When quartered up and put in a cooler do you put it on ice or soak it in ice/water?
Never soak it in the water
I've done both ways.
Either way it tastes the same once cooked.
If you get a big bruiser bucks, soaking the meat in ice water with a little bit of salt in it will help with "the gamey taste" by drawing out more of the blood.
Either way it tastes the same once cooked.
If you get a big bruiser bucks, soaking the meat in ice water with a little bit of salt in it will help with "the gamey taste" by drawing out more of the blood.
Tilt ice chest, cover meat with ice (as needed), open drain plug to allow any water to exit. Good for several days without meat getting ugly and white.
We bag the quarters and keep them on ice but not submerged. Im a food nazi, Im extremely critical of food (all kinds) and if it isnt a 7/10 then I personally dont want to make it especially for other people! But all that to say, all of our venison being bagged and on ice up to 3 days while we do the processing has turned out really good. Especially the backstraps, slap yo momma good!
Bag it in something breathable or plastic?
Stole this from bookface
Just a reminder to all our hunters, a few facts to keep in mind this season. Here are a few things we’ve learned over the years as we constantly push to raise the bar:
1. Deer do not require aging or (hanging) in a cooler like beef because venison is a lean meat and does not retain water like beef. You actually change the flavor and gain tenderness as the meat starts to decompose. This makes for a tender steak but less flavorful and not fresh ground burger in our opinion. 1 to 2 days in a walk-in cooler is all that’s needed.
2. Please do not soak your meat. Blood is in the veins, not the muscle. Myoglobin is the red/pink you see in the muscles. A muscle is similar to a sponge that soaks up the water from the ice and icy water that gets drained every few days and makes tasteless steaks and wet burger. Does your steaks absorb marinade? Why wouldn’t it absorb that water it’s soaking in? Google search washing meat in water.
3. If you MUST put venison in a cooler: to have great tasting meat, place your venison in a bag then in a cooler to keep the meat cold and dry.
4. The wild game taste you get at other processors is the result of them leaving some tallow/fat behind trying to cut corners. While you can hide it from the eye when you grind it all up, you are left with the game taste. If you want bland tasteless venison, it’s probably cheaper to just buy chicken instead of making the perfect environment for a bacteria bath your meat is soaking in. Again just google or research washing meat in water.
Just a reminder to all our hunters, a few facts to keep in mind this season. Here are a few things we’ve learned over the years as we constantly push to raise the bar:
1. Deer do not require aging or (hanging) in a cooler like beef because venison is a lean meat and does not retain water like beef. You actually change the flavor and gain tenderness as the meat starts to decompose. This makes for a tender steak but less flavorful and not fresh ground burger in our opinion. 1 to 2 days in a walk-in cooler is all that’s needed.
2. Please do not soak your meat. Blood is in the veins, not the muscle. Myoglobin is the red/pink you see in the muscles. A muscle is similar to a sponge that soaks up the water from the ice and icy water that gets drained every few days and makes tasteless steaks and wet burger. Does your steaks absorb marinade? Why wouldn’t it absorb that water it’s soaking in? Google search washing meat in water.
3. If you MUST put venison in a cooler: to have great tasting meat, place your venison in a bag then in a cooler to keep the meat cold and dry.
4. The wild game taste you get at other processors is the result of them leaving some tallow/fat behind trying to cut corners. While you can hide it from the eye when you grind it all up, you are left with the game taste. If you want bland tasteless venison, it’s probably cheaper to just buy chicken instead of making the perfect environment for a bacteria bath your meat is soaking in. Again just google or research washing meat in water.
I keep mine quartered in a cooler on / in ice for 5 days, draining the water once a day. When i debone, the meat goes into plastic bins that fit in the cooler for another day or two. Then I grind / package. Sure, the very outer layer of the meat loses color, but not being deboned keeps it to just the exterior of the meat, which is generally trimmed off when removing membrane, silver, etc.
Interesting info. I've never had it explained to me that way before.
Like I said. I've done it both ways. But the last several years, probably 8 or 10 or so, I haven't soaked the meat at all. It's less work. As I cut the meat off the deer, it goes right into a bag. Once the bag gets 5 to 6 lbs., it goes into the freezer. On a good size deer just one cut of meat can be that 5 lbs. But that's ok, cause I can get 1 bag out and defrost it for a roast, or if it's back straps, have a few days worth of steaks ready.
I have had it both ways. Sometimes its cold enough it hangs outside overnight.
One thing I can assure you, my deer are quickly gutted and cooled. I am not one of those guys that want to haul it around all day and show it off.
One thing I can assure you, my deer are quickly gutted and cooled. I am not one of those guys that want to haul it around all day and show it off.
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