in September (muzzleloader season) to do it any other way for me.

Yeah the clean up is a pain. My cook/cleaning shed is 20’x20”, all sides open and plenty to of gravel on the ground. Don’t have a photo handy on this new phone. So I can hose everything down as needed. But for me at my age I thought I’d have my Sons helping more but they’re too busy making a living! So enjoy doing it yourself as long as you can. I’m still good for a few more.

 

[Walkingeagle]

It used to take me an entire day to cut, wrap and grind a moose by myself. As I aged it became 2 days.
Walk

 

[TDM]

It used to take me an entire day to cut, wrap and grind a moose by myself. As I aged it became 2 days.
Walk

I never got to hunt Moose or Elk. Always wanted too. Several times began to plan hunts with my Sons, but never worked out. I’ve eaten both, and love the meat. I think they’re both better than whitetail, which is good as it is.

 

[Walkingeagle]

I never got to hunt Moose or Elk. Always wanted too. Several times began to plan hunts with my Sons, but never worked out. I’ve eaten both, and love the meat. I think they’re both better than whitetail, which is good as it is.

For many years up here moose was a staple, more of a harvest than a hunt. When I started you could buy a tag for $10 and any moose was legal, then it progressed to general bull and draw cow, now its all draw and very restricted. Bull elk is still general in my area of hunting but cows are draw.
My hunting days are done however. Just memories now.
Walk

 

[Blitz]

Where I live Fed manure means nothing

Mine varies from yours for Shure. 40 plus years has not changed old NH much at all.

generally the various states regulate that sort of thing for the saftey of thier citizens, good health and safety hygiene practices.

 

[TDM]

generally the various states regulate that sort of thing for the saftey of thier citizens, good health and safety hygiene practices.

That's well true in California I'm sure. Here, not so much. Personally, I like to make those decisions myself. But whatever each is comfortable with.

 

[Kappa]

The 2 deer I processed this year I hang in a converted chest freezer with a reparation to keep temp like 36f I will try wet aging the backstraps in bags in the future while the legs hang to age.

 

[Blitz]

That's well true in California I'm sure. Here, not so much. Personally, I like to make those decisions myself. But whatever each is comfortable with.

 

[Kappa]

The 2 deer I processed this year I hang in a converted chest freezer with a reparation to keep temp like 36f I will try wet aging the backstraps in bags in the future while the legs hang to age.

Correction to auto correct Reostat (temp control) from Johnson Controls,