Getting rid of GAMEY taste in killed animals & Fish.

[TOXIC]

Am I wrong in thinking that different parts of a deer taste different?  Until the last  one I mentioned earlier in this post, I was fortunate enough to just get back straps and tenderloins. Loved the taste of both those cuts.  When I got those 2 separate rough cuts, I definitely noticed a difference between the 2. 

[TnRiver46]

3 hours ago, TOXIC said:

Am I wrong in thinking that different parts of a deer taste different?  Until the last  one I mentioned earlier in this post, I was fortunate enough to just get back straps and tenderloins. Loved the taste of both those cuts.  When I got those 2 separate rough cuts, I definitely noticed a difference between the 2. 

Back legs (ham) are just about as good at the tenderloins and back straps. Front shoulder is some different stuff, needs crock pot treatment 

 

the whole “bucks in rut don’t taste good” is untrue in my opinion. I’ve had lots of them that were absolutely delicious, bull elk too. 20 years ago killing does was illegal in much of the south, and hunting season is during rut 

 

As with many food items, preconceived notions will trick your taste buds, kind of like your cold water crappie theory haha. Hot air spoils meat, not hot water 

[gim]

10 hours ago, T-Billy said:

I kill most of my deer early season with a crossbow. Hanging isn't an option in the fairly warm weather.

I've run into this problem even in November when our primary firearms season is open.  Our deer seasons have definitely gotten warmer in the 28 years I've been doing it.  I can remember when I first started it was more like winter out there.  Several seasons in the past few years its been WARM.  Like 65 degrees warm.  Not only does the meat spoil faster, but it affects daily deer movement.  There is a significant drop in daytime deer activity when its warmer out.

 

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

the whole “bucks in rut don’t taste good” is untrue in my opinion

I won't even eat one anymore.  A small one like a spike or fork is ok, but a big, old one that's dripping with hormones and peeing on itself is gross.  I can actually smell them sometimes after I've shot one as I'm walking up to it.  Luckily we have a pretty good venison donation program here in MN so the animal is never wasted.

[T-Billy]

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Back legs (ham) are just about as good at the tenderloins and back straps. Front shoulder is some different stuff, needs crock pot treatment 

 

10-4. Deer are all steak except for the front shoulders and neck if you want 'em to be. Dunno how old this doe was, but she was going grey and her teeth were pretty well ground down to the gums. Her backstraps were tough as boot leather so I ground the rest of her into burger. 

 

[Bird]

5 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Back legs (ham) are just about as good at the tenderloins and back straps. Front shoulder is some different stuff, needs crock pot treatment 

 

the whole “bucks in rut don’t taste good” is untrue in my opinion. I’ve had lots of them that were absolutely delicious, bull elk too. 20 years ago killing does was illegal in much of the south, and hunting season is during rut 

 

As with many food items, preconceived notions will trick your taste buds, kind of like your cold water crappie theory haha. Hot air spoils meat, not hot water 

You are absolutely correct about the " buck in rut don't taste good" . They most certainly do and can't tell a difference between them and a doe.

On the outside they stink because they're rutting but has no effect on the meat. Imo

[T-Billy]

These guys were all delicious. All taken during the rut with the crossbow.  Bottom two are huge bodied mature bucks pushing 300# on the hoof. Top two were both probably 3 1/2 year olds 200# or so.

[gim]

Those are some nice bucks @T-Billy.  That bottom one is especially a dandy.

[JackstrawIII]

Best way I've found to remove the "gamey" taste from the meat of game animals:

 

Fish - soak in saltwater, then rinse in cold water before cooking

Deer - soak the meat in saltwater mixed with a bit of white vinegar. This removes the blood from the meat, which is where the "gamey" taste comes from. The vinegar has the added benefit of breaking down tough tissues, leading to a noticeably softer chew.

[Bird]

6 hours ago, JackstrawIII said:

Best way I've found to remove the "gamey" taste from the meat of game animals:

 

Fish - soak in saltwater, then rinse in cold water before cooking

Deer - soak the meat in saltwater mixed with a bit of white vinegar. This removes the blood from the meat, which is where the "gamey" taste comes from. The vinegar has the added benefit of breaking down tough tissues, leading to a noticeably softer chew.

Every deer I kill is done this way ^

I use a Rubbermaid trash can and soak quarters for 3 days, drain each day.

[CountryboyinDC]

On 2/15/2022 at 6:39 PM, gimruis said:

Which means I had to pluck the wild turkey, feather by feather.  Smoking was probably the best way to eat one that I've had so far, but I will NEVER pluck one again.  It took me over 2 hours to pull all those feathers off

Try immersing them in near boiling water.  I'm sure there must be YouTubes a plenty to go off of.  Shouldn't take much more than 15 minutes to fully pluck one, most of the feathers fall right out.   Just make sure you have a 5 gallon bucket of ice water ready to leave them in for about 1/2 hour afterward.  

 

I personally like wild turkey better than domestic, but I know some don't.  I think that you'll definitely find that you like it better if you brine the bird before smoking, whether it's domestic or wild.

[Darth-Baiter]

On 10/8/2022 at 4:36 AM, CountryboyinDC said:

Try immersing them in near boiling water.  I'm sure there must be YouTubes a plenty to go off of.  Shouldn't take much more than 15 minutes to fully pluck one, most of the feathers fall right out.   Just make sure you have a 5 gallon bucket of ice water ready to leave them in for about 1/2 hour afterward.  

 

I personally like wild turkey better than domestic, but I know some don't.  I think that you'll definitely find that you like it better if you brine the bird before smoking, whether it's domestic or wild.

not boiling water.  very hot water. 

I helped a pro butcher shave hogs.  he told me hogs need 145 deg water only.  he had a trailer with a thermostat regulated water bin.  he had me stuff my arm in the water and it was Hot as heck, but not boiling.  we would bob a hog in until we could pull off some hair with our hands.  the he flipped a switch that turned rubber tipped fingers that peeled the pigs.  so fast.  

 

he told me same goes for ducks.  soak them until feather come off easy with hands.  then get to work.

 

the butcher was so fast in throating the hogs.  I wanted him to show me the location, but he was just so fast he couldn't slow down for my stupid questions.  it wasn't slit the throat like they depict in Hollywood.  he poked a very localized hole and it just gushed.  

[TnRiver46]

6 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

not boiling water.  very hot water. 

I helped a pro butcher shave hogs.  he told me hogs need 145 deg water only.  he had a trailer with a thermostat regulated water bin.  he had me stuff my arm in the water and it was Hot as heck, but not boiling.  we would bob a hog in until we could pull off some hair with our hands.  the he flipped a switch that turned rubber tipped fingers that peeled the pigs.  so fast.  

 

he told me same goes for ducks.  soak them until feather come off easy with hands.  then get to work.

 

the butcher was so fast in throating the hogs.  I wanted him to show me the location, but he was just so fast he couldn't slow down for my stupid questions.  it wasn't slit the throat like they depict in Hollywood.  he poked a very localized hole and it just gushed.  

My in-laws make sausage out of the gush haha. Bluh 

[CountryboyinDC]

11 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I helped a pro butcher shave hogs.  he told me hogs need 145 deg water only.

Probably near boiling is not real descriptive. For someone who used to be paid to be very precise with parameters such as temperature, I follow my father's guidance for the temperature of scalding hogs.  You want the water to be hot enough that you can take 3 fingers and dip your fingers through it 2 times.  If you can do it 3 times, you need to add a little more wood or bring the scalding pot down toward the flame.  If you can't make that second pass, you need to cool it off a bit.  Why somebody didn't buy a thermometer I'll never know.

If you can find someone that has a poultry plucker with the rubber fingers, they're a huge help, but I know they're quite expensive. They can pluck a chiken in about 1/2 a minute pon feathers and all without that scalding water on your hands.  I imagine they work like the 'pig peeler' you're speaking of.

[TnRiver46]

My father in law is sitting here by the fire talking about this exact topic , he said between 165-175 degrees