Does venison always taste "gamey"?

[Mike H]

^^Thanks, good read^^

 

[Shootin'IN]

The deer processing seminar from Purdue extension provided excellent information on getting rid of the gamey taste. Big thing is to do your best to get as much of the fat off the meat (even the small bits) as possible. Huge difference in taste. I believe they're done this year, as I recall they have videos as well as other information at their website (someone help me out with a link?).

I attended that seminar too & that was the best tasting deer I have ever had.
After seeing this processing seminar I pull out a package of deer steak from the freezer, cut all of the white off of it, cut it into strips, wrapped it with bacon, & put it on bamboo skewers. Then cooked on the grill it tasted just like beef, no bad taste at all.
It is the FAT & all the white connective tissue that make deer taste funny the guy says it is because deer fat doesn't start to break down at the human body temp of 98.6° that is why you get that slime taste on the roof of your mouth after eating some deer. Have you ever picked up a cold hamburger & tasted the grease, it was nasty until it got warmed up in your mouth, deer is the same thing but you mouth doesn't get warm enough.
And ageing the deer can take as much as a week if it is right at 32° on a whole deer. But if you quarter it up it will cut your time down to 3 to 4 days. And it needs to stay between 32° to 40°F all the time you are ageing your meat.
As far as processing during the rut if you happen to cut into the tarsal gland on the inside of the hind legs, any meat your knife comes in contact with after that will taste funny. The tarsal gland will swell on a deer when they are in rut, some hunters will trim these off to use as a lure for the next hunt. If you do this use a different knife or wait until your processing is done to remove these glands.
I found the videos for the seminar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34cCn_o1YEk&feature=channel&list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flj_0SxTEIo&feature=channel&list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_SmaRwDpYk&feature=channel&list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XN64lGA_ws&feature=channel&list=UL

 

[hammer24]

An Alternate Theory on Gaminess; Or, Take a Look in the Mirror - MeatEater

I read this great article from Steven Rinella ( MeatEater ) and thought i'd share with INGO, why wild game, has a "gamey taste"!

Excellent read! I've always enjoyed his thoughts. Glad he has a show again, but alas, I don't get the channel.

I've eaten venison and other wild game as my primary source of meat for long enough now, that I prefer venison over beef, and rabbit, squirrel or wild turkey breast to chicken.

I have 50/50 custody of my young son, and he gets fed what we kill at my house. His mother could never bring herself to even try wild game. He loves eating meat from the animals that he and I kill, and always wants seconds. His mom has a hard time getting him to eat meat (chicken, pork, and beef) at her house.

 

[Kraor]

I hunt with some old-timers that have killed more deer than I can ever hope to, and they do all their own processing and have taught me the secrets to the best tasting venison I have ever had.
1 gut as quickly after the kill as possible,
2 remove the tarsal glands on the back legs asap. (you can keep those in a ziplock bag an hang near your stand to draw in does later),
3 prop open the cavity with a stick or something and allow to cool as much as you can before getting it out of the woods,
4 skin it and remove as much fat as you can from the carcass and let it hang just above freezing or if temps wont allow, remove loins, backstraps, and quarter it and put in refrigerator to age for several days.
5 When processing for packaging, remove all fat, sinew, silver skin, etc. and debone

Marinating, cooking in butter, adding spices, etc. is all in how you like your venison and all helps make it taste great but I think the steps from Kill to packaging have helped mine taste awesome.

I killed a buck last weekend at 8:40 a.m. field dressed at 180lbs, and followed those procedures and I just took out the backstraps and processed last night, packaged up 3 roasts and cut 20 or so 1" minute steaks
I washed them in milk and brushed them with oliveoil & garlic, then packaged in vacuum seal and paper wrapped.
I left out 5 and turned them in bread crumbs and flour then fried them in canola oil in a cast iron skillet.... MMMMMmmmmmmmmmm so tender and such a good taste.

btw here is a pic.

 

[old man Bill]

When younger I processed my own venison and tanned the hides. It would take me nearly 4 hours to get it in the freezer. For comparison, there's a place in Fishers that will process your deer for $100 and get it done in 25 minutes. The problem is it tastes like skunk. I always removed, as has been said here, all white material; bone, sinew and fat. Nothing but red meat. I found a processor in Bloomington that does it right and double wraps with plastic and butcher paper. They're on the way home from where I hunt and are nice folks. As I recall it cost about $90 to have it done. I have them add 20% beef fat to the ground meat, not pork and not suet. The outfit is K & W if you're interested.
WB

 

[ChalupaCabras]

When properly prrepaired, venison can taste like the most suculent and tender roast beef you have ever had.