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Wild Game Preparation . Learning Targets. I can explain the nutritional value of venison I can explain venison processing I can explain jerky preparation. Terms. I can explain the nutritional value of venison.
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Learning Targets • I can explain the nutritional value of venison • I can explain venison processing • I can explain jerky preparation
Venison is a healthy and delicious meat choice, but the road to a tasty meal requires care in the processing and preparation. • If you’ve had gamy tasting venison before, chances are the offensive taste was obtained through processing or cooking.
The meat’s quality is a result of the deer’s age, sex and diet. Older deer have tougher meat, while the meat of bucks in rut is stronger tasting from the stress of breeding season.
For nutritional value, venison is low in fat and calories and rich in protein.
All in all, just keep in mind the deer you are cooking and match it with the right cooking technique—roasting and stewing for tougher cuts and frying, broiling and grilling for more tender cuts.
For better venison, hang the deer before processing. • Leave the skin on to prevent dehydration and keep the meat clean.
A handy way to hang the carcass (and also remove scent glands).
Hang the deer to drain blood and cool to 50°F. within six hours of harvest. • Freezing the venison more quickly will result in tougher meat. • Aging venison any longer is not necessary; but when stored at 34–40° F. for up to eight days, the taste and tenderness of venison cuts can be improved.
Tools • Hand saw • Cutting board or solid table • Flexible knife for boning • Stout knife for trimming fat and making larger cuts • Freezer paper • Plastic wrap • Masking or freezer tape • Marker
Remove the skin and take care to keep the hair side away from the carcass. • Be sure to remove as much fat as possible (deer fat has a strong flavor). • Trim any bruises or gunshot damage and wash the outside. • After dripping dry, the carcass is ready to be cut.
There are two basic methods for cutting the carcass. The boneless method produces a milder flavor; all bone is removed and the more tender muscles are used for steaks, roasts, and stew; the less tender muscles are ground.
You can also use the method similar to one used to cut up a beef carcass. This method results in popular cuts such as rib, T-bone, sirloin and round steaks. • Combinations of the two methods may be used.
Sawing through bone spreads the bone marrow across cuts of meat, sometimes creating a bad flavor. • If you saw through cuts, be sure to scrape away any marrow or bone fragments. • Also, carefully remove all animal hair.
Freezer Storage Time • Venison can be stored in the home freezer at 6° F. or lower for about one year.
There are two main types of jerky. One is solid muscle or sliced jerky, and the other is pressed or ground meat jerky.
Sliced Jerky • A solid muscle jerky is made from a very lean cut of meat free from gristle. You can also substitute beef, elk or other red meats for the venison. • The most commonly meat used for jerky comes from the hind quarter or back leg of the deer. • The particular area is called the round. This is made up of several different muscle groups.
Sliced Jerky • There are three main muscles you will use for making jerky: top round, bottom round and eye of round.
Sliced Jerky • These three muscles are virtually gristle-free and very lean. These are the same muscles you would use to cut steaks from your deer. The difference would be in the way you cut the meat. • Steaks are cut against the grain of the meat. Jerky is cut with the grain of the meat. When you cut jerky meat with the grain it produces the chewy, almost stringy, consistency people associate with jerky.
Pressed Jerky • The other type of jerky is made from ground meats and is pressed or formed. • When making this type of jerky, make sure you choose very lean cuts of meat. You will mix in a dry seasoning mix with this meat much like you would when making sausage.
Three Ways to Dry Your Sliced Venison Jerky • Oven Method • Dehydrator Method • Smoker Method
Oven Method: • 1) Turn heat on oven to its lowest temperature. • 2) Take meat out of refrigerator. • 3) Place meat onto oven racks or clean metal screen. Keep 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch space between slices. Do not allow slices to overlap or the overlapped areas will not dry. • 4) Place racks with jerky meat into the oven. • 5) Leave the oven door cracked open to allow steam to escape. Let jerky dry for approximately 6 hours or to desired dryness. Oven drying times will vary, so make sure to check the dryness of the jerky every hour or so. Do not leave your oven on, unattended if you are making jerky, plan to be home to watch it.
Dehydrator Method • 1) Check if your dehydrator needs pre-heating. If so, preheat to highest setting. • 2) Take meat out of refrigerator. • 3) Place meat onto dehydrator racks. Keep 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch space between slices. Do not allow slices to overlap or the overlapped areas will not dry. • 4) Place the racks with the meat on into your dehydrator. • 5) Turn dehydrator to highest setting, usually 145 to 155 degrees, if you have not already preheated dehydrator. • 6) Set timer on dehydrator to 8 hours. Dehydrator drying times will vary, so make sure to check the dryness of the jerky every hour or so. Do not leave your dehydrator on unattended, if you are making jerky, plan to be home to watch it.
Smoker Method • 1) Heat smoker to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. • 2) Take meat out of refrigerator. • 3) Place meat onto smoker racks. Keep 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch space between slices. Do not allow slices to overlap or the overlapped areas will not dry. • 4) Put racks with meat on into smoker. • 5) Dry at 180 degrees for approximately 3 hours. Do not add smoke at this point. If you do it will cause terrible tasting liquid to pool on the jerky surface. Smoke is added as a last step. See next step to prepare wood chips. • 6) If you want to add smoke to your jerky drying process, soak wood chips in water for 30 minutes prior to adding to your smoker. This will allow the chips to smolder rather than burn and produce a flame which could burn your jerky. See next step for when to add wood chips to your smoker. • 7) When the surfaces of the jerky pieces are dry and you touch the jerky meat and it feels a little tacky, like paint as it is nearly dried, add the water soaked wood chips to a heat source. This will add a smoky flavor. • 8) Keep a close eye on your smoker. It can be challenging to maintain a perfect temperature of 180 degrees. • 9) Smoker drying times will vary, so make sure to check the dryness of the jerky every hour or so. Do not leave your smoker on unattended, if you are making jerky, plan to be home to watch it.
