# Grinding your own deer meat?



## bnew17

Just curious who all here processes their own deer meat? I  clean and quarter mine and take it to get processed into cube steak, ground, sausage etc usually...ill make some jerky once or twice a year too.

I have a meat grinder i got several years ago from BPS. Its not a top of the line model but ive used it to make sausage before (cant say it tasted too good) ...i primarily want have ground deer. What, if anything, do yall add to the deer meat when you grind it (ie. fat, spices, etc). 

Thanks for the help. Just trying to cut some cost!


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## Nicodemus

I have always added one handful of beef fat to five handfuls of deer meat. I do this in a big pan, and mix it up by hand prior to runnin` it through my grinder. I grind it twice, and add no spices to it.

For sausage, the same ratio, but I use pork fat. I mix my sausage spices in with it, then grind it twice.

Then, everything gets vacuum sealed and frozen.


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## Browtine

I don't grind my own, but I do have bacon ground in with it when I have it done by the processor. He adds fat too, but I have no idea how much... It is some more good eatin' with the bacon in it!


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## Sixes

I have a Cabelas 1 HP grinder and its a workhorse.  I mix chuck roasts (stock up when I catch them on sale) with my deer to use for ground.  I never add any spices during the grinding, but if I am planning on making some burgers, I mix the deer with some chuck roast and bacon. If I make sausage, I use a sausage recipe and mix it in while grinding.

When I make regular burgers, I grind up chuck roasts with bacon and the tails from whole ribeyes. I buy them when I catch them on sale and they really make a burger stand out. 

Grinding a deer with your own equipment will not only save you money, but it will allow you to know the meat is clean and ground correctly and what is actually being ground into the meat.

If you don't already have one, invest in a Foodsaver, it will save you from any type of freezer burn and the meat will last for a lot longer time.


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## buckshot4:13

i like the way deer tastes so i add nothing to my ground and just run it through the coarse plate on a kitchen aid grinder attachement (wife loves me using her precious mixer).  Its good for any kind of loose meat dish chili, helper, sloppey joes.  But i do add some sausage at time of pattying for burgers.  its really not that complicated just expirement a little at a time till you find what you like.  And you could alway just chunk it up and freeze and grind when thawed as need (grinds better slightly froze.)


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## dawg2

Deer burger I grind up lean.  When I make sausage I add 1 pound pork shoulder / roast / butt to every 4-5 pounds of venison.  As far as recipes for sausage I have about 10 or so I alternate between.  I make a Christmas Sausage, breakfast, raisin, linguica, italian, wine, etc.  Google up sausage recipes and there are tons of them on line.


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## Muddyfoots

10:1, deer to beef fat for burger.

Start with the same for sausage, except using pork fat. Old Plantation Sausge Seasoning. We always grind one time and cook some in a frying pan, making sure it has enough fat. If not, add more to the second grind. I also add 1 cap of cayenne and 1/2 cap of sage for extra seasoning. This is for 25 lbs.


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## bnew17

thanks alot for the info guys. I do have a foodsaver so i could  put up the meat using it. Does nobody use the plastic bags processors usually put 1lb meat in?

Just wondering if it may be cheaper to use them than the foodsaver bags because they can get a little expensive.


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## Twenty five ought six

bnew17 said:


> thanks alot for the info guys. I do have a foodsaver so i could  put up the meat using it. Does nobody use the plastic bags processors usually put 1lb meat in?
> 
> Just wondering if it may be cheaper to use them than the foodsaver bags because they can get a little expensive.



Get the rolls, freeze in a larger quantities --such as 3 lbs., then you can separate and refreeze in bags.  

The bags are cheaper, but you will pay back the difference in meat quality.

Also, look around for the Foodsaver rolls -- K-mart, Wal mart, even Tractor Supply carries them as a seasonal item, and you can find them cheaper.

Make sure to use a permanent marker to put the date and weight on each bag.

Everyone has a different approach, but I freeze all my ground deer w/o fat, and add it when I use it.  The meat will keep longer, and there are a lot of recipes where you just want lean meat (or at least I do.)  In fact, some of my best deerburgers are about 5 parts ground venison mixed with one part sweet Italian sausage, which will give you plenty of fat.


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## Nicodemus

Twenty five ought six said:


> Get the rolls, freeze in a larger quantities --such as 3 lbs., then you can separate and refreeze in bags.
> 
> The bags are cheaper, but you will pay back the difference in meat quality.
> 
> Also, look around for the Foodsaver rolls -- K-mart, Wal mart, even Tractor Supply carries them as a seasonal item, and you can find them cheaper.
> 
> Make sure to use a permanent marker to put the date and weight on each bag.
> 
> Everyone has a different approach, but I freeze all my ground deer w/o fat, and add it when I use it.  The meat will keep longer, and there are a lot of recipes where you just want lean meat (or at least I do.)  In fact, some of my best deerburgers are about 5 parts ground venison mixed with one part sweet Italian sausage, which will give you plenty of fat.





Didn`t you make mention of grindin` it without any fat added, and when you made hamburger pattys, to add just enough olive oil to make them hold together? I tried that with some last year, and was pleased with the results.


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## Sixes

I buy mine online from Foodsaver and buy in bulk, its 30% off of 8 rolls or more and they have free shipping alot of times.


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## rutandstrut

I normally take it to a Processor and have 2-3 Steaks cut out of each Ham and have the rest of the Hams and Shoulders ground into Burger. I am pretty sure they said they add 1 Pound of Beef Fat for every 5-8 Pounds of Deer Meat that will give you Ground Burger with 12.5-20% Fat. I normally tell them to add just enough Fat to make the meat stick together! 

If I am having an exceptional year I will start getting creative and get different cuts done. One of my Favorites is Gutting, Skinning and Quartering my Deer...Leaving the inside and outside straps in place...use a saw to cut off the Head...use a knife and saw to cut off the Neck Roast (this will be fileted off the bone prior to freezing), Cut off the back end where the Hams attach...Rinse off the Backbone with the inside and outside straps still attached and then wrap and freeze. I will take this out and use a Meat Band Saw to cut Deer Chops once it is frozen. The Freezing makes it much easier to saw the chops!    

If I am having sausage made they will add Spices and Pork Fat in the same Ratios.

If I have a Hog and a Deer at the same time when I go to the Processor I will have them make one of my Favorites Sage Sausage made with Half Ground Hog Meat, Half Ground Venison and seasoned with Rubbed Sage, Salt, Poultry Seasoning, Pepper and a small amount of allspice. 

All of it is double wrap with Plastic and then Freezer Paper or Vacuum packed prior to freezing.


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## NCHillbilly

I grind my own, and don't add anything to it at the time. I use most of it without any additives, but I'll add some pork  later if I'm making sausage. Vacuum sealing is the way to go with ground meat-it'll get freezer burned much quicker than solid cuts of meat without being vacuum sealed.


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## Twenty five ought six

Nicodemus said:


> Didn`t you make mention of grindin` it without any fat added, and when you made hamburger pattys, to add just enough olive oil to make them hold together? I tried that with some last year, and was pleased with the results.



Yes, we do that, and it comes out well.  We also use the olive oil when we make meat loaf, and it adds a nice mellow taste.  SWMBO makes a killer venison meatloaf.

Those are some of the options and why I don't like to have fat added to my ground meat.


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## Huntinfool

So where exactly do you guys get the beef fat that you're adding?  I can't say I've ever seen fat for sale at the meat counter.  Can you just ask the butcher if they have extra laying around?


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## Twenty five ought six

Huntinfool said:


> So where exactly do you guys get the beef fat that you're adding?  I can't say I've ever seen fat for sale at the meat counter.  Can you just ask the butcher if they have extra laying around?



They won't have it laying around usually, but you can ask them to hold some for you.  

Need to be some place that actually at least trims their meat.


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## WTM45

I grind twice, adding nothing, and freezing it in 1-2 lb vacuum packs.

I never refreeze after thawing a pack.  Ever.

I add whatever I want to add only at the time of use.

I've found ground venison survives the freezer much longer without any fat mixed in.

For burgers, I'll fry bacon first.  Then, add egg to the ground venison and patty it up.  Fry patties in the bacon fat.
Top cooked patties with the cooked bacon and cheese.
Uh-huh!


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## Minner

I make it pretty lean myself as well, less than 10% fat. Pork fat doesn't set well with several members of my family (including myself) so I always just use beef fat for both regular ground and sausage. For regular breakfast sausage, I use the reason from Eldon sausage. 

Before this past season, I bought one of these since I love cube steak: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabe...0&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=cuber&x=0&y=0&Ntt=cuber

It works pretty well.


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## Doyle

Here is a grinding tip that I learned the hard way.  Lean meat grinds best when it is really cold.  Once it warms up, the grinder tries to mush it rather than grind it.   Fat doesn't want to grinde well at all unless it is REALLY cold.  In fact, the only way I got bacon to grind was to cut it into chunks about an inch long and then freeze it.   When frozen, it grinds nicely.


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## daisy102998

I do my own also.  I do not add anything to it.  It will keep a bunch longer.


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## doenightmare

Doyle said:


> Here is a grinding tip that I learned the hard way. Lean meat grinds best when it is really cold. Once it warms up, the grinder tries to mush it rather than grind it. Fat doesn't want to grinde well at all unless it is REALLY cold. In fact, the only way I got bacon to grind was to cut it into chunks about an inch long and then freeze it. When frozen, it grinds nicely.


 
x2!


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## Bitteroot

I gring my own and don't add any fat to it at all.  I found that it keeps much longer and tastes better after the thaw out process. I also make breakfast sausage with it and add enough pork fat and some lean meat to get the fry factor where I like it to be.  Here is a recipe that I use, and if at all possible start growing your own sage, as it will make a huge difference in the final result!  Of course when I process a deer with my buddy's, we take this to a bulk product, but the ratio is the same.

2 pounds dear meat cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
1/2 pound fat back, diced into 1/2-inch pieces 
1/2 pound lean pork diced into 1/2- inch pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt 
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 
3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves 
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves 
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves 
1 tablespoon light brown sugar 
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
1/2 teasoon of mexican oregano

mix all ingredient with chopped meat and grind as a single blend.  This frys really well, but grilling it... will make you get attacked by hungry folks you've never seen before.  CAUTION while grilling!


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## Sirduke

I have always processed my own, from on the hoof to on the plate. Learned butchering as a teenage kid working at the IGA.

The colder it is, the better it grinds.
If you mix in fat, make sure its cold, and fresh, nothing ruins your day like getting some rancid fat from the butcher.
Ratio depends on how you are going to cook it, 80 % lean to 20 % fat is standard for me.
Can't really say about it lasting in the freezer. I package mine in gallon size zip lock freezer bags, and it gets ate up long before it has a chance to freezer burn.
I grind it twice, once with the larger hole plate, mix well then grind with smaller plate. Unless making sausage, then both with large hole plate.

I mix my seasonings for sausage to taste, with the boss lady standing behind me to wack my hand when I reach for the pepper the second time usually.

I have made boudin sausage, summer sausage, etc, etc etc. The boudin requires adding some pork, usually a whole boston butt, but man is it good.

Last year, I made deer/shrimp boudin, using the bags of cocktail shrimp.  Needless to say 30 lbs of it lasted 2 days.

The sky is the limit or rather your imagination is the limit. One bit of advice I learned, if you are making maple or sweetened sausage, fry with caution because the sugar will burn quickly.


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