Butchering Deer

How To Cut And Store Your Venison

Butchering deer, as we’ve already discussed, is a
lot easier than many hunters think. And the benefits are
huge. You save money, get exactly the cuts you want, and
put a higher-quality product in the freezer. Which means,
of course, better tasting meals when you cook that venison.

In an earlier article I introduced you to butchering deer on your own, and walked you through the early stages of skinning and quartering. If you’ve gotten that far, you have a pile of fairly large deer sections. So let’s look at converting those pieces to useable cuts of venison.

If you want great tasting venison to come out of the freezer, there are two aspects of butchering deer to keep in mind.

First, you need to realize that unlike beef, deer fat can turn rancid tasting even when frozen. That’s why many people think venison is gamy. It’s not. But the taste of aged fat can permeate the meat. So, for the best results when butchering deer, you want to remove as much of the fat, silverskin, and connective tissue as possible.

Second, you need to prevent freezer burn. Freezer burn is caused by surface moisture evaporating, leaving a grayish crust behind. To prevent it, you want to wrap the meat so that there is no contact with the air surrounding the meat. By using the proper materials---either freezer paper or plastic film and foil---you accomplish this easily.

So, let’s continue butchering deer by breaking that deer down into usable parts.

We’ll begin with the loins, for two reasons. First, you’ve already cut them free of the carcass. And second, they are among the easiest to wrap properly.

Most of the time the loin is too long to handle easily. So cut it in half. Put one half on your work surface, and examine it. You’ll see one side covered with a layer of fat and silverskin, plus bits and pieces of fat elsewhere. Cut away the silverskin covering---a filet knife actually works great for this. Then trim as much more of the fat as you can. Now you’re ready to wrap.

Freezer paper consists of white butcher paper with a plastic liner on one side. The plastic goes to the inside. With it, we’re going to use the so-called drugstore wrap, which makes a neat package that excludes all air.

You’ll want a piece that significantly overlaps the loin on each side, and which is about 2 ½ times the circumference of the loin in length. After you’ve done one or two of these, eyeballing the right size paper becomes second nature.

Center the loin on the paper, laying it perpendicular to the length. Then lift both edges of the paper and bring them together over the loin. Fold the paper down so the edges are tight against the meat, and crimp the paper. Then repeat that movement. The folded paper will lie, like a ribbon, across the center of the loin. Tape it down with masking tape.

What you now have is a paper tube pressed tightly against the meat. To seal the ends, again fold the paper towards the meat, this time slightly overlapping it. Fold again, against the meat. Then fold it so it overlaps the top of the loin. Tape it down. Repeat on the other side. You now have an air-proof package. Label it with the name of the cut and the date and it’s ready for the freezer.

All of this is much less awkward to do than to describe.

Because film and foil form fit, they would seem to make a better seal. Actually, it’s easier to wrap meat with them. But even double wrapped, the seal is less secure than it is with freezer paper.

By the time you have all four loin pieces done, you should have the wrapping technique down pat. Your butchering deer process is now ready to continue.

Now we can get down to butchering deer in a serious fashion. Lay one of the hind quarters on your work surface, and examine it. You’ll see a layer of membrane covering the whole thing (along with fat). Dimly seen under the membrane are what appear to be whitish lines drawn on the meat.

All the major cuts consist of muscle groups separated by membranes and silverskin. The lines you see are the top edges of those membranes.

What you’re going to do to make butchering deer easier is use those “lines” as guidelines for separating the muscle groups. Most of this will be done with your fingers, rather than with a knife.

First step is to remove the top membrane. For this you’ll use your knife. Start by gently cutting it along one of the guide lines. Once started, use your fingers to lift and separate the membrane, cutting only when absolutely necessary.

Start separating the muscle groups. They twist and wrap around each other, so expect that sort of tangled web. Again, use your knife when necessary---which won’t be near as often as you think. Not at this stage of butchering deer.

The knife work begins when you start cleaning up and butchering the muscle groups. Remove the silverskin, fat, and connective tissue from each piece. Then make some decisions as to what sort of cuts you want. For instance, if you want a roast, leave the ham whole. Otherwise, slice it into steaks or other cuts you prefer.

As you break down the quarters there will be lots of small bits and pieces. Too many people discard them when butchering deer. If you toss them into a bowl as you work, pretty soon you’ll have a large pile---as much as three pounds of shreds. These are great for chili, so you don’t want to waste them.

You might find, too, that it’s too much trouble to separate the meat in the neck and forelegs from the connective tissue. If that’s the case, grind it for hamburger or sausage. Even better, with the forelegs, is to cut them into sections 2-3 inches long, and use them for venison osso buco.

To be sure, the first time you try butchering deer it will be sort of a mess. But the learning curve is fast, and the next one you do will be much easier.


Click Here for Part One of How to Butcher Your Deer