Meat handling after the kill

[BlackHogDown]

If not hanging in the walk-in (for whatever reason), I'll put it in the ice chest OUT of the ice. I have a rack that fits into the ice chest that keeps the meat above the water level. Bought it in the office supply section of walmart for $4. I am NOT a fan of soaking it in water. I don't like the color change or slimy texture afterwards. But if there is no other option to cool off the meat, into the ice water it goes. Just not MY preferred method.

I don't think the grocery store brisket analogy is applicable. These guys aren't vac sealing their meat before going into the cooler. This is more like buying a pack of pork chops and putting them in a bowl of water to store them rather than leaving them to air dry on a rack in the fridge before cooking (which i do.) You smoking gurus, don't you always preach about the importance of air drying your brisket in order to develop a pedicle?

[Radar]

If you hunt from March to November in Texas, you gonna have a hard time not using ice and a cooler. I can remember one time that I kilt a great big ram and it was a nasty stinker. One of the hands at the ranch said "I take to it", I replied "Por favor".

I helped him cut it up and we threw it in a cooler, he had a sack of limes and cut them up and put them on top of the meat along with ice. Told me "it stay that way for two weeks then boil for tamales". I am glad that I left the next day

[sotx]

When I have been in those situations where I’ve chest is my only option for cooling meat I leave ice in the bags place them on the bottom of the chest then cover the ice with piece of plastic lay the meat on top of that. I like to keep the meat as dry and clean as possible.
When walk in cooler is available I skin and hang deer whole then place my ice chest inside the cooler. When I’m ready to leave I 1/4 and place inside cold dry ice chest for the ride home.


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[dphillips62]

I don't have a walk in cooler or any room in a fridge. So like many here I do the ice chest method and take out the plug so it drains I generally leave it on ice a week or more.

[BradBryant1000]

I always love the guys who say they've been soaking their venison in a cooler for such and such years as if doing it 40 years that way makes it the best method. Times change y'all. There is bacteria in the water. Other than rinsing the meat off when you first kill it, you should try to keep it as dry as possible. I too use to keep many deer in a cooler of ice and drained it, but keeping it out of the water is always a better way. It can still be done in an ice chest using bags if you don't have a walk in cooler.

I am not opposed to learning something new. Sure didn't say my way was the best or only way. It is just the way I personally do it. It's worked pretty good for me. You do it different and that's okay. I ain't mad at you for that.

Once time I put meat in a sack. Thought I would give it a try.
I had blood that leaked out into the sack. The bottom of my meat was "soaking" in blood (I know it's not water). It wasn't lots of blood but you get the idea. I've got a cooler that retains ice pretty well. I can keep it drained out with little effort so I don't have lots of water for my meat to be soaking in. Just lots of ice to keep it plenty cold.

[texan4ut]

Quarter, rinse and in cooler on ice with drain plug opened. Has worked for 25 years

Same here. I tilt the ice chest a bit towards the drain and keep adding ice and let it drain for 7-10 days. Process package and freeze.

[sharpstick35]

at the three main places I hunt I have freezers and diy walk in coolers. so when im there the process is to gut, skin, rinse, quarter and freeze. to transport I use frozen water bottles to keep the meat dry. game meat is the main source of meat other than chicken for the year at my house and everyone eats in and I get no complaints.

[miket]

I always love the guys who say they've been soaking their venison in a cooler for such and such years as if doing it 40 years that way makes it the best method. Times change y'all. There is bacteria in the water. Other than rinsing the meat off when you first kill it, you should try to keep it as dry as possible. I too use to keep many deer in a cooler of ice and drained it, but keeping it out of the water is always a better way. It can still be done in an ice chest using bags if you don't have a walk in cooler.

There is bacteria everywhere. There is no way we can clean a deer without introducing bacteria. The cold temp keeps it at bay till freezing or cooking. I have dropped a leg, washed it off in water hose water, thrown it in the cooler with ice, forgot/neglected to open the drain, added ice and pulled it out a week later and finished processing it and been just fine. Repeatedly. Not quite 40yrs of it, but have never gotten the slightest bit sick from it.

Btw Im not saying its "better". Just saying it is absolutely perfectly fine.

[Burnadell]

If not hanging in the walk-in (for whatever reason), I'll put it in the ice chest OUT of the ice. I have a rack that fits into the ice chest that keeps the meat above the water level. Bought it in the office supply section of walmart for $4. I am NOT a fan of soaking it in water. I don't like the color change or slimy texture afterwards. But if there is no other option to cool off the meat, into the ice water it goes. Just not MY preferred method.

I don't think the grocery store brisket analogy is applicable. These guys aren't vac sealing their meat before going into the cooler. This is more like buying a pack of pork chops and putting them in a bowl of water to store them rather than leaving them to air dry on a rack in the fridge before cooking (which i do.) You smoking gurus, don't you always preach about the importance of air drying your brisket in order to develop a pedicle?

I also have several wire office desk trays that I place upside down in my coolers to keep the meat out of the water as it drains. Works well.

[Artos]

This is what I do, except where I hunt we have a walk-in cooler so after gutting and quartering, I put them in the cooler until I leave for home. Then I put the quarters in the cooler(s) and fill with ice, then add ice as needed with the drain open until I process it 4-8 days later.

You really should try just gutting it, leave the skin on & hang in that cooler for 3 weeks & see if you don't like the results better.

Skinning is a little harder when cold but you gotta leave it on for that period of time.

[Snakelover]

I used to never let the meat come in contact with water. But now I typically put it in a cooler and cover with ice. And I often will age it that way for at least a week and sometimes as long as three weeks. If you go that way, it's just important to keep adding ice and draining off the melted ice. The reason why water doesn't hurt anything when you do it that way is the water and meat never rise up to a temperature that bacteria can live. Yes, water can promote bacteria, but not at ice cold temperature. Also, make sure you use a large enough ice chest because you need a lot of space for the ice.

[Burnadell]

You really should try just gutting it, leave the skin on & hang in that cooler for 3 weeks & see if you don't like the results better.

Skinning is a little harder when cold but you gotta leave it on for that period of time.

My problem there is the cooler is at my friend's ranch in Beeville, and I don't want to drive 16 hours round trip to retrieve it. Plus he has to shoot 35-40 deer so space is at a premium at times.

[Jspradley]

Soaking in iced down fresh water doesn't "draw the blood out", that's a myth. Lets just go ahead and throw that one out there.

With that said, keeping it in a cooler for a week or so with the drain plug open so the water never pools up around the meat ain't gonna ruin anything, not as good as dry aging but not too many folks have dry aging facilities. Just make sure you refill the ice as it melts away.

[AntlerCollector]

[QUOTE=Smart;14438188]So you are placing your deer in sterilized bags you get from? Or just regular ol trash bags? That's not very sanitary...

No thanks......too much effort and bones poke though bags too easy anyway.......90% of it will be burger, sausage, or jerky so I'll just keep doing it until it kills me I guess..







They are only "trash" bags if you put trash in them . Nothing unsanitary about a clean plastic bag. I don't recommend trash bags though

These are the best type of bags below. Also if you can use dry ice in your cooler it's much better to keep the water off the meat.





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[Jspradley]

If you use trash bags make sure they aren't scented or treated with anything.

And putting hot meat in a bag that cant breathe can cause some serious problems if it's not chilled down or able to get chilled down really quick like.

I just read a thread on rokslide about a GUIDE putting his clients moose immediately into trash bags and, you guessed it, everything was lost. Ouch...

I look at it like the second the animal is down and pictures are taken, the hunting is over and it becomes the first steps of the cooking process, if you wouldn't do it with a big ol ribeye steak, don't do it with a carcass.