Deer meat. Soak and drain or Keep it dry and cool

[DRT]

CCR processing is a mass mess. Quit going there years ago.

Gary

[NxSTexan]

Anyone ever tried to use dry ice? Seems to be an easy solution to the dry cold required to age the deer without being soaked.


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[Beargrasstx]

I do not have a walk in cooler. I have personally over the years discovered that the meat taste better when left in the cooler for 5 to 7 days with ice. I usually leave the drain closed and periodically open to let out the bloody water. People that have tried deer meat for the first time or first time in a long time have all mentioned how the meat taste good and is not gamey. I read through the thread and there is a lot of strong opinions against the cooler ice method, but I as many others on here have testified it works. I would not want it sitting in luke warm bloody water. Basically you add ice, it soaks the blood out of meat which takes the gameyness out(at least for me it has over the last 10 years) I drain periodically and continue to add ice.

[skiguy327]

My friend Bob swears by the cooler with ice method. He layers the meat with ice and adds a cup of salt. Keeps the plug closed and drains everyday. Keeps adding ice until the water that drains is clear. He will then freeze and then at the end of the season will take all his meat to Hudson’s on South Congress in Austin. Bob says the owner always compliments him on the quality of the meat.

I tried this method last year but my cooler wasn’t letting the ice melt very fast so I wasn’t getting much water to drain the blood away. I did it for about a week and then took the meat to get processed. It came out fine.


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[Wiley64]

No matter what anyone says, red meat should never be wet. A brine for fowl is OK, but beef and venison should always be dry aged. I've even had a lot of success in dry aging ducks. You'll get plenty of guys on here who disagree, but that's OK....the world needs wrong people too.

This x100000000000

I only do it when I am putting off handling it for a few days. I always take the blackstrap out and put them in the fridge if I do have to ice it for a few days