Hanging Meat....

[rabjr]

It's very simple, whatever the meat is, "aging" is a controlled rotting. For lack of a better word. It's using the right bacteria which grows at the right temp to help break down muscle tissue. It's all it is, some of us do it, some prefer not to.

 

[Black Hand]

It's very simple, whatever the meat is, "aging" is a controlled rotting. For lack of a better word. It's using the right bacteria which grows at the right temp to help break down muscle tissue. It's all it is, some of us do it, some prefer not to.

Actually, this is a common misconception. Bacteria have nothing to do with this process.

From http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/other/recipes/2006/01/deer-hang-time
There are some persistent myths about aging venison that may cause you to stock your freezer with inferior meat this season. I'm sure you've heard them: Deer meat can't be aged like beef, because it dries out if left hanging. Or: Aging is simply "controlled rot," and why let good venison rot? And: You only need to hang deer a day or two for tender meat, so any longer is a waste of time.

None of this is true. To understand why, and to find out the best methods to age venison, we have to turn to science.

They go into more detail in this article and elsewhere.

 

[hoochiepapa]

The best elk I ever ate was a 5-point bull my nephew killed in a driving snow storm, that put down so much snow we couldn't get to it for four days. We snow-shoed in, the bull was frozen solid, skin on,we quartered it with a saw and cut off some tenderloins and cooked them over a fire on sticks. That was our lunch. It took us all day to get the meat out, four miles or so on snow shoes.
Aahh, the memories. I got pics if anyone wants to see them.

 

[Robby]

That's pretty cool Mike!! I'd like to see them.
Robby

 

[rabjr]

It's very simple, whatever the meat is, "aging" is a controlled rotting. For lack of a better word. It's using the right bacteria which grows at the right temp to help break down muscle tissue. It's all it is, some of us do it, some prefer not to.

Actually, this is a common misconception. Bacteria have nothing to do with this process.

From http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/other/recipes/2006/01/deer-hang-time
There are some persistent myths about aging venison that may cause you to stock your freezer with inferior meat this season. I'm sure you've heard them: Deer meat can't be aged like beef, because it dries out if left hanging. Or: Aging is simply "controlled rot," and why let good venison rot? And: You only need to hang deer a day or two for tender meat, so any longer is a waste of time.

None of this is true. To understand why, and to find out the best methods to age venison, we have to turn to science.

They go into more detail in this article and elsewhere.

Ok, using controlled rot was wrong in describing it then.

Proper aging begins as soon as rigor mortis ends-and this process is definitely not controlled rot. Rot is zillions of bacteria eating the muscle cells, their waste products creating the familiar stench of decaying flesh. Bacteria attack only after meat is exposed to the air, and bacterial rot is accelerated by higher temperatures. It doesn't happen at all if the meat is frozen. To properly age your deer, you must keep it at temperatures above freezing and below about 40 degrees. This holds bacteria (and rot) at bay, allowing natural enzymes to do their work.

 

[hoochiepapa]

Nephew on the left, he packed out the head. I got a hindquarter(lucky me). I thought all of those pics were in photobucket, but I can't find them.
I may have to get out the old hunting album and scan them again.

 

[hoochiepapa]

Chainin' up

A place to park

The hike in.

Here he is.

A fire for lunch.

loading the meat.
There you are, Robby! It doesn't look like we needed the snow shoes in the pics, but it was about knee deep in places with a hard crust on top, but not hard enough to walk on. We were all exhausted when we got home.(about 9 p.m.)

 

[Richard J.]

Thanks for the pics. Great hunt.

RJ

 

[VTdeerhunter]

Thanks for the great pics Mike....no issues with bears or coyotes on the kill site?

 

[Robby]

That's pretty awesome Mike!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Robby

 

[hoochiepapa]

Vtdeerhunter, we had a habit of leaving as much human scent around the carcass as we could, if you know what I mean. The bears by this time are hibernating,(not to say the smell wouldn't awaken them), and we never had any trouble with 'yotes. Packs of loose dogs was more of a problem, they weren't afraid of our scent. We had a cow elk where the front was all torn up where the dogs could reach, at our cabin.

 

[larry wv]

I quarter mine and put in a frige and cut up as soon as possible. I don't care for the hang and rot process. Larry

 

[Black Hand]

I don't care for the hang and rot process.

Then make sure you never eat a fine/prime steak in a steak-house. Much of the prime beef they serve has been aged for weeks. Why do you think it is so melt-in-your-mouth tender? :thumbsup:

 

[Rev_William]

I was always told hanging to age was for well marbled animals, that game animals stopped being hung to improve flavor once botulism was a favorite word of the day. Not sure just what I read somewhere. :idunno:

 

[hoochiepapa]

Ain't no botulism when it's froze!!

 

[Rev_William]

I agree lol

 

[larry wv]

If you feed a Beef cow almost all grain you can cut it with a fork. And that's not hanging a week. I have raised a lot of Beef and know a bit about it. AGED deer is just a nice word for slightly rotted Deer. The Deer around here are not fat guess that might make a difference. I have eaten Deer aged unaged what ever and see very little difference. Larry

 

[Spikebuck]

Pab1..I agree with you 100%. :thumbsup:

In fact a butcher told me that wild game should not be "aged" because the fat is not the same chemical makeup as beef. Wild game fat will turn rancid much more quickly and add that "wild" taste people complain about. Also 40 degrees is too warm to "age" anyway. Beef is aged at less than that, barely above freezing. My deer are always cut up, packaged, and frozen within 24 hours and it's always tender and delicious.