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Front Shoulders - What Do You Do With Them?

DB4x4

DB4x4

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2018
Messages
1,870
My wife and I hate silver skin on our meat. We clean it up as much as possible. Back straps are cut into large medallion type steaks. Big pieces from the back legs are typically cubed, with trimmings bound for ground.

The front legs though...We do our best to clean them up and typically just grind all of the yield, but there's just so much gristle and silver skin. I feel like we end up wasting a lot because of this.

That said, how does everyone attack the front shoulders? Looking for inspiration here and/or a better way to utilize these pieces...
 
for the first time this year, I cut up all the front meat in cubes and slow cooked without adding anything to it until tender like bbq. after cooling it down, I put all of it, including the liquid and the jello in sandwich bags and in the freezer. My dog loves it! I add it to the dry food and she's licking the bowl every time.
 
Slow, slow cook it. Wether it it be on the grill or a combination thereof. The silver skin will pull away from the meat.

Sort of like doing a beef brisket, but the trick is to keep it moist as you slow cook it.

Or as suggested before you can grind it.


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bigjoe said:
Slow, slow cook it. Wether it it be on the grill or a combination thereof. The silver skin will pull away from the meat.

Sort of like doing a beef brisket, but the trick is to keep it moist as you slow cook it.

Or as suggested before you can grind it.


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Click to expand...

Best deer shoulder I ever had, heck best cooked deer I’ve ever eaten, was cooked low and slow on a brinkmanship with a side box. The shoulder was in a large disposable pan with liquid. No idea how long we cooked it but we ate it when we grabbed the leg bone and it pulled right out.
 
That is the whole idea. My Dad would cook a whole leg and people could not tell the difference between that and lamb. Again low slow and moisture. The back strap and steaks you can cook quick. But not roasts


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Another great recipe that I had forgotten until my twin brother reminded me the other day was Shepard’s pie. I made that for dinner Monday. Mix in a little worchestire and BBQ sauce and people cannot even tell it is venison.


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I take the whole front quarter
Cut off 4” below the elbow
Clean up as best u can
Rinse and use a paper towel to grab the jelly skin and anything undesired
Brawny paper towels work GREAT!
Then rub seasonings on

Cut up potatoes and carrots and onions (set aside)

Put in an oven pan
Wrap really tight with foil
400 for 1 hour
350 for 1 hour

Add cut up potatoes/onions/carrots
Flip shoulder
Re-wrap foil on pan tightly


350 for 1 more hour



You’re welcome


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I took the leg shanks and seared/browned the meat...then put it into the pressure cooker and cooked it as an osco busco and litterally all the silver skin basically melted into the meat and added so much flavor. It was boot stompin, momma smacking delicious. In fact, it is was so good that when I processed my doe, I am going to take one of the shoulders that I have intact and make it the same way.
 
Braised shoulder blade roast. Worked really well, and the meat tastes fantastic with some mashed potatoes and gravy.

In a large dutch oven, heat up some oil and sear your roast on all sides. Remove from the pot, and add some butter or oil. Add in a diced onion or two, garlic, a little bit of celery, maybe even some carrots if you have them laying around. Brown all of that until almost translucent. Then pour in a cup of red wine, a few dashes of soy sauce and Worcestershire. Let that heat up a bit and reduce a little. Then add your roast back on top of all the veggies, pour in about 2 cups of stock (until it just about half way covers the meat) and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, close the lid, and pop it in a 300 degree oven. Should be fork-tender anywhere from 3-6 hrs depending on the size of your blade roast.

This is my basic go-to process for any braise (shanks, front or back legs, I've even braised an entire neck like this). Works pretty well and creates a good base to experiment from. I'm new to hunting, but have been cooking for a while and would do any kind of pork/beef like this. Always comes out great.
 
Good meat in the shoulder but most times it’s burger or summer sausage for me
 
Throw the whole shoulder in the slow cooker with 3-4 quartered apples and 2-3 onions, cook for 8-10 hours. I usually turn it into pulled venison bbq
 
Check out the bearded butchers on youtube. They get a steak out of it and grind the rest. I just grind all mine into burger.
 
MaxJac said:
for the first time this year, I cut up all the front meat in cubes and slow cooked without adding anything to it until tender like bbq. after cooling it down, I put all of it, including the liquid and the jello in sandwich bags and in the freezer. My dog loves it! I add it to the dry food and she's licking the bowl every time.
Click to expand...

I’m going to try this. My cousin does the same for his dog. I’m even thinking about dehydrating some for treats.
And, you dummies are making me hungry. Stop it!
 
mtsrunner said:
I’m going to try this. My cousin does the same for his dog. I’m even thinking about dehydrating some for treats.
And, you dummies are making me hungry. Stop it!
Click to expand...
I dehydrate almost all of the fat and silver skin/tendons for dog treats. My pups love it.
 
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