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processing- can i leave some of the bloodshot meat on for ~12 hours before finishing?

i cut off everything that was bruised or discolored. potentailly wasted meat that was edible, but wanted to err on quality of flavor, as i've got a wife who's one the fence able this whole wild game thing. she tasted the heart and liked it but was put off by the idea of what it was. my kids were all in and my 3 yo asked for a third serving...
 
I don't have a heck of a lof of fridge space at the moment, even for this small of a meat pile, and wasn't fully trusting the cooler method to stay cool enough (i need a new cooler) so was hoping that I can age cuts individually after pulling them from the freezer and letting them sit for a week or so in the fridge at that point? if that doesn't actually work, i can always turn more of it than planned into jerky and try to go after another!
You may end up with a hard exterior and a bit more waste on each cut but then again maybe not. You'll have to report back how it goes since I've never tried it that way. Leaving them whole cuts and silverskin (quarters, backstraps, etc.) works to minimize the amount of meat exposed to air and developing the hard air exposed crust. You can peel away the silverskin/crust when processing.
If fridge space is limited, maybe make enough room for the backstraps to age and after aging remove silverskin, butterfly cut, salt and pepper and grill or cook in a good seasoned cast iron skillet and you have something better than a beef steak.
 
will definitely report back. i removed the silver skin from everything already and everything is vacuum packaged- hoping that'll protect the exterior a bit and going "wet aging" route. The cuts on this doe aren't that big to begin with so i didn't want to have to cut off any more than i already have. The learning continuum is part of the fun to me, i'll be better at processing and making decisions on all this stuff next time thanks to this experience/thread.
 
i removed the silver skin from everything already and everything is vacuum packaged- hoping that'll protect the exterior a bit and going "wet aging" route.

This is my preferred method. I process and vacuum seal just like you did then put all of the cuts in the fridge for at least two weeks, I have left them in there for up to a month. Then freeze them. It makes a huge difference in the flavor and tenderness of the meat and there is no rind that you have to cut away like you get with dry aging. I've been wet aging the last several years and my family has went from lukewarm on deer meat to loving it.
 
hm. well we're pretty frozen already over here. not fully "deep freeze" state yet, but close. would:
A. cramming them in the fridge now to thaw and age for a few weeks, and then refreezing be the right go? or
B. pull a week or two before i plan to eat and "age" after freezing? or
C. just live and learn, leave it in the freezer, and pull and eat whenever? (last one is what i'm planning on, i'll be eating every bit regardless...)
D. calm down and go eat a piece.

my family's used to eating generally skirt steak or flank steak if we have beef so... over here debating between C and D, but will follow advice given...
 
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will definitely report back. i removed the silver skin from everything already and everything is vacuum packaged- hoping that'll protect the exterior a bit and going "wet aging" route. The cuts on this doe aren't that big to begin with so i didn't want to have to cut off any more than i already have. The learning continuum is part of the fun to me, i'll be better at processing and making decisions on all this stuff next time thanks to this experience/thread.


this article on wet aging sounds like what you are planning and looking at the pircture of the 21 day vs 7 & 14 day steaks still in their vacuum sealed bags I can see where that is the point I would aim for.

I've aged deer quarters in a cooler before as well, the key for me is leaving the drain plug open with the cooler at an angle to let it drain and the meat on a rack so it doesnt sit in the bloody water that's in the bottom. And keep an extra bag of ice in the deep freeze.
 

this article on wet aging sounds like what you are planning and looking at the pircture of the 21 day vs 7 & 14 day steaks still in their vacuum sealed bags I can see where that is the point I would aim for.

I've aged deer quarters in a cooler before as well, the key for me is leaving the drain plug open with the cooler at an angle to let it drain and the meat on a rack so it doesnt sit in the bloody water that's in the bottom. And keep an extra bag of ice in the deep freeze.
aha! i'd read that a long time ago, thank you for the reminder. if it's good enough for steve rinella and danielle prewett, it's good enough for this newbie "in fact, many times I take meat from the freezer a week before I plan to cook and allow it to age if I didn’t do it prior to freezing."

time to relax... i think.
 
We have had deer in the ice chest for 8 days or so no problems. Just keep the ice on it and process any time you want or do a little at a time . Stay safe and enjoy your deer meat.
I've had deer hanging weeks and even months if the conditions are right.
 
time to relax... i think.

Agreed. Personally, if it were me I would use this opportunity for a little experiment. If they are not frozen yet, pull a couple of packs and put in the fridge to let them age for two weeks, the refreeze. Then you can compare those to the packs that you leave in the freezer but, age before you eat, and also to the packs you don't age at all. I bet you will be surprised at the difference, especially between the aged and not aged.
 
Agreed. Personally, if it were me I would use this opportunity for a little experiment. If they are not frozen yet, pull a couple of packs and put in the fridge to let them age for two weeks, the refreeze. Then you can compare those to the packs that you leave in the freezer but, age before you eat, and also to the packs you don't age at all. I bet you will be surprised at the difference, especially between the aged and not aged.
i think they're too frozen at this point. so i'm going to take your advice and combine it with... i just need to shoot another deer so i can age it differently and compare! i have the tenderloins and a section of backstrap in plastic in the fridge, trying to be patient and wait to eat them but we'll see...
 
i think they're too frozen at this point. so i'm going to take your advice and combine it with... i just need to shoot another deer so i can age it differently and compare! i have the tenderloins and a section of backstrap in plastic in the fridge, trying to be patient and wait to eat them but we'll see...
That would be my recommendation. Just shoot another deer & wet age. This one will still taste good it did it exactly that way for years….just started wet aging a few years ago.
 
man i wish i'd have thought of this 2 days ago- i have a minifridge that i converted into a fermentation chamber for homebrewing that's been sitting empty for a few years. (travesty i know, that's another topic). looks like i have some fridge space after all. ok time to relax for real now lol
 
I would try to leave the meat in as big of chunks as possible. You are going to get a lot of shortening if you cut it up right away. its a big difference in texture when you have it side by side. even after 24 hrs it makes a huge difference. We just quarter it n throw it in a fridge usually. this year we built a walk in cooler in my old man's shed with 4in of purple insulation board, an a/c unit and a "coolbot". fits 3 deer and will stay at 36* in 90* heat.
 
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