Venison processing - what do YOU do?

[John-W-WI]

I love venison steaks, but I also like to make a few other things.....

This year we made ring bologna and canned a bunch too.

We made ~400 rings:



Here is the "ring master":


He is a 5th generation ring bologna maker... And willing to teach us some of his tricks :)

We turned this into 80 quarts of canned venison:


We had 6 pressure cookers and 4 burners going at once. We could have used a couple more pressure cookers!

What does everyone else do with their venison?

-John

 

[bueller]

I'd love to do the whole butchering and sausage making thing one day but presently with time being so limited I leave it to the landjaeger pros at Wisconsin River Meats.

 

[Turkey Creek]

On deer we go sticks, jerky, polish dogs, and salami. Elk we go burger and roasts.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Great pics John! Looks like a great time.

Up through early Nov. if I connect I have a local butcher process my deer, as I coach soccer and just don't have the time. After that, I process it myself…steaks, roasts, jerky, burger, and yes…a few fresh sausages and breakfast sausage.

Natty

 

[huntall]

That looks great!
We do some of it all. i have a couple of good helpers also.
URL=http://s1215.photobucket.com/user/huntall/media/processing/IMAG2976-1.jpg.html]

[/URL]
.
URL=http://s1215.photobucket.com/user/huntall/media/processing/IMAG2880.jpg.html]

[/URL]
.this is some pictures from some of our processing.
URL=http://s1215.photobucket.com/user/huntall/media/processing/IMAG0797.jpg.html]

[/URL]

URL=http://s1215.photobucket.com/user/huntall/media/processing/sausage2.jpg.html]

[/URL]

 

[Dave63]

I save the straps everything else i make into sticks and jerky myself. Electric meat grinder is a must!! I like fleet farms seasoning packets they sell for the jerky and sticks.

 

[Bucks&Ducks]

One of the disappointments of getting away from party hunting and filling our tags is the processing in our family is a lot less formal. We used to get together, everyone helped out and we processed all of our deer (usually 5-10) on an old butcher block table during down time or the day after the season. We would make roasts and cut out round steak and ribeye chops with a band saw. We would make breakfast sausage out the meat for grinding and then smoke it with fresh cut maple in a very old smokehouse.

Nowadays, the process usually involves a few of us cutting out steaks and then making burgers mixing onions and beef. They taste good but I do miss the friends and family aspect.

 

[sandbur]

I bone everything out. My wife usually helps me vacuum pack the steaks, loin, and roasts.

the rest is saved for burger.

Fawn loin or steak on the grill beats prime rib.

 

[tooln]

The wife & I cut & wrap our own. No sausage or burger all steaks & stew meat. Thinking of burger & jerky if we get 2 this year.

 

[biglakeba$$]

I butcher my own deer.
I used to go all out with the various sausages and stuff. But over time it was just too hard to get people together to do it all.
Always someone not available. I have resorted to just having it done for me again. I sold all my gear on Craigslist. :(

 

[scott44]

We process our own, the boys and I do the cutting and my wife vacuum seals it. Try to get as many steaks as we can and the rest in sausage and burger. Sometimes with a late season doe we make jerky.

 

[Bill]

I've made a few sausage but never a production like that.

Every time I try to make sausage it turns out as dry as chalk.

 

[THunter]

Made me hungry. Love canned venison.

 

[biglakeba$$]

Never have had it and have wanted to try it for a long time. I don't know anyone that does it.......

 

[John-W-WI]

One of the disappointments of getting away from party hunting and filling our tags is the processing in our family is a lot less formal. We used to get together, everyone helped out and we processed all of our deer (usually 5-10) on an old butcher block table during down time or the day after the season. We would make roasts and cut out round steak and ribeye chops with a band saw. We would make breakfast sausage out the meat for grinding and then smoke it with fresh cut maple in a very old smokehouse.

Nowadays, the process usually involves a few of us cutting out steaks and then making burgers mixing onions and beef. They taste good but I do miss the friends and family aspect.

I was never in a group that processed together, but was always envious of them.

So I've been working at it the last few years to find a way to have a 'get together' that works for everyone's schedule.

Honestly 1/2 of the ring bologna we make doesn't even contain venison. Just pork. The canning meat is venison, saved from multiple people and multiple deer. Kept in the freezer for a few months. Then when the dead of winter comes along, everyone has more time to get together.

The "Ring leader" is also teaching me how to make sauerkraut, it's great (and simple). It would be a shame to let those tricks fade away into history!

-John

 

[bwoods11]

We cut up one deer maybe two. I have a buddy that owns a meat locker so he gets one or two. Steaks/roasts/burger/sausage and sticks. This year cheese brats that would make a Packer fan proud!!

 

[wiscwhip]

Canned venison = 2nd best stuff ever! Right behind canned elk!

 

[THunter]

Yep, I'll take canned venison over burger or stew meat any day. Tasty, tender...delicious. Plus you can use it in a great many ways

I like me some ground and stew meat, too, now. And cubed steak is my FAVORITE!!! Yummy!

 

[EOB]

We will cut up and de-bone our own at deer camp then split it up. After that we take it to the processor of our choice to have stick, brats or whatever made. My current favorite place is Meatski's in Pound WI.

 

[j-bird]

I take mine to a processer - I just don't have the time or resources ($60 regardless of size - sausage is extra). Mostly make ours into backstrap steaks, burger and summer sausage. We have not bought beef burger at a grocery store in several years now. We like the flexability you have with burger in feeding a young family.