Now what to do.

[Tappen]

My buddy got his first deer today, we gutted it and skinned it and its hanging in the shed, it is frozen, was practically frozen by the time we got done gutting it, -27 here so it doesn't take long at all, and we arnt fast by any means, both beginners trying not to cut anything open that'l smell haha anywho, i want to make it into jerky, where do i start?

Does it matter if the deer is frozen? I have a good idea of how to cut it up once im ready to do that, i figure ill leave it hang a couple days. Then where do i go from, there? just cut it into thin strips and cook it in the oven? with the stuff to do so, which i believe is only the seasoning which i can buy from the store correct?

Any serious input would be helpful,  and any humorous  info would be appreciated 

[FinsnFur]

 

[FinsnFur]

I figured Alcalls would come in and say that so I wanted to get it out of the way for him. Ok ...now where were we?

I'm pretty sure there's a lot of things that have to happen besides cutting the meat into strips and throwing it in the oven. Curing, etc
I've never made it, but I sure do like it. So I'll let the others outline that process for you.

[Tikaani]

Good news and bad news. Generally you don't want your game to rapidly freeze prior to rigor setting in, usually 8 hours.  What happens is when the meat thaws rigor will continue and the meat will be extremely tough, that is the bad news.  The good news is that since you are going to jerk the deer it is not critical, I am not sure about refreezing any of the meat, that may be a question for Al, I don't do it myself.

A bit of advice from a guy who hunts in extreme cold, next time leave the hide on until you get it home, place it in the garage.  I have had the hide on the animal for 12 hours in -20 or colder and the meat did not freeze through.  Once home drag the caribou out for a few hours and drag it back inside, do this as often as it takes so it stays cool but does not freeze.  After 6-12 hours after death you can skin it, if you can't keep it cool then process it without worrying about the meat being tough.  If you can keep it cool without freezing let it hang for a couple of days then process it.  It may be a little work but it will make all the difference on the dinner table.  

This caribou with it's hide on (and hooves) was tied to the bumper and drug 20 miles behind a snowmachine, then sat on the trailer for a 3 hour ride home, if I remember correctly it was in the -15 to -25 temperature range.  The meat never frooze and made fine table fare.  Hope this helps you in the future and good luck with your deer and jerky.

Hunt Hard, Die Tired
John

[msmith]

It has always been my opinion that you can freeze, thaw, and refreeze, then you have to use it the next time it is thawed.

Since you meat is going to be a bit tough, you might consider grinding it and either use a jerky shooter or roll it out and cut into strips. There are a number of jerky spice kits out there or you can google a recipe. If you grind it, the spices are inter mixed with the meat rather well and it makes for some easier eating, ie. less chewy. We don't use a cure for jerky, just summer sausage and bologna.

As for drying, you can either use a dehydrator or your oven. When I used to use the oven, I would set it on about 150 - 200 degrees and crack the door open. You want to dry it without cooking it.

Good luck and enjoy

[Hawks Feather]

This may help you a little and then again, it might not.

http://forum.finsandfur.net/index.php?topic=13445.msg152977#msg152977

This is the repost of the original.  I don't quite know what happened to the first one, but Jimbo does.     

Jerry

[Tappen]

Would it be a bad idea to thaw it, then cut all the meat off then freez the meat in my house freezer by its self? or do the keep it cool thing? watch it and make sure it doesnt freeze, then take it out and put it back in when its warming up?

[bambam]

Would it be a bad idea to thaw it, then cut all the meat off then freez the meat in my house freezer by its self? or do the keep it cool thing? watch it and make sure it doesnt freeze, then take it out and put it back in when its warming up?

  Tappen I prefer not to freeze meat, thaw it , then re-freeze, but I have had it happen a few times and it turned out OK. Especially for jerky, you should be allright. I cut mine into 1/4 inch strips, marinate in soy sauce ( 1 bottle ), 2 teaspoons seasoned salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, and 1/2 teaspoon onion salt. This for approximately 5 pounds of meat. You can use more or less spice or even different spices to suit your taste. Then I lay it out on a wire mesh on top of a cookie pan to catch the drippings, and cook in the oven on 200 degrees for 4 hours. Turn it after 2 hours. Also keep the oven door cracked the whole time. Hope this helps.

[Bills Custom Calls]

I use Worcestershire sauce some season salt and pepper garlic salt
I also have some jerky season packs I picked up at Tractor Supply
The reason they are still here is I like my mix better.
I use a gallon zip lock bag fill it about half full of small strips of meat just dump enough of my mix in till it looks like all the meat has some around it put it in the firdge and let set over night,then flip the bag over and let it set till I get home from work

Then I put it on the dehydrator over night and then rotate the trays before I go to work and hopefully if my daughter is home she takes it off about noon and starts another batch sometimes there is some left when I get home that I get to sample it

[Tappen]

what about curing the meat?

[pitw]

what about curing the meat?

Why are you curing it?  If making ham I have a few thoughts

[Tappen]

you dont have to cure the meat at all? just cut it up marinate it and dry it out?

[pitw]

you dont have to cure the meat at all? just cut it up marinate it and dry it out?

Nope and Yep.     Plus read Jerry's thread

[Tappen]

that jerky blaster thing is purty darn neat, well now i know what to have for next year.

[vayotehowler]

Tappen you can find all type of recipes right here on your pc, I make my own sausage and jerky  from recipes on the web . Just type in venison jerky or venison sausage recipes and tons will pop up. When cutting jerky cut with the grain of the meat. I mad some sugar cured jerkey, I packed it in brown sugar and the sugar pulled the moisture out like salt would . The changed out the sugar and sprinkled w cayenne pepper. hot and sweet . I did stil place it in the oven , I use teriyaki, and dried onion and worscheshire sauce, i like garlic powder better that salt . marinate in wors few days , draws out blood , dump and add more wors and whatever season u want. buy some bamboo skewers ,hang meat from skewers and hang from top rack of the oven as high as u can get in oven.put foil on bottom rack to catch drippings. turn oven on warm and place a wooden spoon in the door of oven and create convection and cook until meat cracks white when try to break it . I have people that dont like jerky or deer meet come back for more of my jerky at work.    as far as the freezing I place meat in bottom of fridge on cookie sheet and keep at about 37 f degrees.  for 3 days to dry age . I freeze the meat and slice with an electric knife when the outside thaws and still frozen in center , slices real nice that way, hope that helps

[Jimmie in Ky]

2 LB light brown sugar
1 cup canning salt
1 oz black pepper
1 oz white pepper
1 oz garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 spoon or tabllespoon according to taste cayenne pepper ( optional )

This is a dry mix . Lay down a layer of meat and sprinkle the mix over each layer. Just simply repeat until you have you large plastic bowl full. Leave overnight in hte fridge. This pulls out a great deal of water and infuses the meat with the seasoning. Drain off fluids and begin drying.

You can use a dehydrator , the oven or wood stove. I put mine in cookie sheets on top of hte wood stove. If you use the oven keep it at it's lowest setting with the door propped open to let out any moisture.

I seperate each muscle and slice lengthwise along the grain. I try to get each one about an 8th inch thick. It will work with slices up to a 1/4 inch so dont worry if it isn't perfect. Jimmie

[Tappen]

so today i went to wallmart and bought a meat grinder and a few seasonings, is it a good idea to grind up the meat with all my seasonings and then put it in a ziplock bag of worchester sauce for a day? then take it out and make the jerky into strips and dry?

[msmith]

I don't think there is really any wrong way. The key is to get the meat dry. My wife will not make jerky until the meat has been frozen for 6 weeks in order to kill any germies in the meat. I think she is crazy, but she is a nurse and very obsessive about that kind of stuff. 

I don't think I would run seasonings through the grinder though, just grind then mix if that is the method you prefer.

One time I just mixed a hodge podge of spices to make jerky. A little onion powder, a little garlic powder, salt, pepper, liquid smoke, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, maybe even a few other things. Let it marinate over night, then I dried it in the oven at low temp with the door open, turned it at about 2 hours then let dry till I liked it. It done OK.

Just do it! Then when it turns out, you'll be glad you did and ready to do it again and try something different.

[vayotehowler]

Tappen , I jsut slice mine thin and dry it in the oven , I do mix the spices in with the worcheshire sauce u can place the spices on and place on a cookie sheet in the fridge for a day or two and then put in worscheshire. the seasoning works into the meat and then the worcheshire helps perserve it

[alscalls]

Well I wish I could show ya......... But Jimbo seems to think I aint qualified.....
Doing the job and learning all you can from it is the best experience for ya.