Wapiti Talk | Elk Hunting Forum | Elk Hunting Tips
 

Hang it or wrap it!

Moderators: Swede, Tigger, Lefty, Indian Summer, WapitiTalk1

Hang it or wrap it!

Postby Lefty » 10 24, 2021 •  [Post 1]

Friday I had my deer pretty well cut up and boned in the field., An all downhill walk to the truck was relatively easy. Yesterday I vacuumed sealed all of the meat.
The meat was kept clean,,,, and the at home packaging was quick.

Oh oh; found out the bed sheet and pillow cases were accidently put into the meat box :oops: but they were so easy to work with. I trimmed the fat , and generally made muscle cuts
A bit before noon I bagged the meat and hiked out.
Its been a while since we have skinned an animal at home, and home is warmer than the mountains so We've never hung our meat. The closest thing to hanging I will leave a package of meat in the fridge for a week.

Who hangs their game or beef?
User avatar
Lefty
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 6926
Joined: 06 25, 2012
Location: Pocatello Idaho
First Name: Dennis
Last Name: H

Re: Hang it or wrap it!

Postby 7mmfan » 10 25, 2021 •  [Post 2]

I don't "hang" it unless I'm in the field for extended periods and the weather is right. In Idaho the last few years I have processed my meat there within 4-5 days if the weather isn't just right. When at home I will put it in my garage fridge and let it age in there at 36 degrees or so for a week and then take my time processing it. I have cut and wrapped deer the day after getting them, but lately I have been letting them "rest" for up to 10 days before cutting. Many people say aging game makes no difference, but I believe the aged meat is more tender and has better flavor than the stuff I packaged right away. Here is a case.

I recently took a mule deer sirloin roast of the freezer. I know that meat was kept cold and aged for 10 days before packaging. When I took the roast out, I put a dry rub on it, heavy on salt, and then wrapped in saran wrap and put back in the fridge. I let it sit in the fridge for a full week before cooking. That meat was aged 17 days total and was phenomenal. Tender, oh so tender. The flavor was just right. My wife gave me 2 thumbs up and she is not a big deer fan. Not sure what that shows other than the meat is hardy, it can be aged for a long time and I do think that it makes a difference.
Attachments
0.jpg
0.jpg (115.58 KiB) Viewed 1254 times
20191021_164505.jpg
20191021_164505.jpg (269.31 KiB) Viewed 1254 times
I hunt therefore I am. I fish therefore I lie.
User avatar
7mmfan
Rank: An Elk Nut
 
Posts: 1684
Joined: 09 07, 2017
Location: Washington State

Re: Hang it or wrap it!

Postby saddlesore » 12 06, 2021 •  [Post 3]

I hung the deer I got for a week this past year. I have access to a walk in cooler and I hang all my beef ,elk. If it is cool enough in my detached garage, I hang it there.Once skinned, I wrap the carcass or quarters with Saran wrap to keep it from drying out.
If hanging to age,it not only tenderizes, but helps the flavor.It also gives the carcass more time to let more blood to drain.
Deboning meat before rigor has set in and then relaxed adds to the toughness of the meat .So does cooling too fast
User avatar
saddlesore
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 2162
Joined: 11 07, 2015
Location: Colorado Springs,CO

Re: Hang it or wrap it!

Postby Tom Grates » 02 08, 2022 •  [Post 4]

I installed a walk in cooler at my cabin to hang whitetails, 10 days hanging at 38 degrees.
Also have a walk in at my meat shop, so all the deer get hung for 10 days.
If you hang it in a controlled environment for 10 days, you will notice a difference in the texture, look, etc
Tom Grates
Rank: Spike
 
Posts: 101
Joined: 10 20, 2018

Re: Hang it or wrap it!

Postby saddlesore » 02 25, 2022 •  [Post 5]

Tom Grates wrote:I installed a walk in cooler at my cabin to hang whitetails, 10 days hanging at 38 degrees.
Also have a walk in at my meat shop, so all the deer get hung for 10 days.
If you hang it in a controlled environment for 10 days, you will notice a difference in the texture, look, etc


That's for darn sure.If you kill a lot of game,the cost of simple cooler using an air conditioner and Cool-Bot controller is well worth the price.Any beef rancher worth their salt would never consider eating any beef if not aged
User avatar
saddlesore
Wapiti Hunting - Strategy and Tactics
 
Posts: 2162
Joined: 11 07, 2015
Location: Colorado Springs,CO


cron