Hanging a deer question

[mike033089]

Shot a doe yesterday and hung it in the garage and skinned it.  Garage holds about 35degrees in these temps.  The meat now has a “skin” on it.  If I plan on grounding the deer do I need to trim this skin off every piece?  I havnt done much deer but always in the past done them same day before it dries up a bit.  I was aware it would skin up as it dries a bit just not sure if I need to cut it off for ground. Thanks 

[archer36]

As long as it's clean it's not a problem. The "skin" is just dehydration. It's sort of like dry aging at this point. 

[mike033089]

13 minutes ago, archer36 said:

As long as it's clean it's not a problem. The "skin" is just dehydration. It's sort of like dry aging at this point. 

So you would grind that dry aged skin right up with the meat? All this meat will be chili and tacos

[archer36]

7 minutes ago, mike033089 said:

So you would grind that dry aged skin right up with the meat? All this meat will be chili and tacos

Sure. Some of the best hamburgers you can eat in high end steakhouses grind their dry aged meat trimmings into the burgers. Your meat is not "dry aged" but it's the same concept. It's OK to use. 

Now if your meat has been hanging a long time and some pieces of meat are hard and dry, you may want to trim that away. 

Edited January 24 by archer36

[mike033089]

11 minutes ago, archer36 said:

Sure. Some of the best hamburgers you can eat in high end steakhouses grind their dry aged meat trimmings into the burgers. Your meat is not "dry aged" but it's the same concept. It's OK to use. 

Now if your meat has been hanging a long time and some pieces of meat are hard and dry, you may want to trim that away. 

With these temps and how my garage holds I considered going several days but time isn’t on my side

[archer36]

6 minutes ago, mike033089 said:

With these temps and how my garage holds I considered going several days but time isn’t on my side

Around 35 degrees is an optimal temp. No worries. 

[Greybeard]

Trim the silverskin off, other fatty grizz, and tendons.  Dried layer of meat will most likely rehydrate when ground.  

Next time wrap damp towels around it.  Meat should be kept with 88% humidity besides just above freezing.  I never let it hang.  It's not beef.  It's never been tough.  I'll at least debone it and put it in a cooler on top of quart juice jugs of frozen water so the melting ice water stays in the jug and doesn't soak the meat.  Then finish trimming and packaging the next day.

[JFC1]

Based on @Roon recommendation, I've been dry aging a lot of my deer this season. It comes out awesome. Pink, pink meat, nutty taste and very soft all around. Like fawn even if she's an old nanny. You might want to think about letting it go 10 days or so and then trimming the dry top later that, yes, can be ground back into burger IMHO.

I have usually done this by hanging skinned haunches, for ex, in an old fridge w a small fan running. Again a Roon rec. Thanks. But I shot one last night that I'm gonna leave hanging in the garage 10 days or so

[Roon]

I skin immediately sometimes mussels are still twitching. I quarter legs and saddle. Then hang in fridge I keep it at 33 34° with a computer fan to circulate and more air. My longest hanging has been 22 days with nothing but good outcome.

If it really dries out and turns black it goes in crockpot for dog food.

[joeyguts]

3 hours ago, Roon said:

If it really dries out and turns black it goes in crockpot for dog food.

When I die I want to come back as one of Roon’s dogs. 

[Roon]

12 hours ago, joeyguts said:

When I die I want to come back as one of Roon’s dogs. 

My dogs are rejects and assholes so you would fit right in lol

[Black Bear Bowhunter]

I do it the same way in my garage. If the temps don’t go over 38 you’re golden. Even after 10 days just take the silver skin of and break it down that’s it. Best steaks etc since the adrenaline etc breaks down over that time and the drying is totally fine. Remember bacteria grows when it’s wet and warm so I would definitely not put water around it.

Did like 20+ deer that way and the meat actually tastes better then if you process it right away. But to each their own

[Black Bear Bowhunter]

And to add with that method you can wait till you have 2 hanging and do them at the same time which saves processing time 😉

[mike033089]

I cut it up today. I ain’t good at it but I wanted to grind it all anyway.  Would have waited longer but I don’t have time after today to do it. The bones went to the chickens for the final cleaning.  Nothings wasted 

[Codaboy]

I let my deer hang 7-10 days In a walk in reefer box. Think it improves on the taste of deer