Deer/Elk processing. What do you do?

[steelhead22]

Just wondering what you guys "make" out of your deer and elk meat. In that, I mean what cuts do you have made (or make) into steak, roasts, burger, etc.?

Last year we took a spike deer that we had the backstraps and tenderloin steaked and the rest turned into burger with 10% pork fat. I think I'll do the same if/when I get my deer this year.

Elk are a whole different story though. I just can't see turning that much outstanding tasting meat into burger. So, I'm thinkin' steak the backstraps, tenderloin and hind quarter meat except for the sirloin tip. Turn that into a roast or 4. Then a chuck roast and burger the rest of the front quarter and any trimmings. Whatdaya think?

What do you guys do?

[Limbhanger]

With the deer I did sausage, pepperoni and spicy deer dogs......man were those good!

The elk is steak and burger. We did a little sausage and pepperoni with some of the loose meat.

The bear is breakfast sausage and pepperoni.

[RODACTION]

For elk, I have the best cuts of steaks , roasts, then the rest is summer sausage, pepperoni, and some octoberfest style sausage.

I do no burger, we seem to enjoy it best the way above.

Summer sausage and pepperoni are always a big hit.

[CombinationLicense]

I pretty much do deer and elk the same way - Steaks out of the best cuts and everything else into burger, patty sausage, dinner franks and pepperoni. I usually cook the choice cuts but the burger is easier for the rest of the family to use. Otto's in the Woodstock area is my processor of choice although there are several good ones around. They make great sausage and vacuum pack everything for a reasonable price.

"CL"

[Norm]

For deer, pretty much steaks or sausage.

For elk, steak out the best (top rounds, loins, etc), mix the second best with beef fat for burger (bottom round, shoulder, etc, ~15% fat), the rest (shanks, trim, etc) goes for sausage.

I also mix the burger with some cheap pork breakfast sausage for some awesome ground sausage.

I cut it up myself, so just getting the burger ground is pretty cheap. Getting sausage made is pretty $$. One day I'll get my own grinder and make my own burger sausage.

[flyin chrome]

I just do the best possible steaks and the rest is JERKY, PEPPERONI, BRAUGHTWORST and a little burger for Spagetti.
DID I MENTION THE JERKY?????

[Chesapeake]

I steak out anything big enough to cut a steak out of. I do a few roasts from the hind quarters, some ribs, and then burger or stew meat everything else.

The front shoulders make for some tough steak but its nothing a tenderizer wont fix.

Deer I do about the same, except the scraps go for sausage and jerky instead of burger.

The jerky, and sausage are made from some of the burger scraps and anything left in the freezer from the last year.

[ORsouthpaw]

Otto's also does a great job on salmon (pepper smoked). Has anyone else had any expierence with ottos for processing deer and/or elk?

[GreatWhiteHunter]

I started doing this with an elk tenderloin a few years ago...worth a try...:

Whip up your favorite dry rub or marinade - I like a peppercorn rub if dry, a pinot base marinade if wet.

Apply liberally to whole elk tenderloin and let stand at room temp while you peel and boil potatoes and start your pinot noir reduction....

Add puree'd roasted garlic, a touch of horse radish, white pepper, butter and half n half to the potatoes (salt the water heavily before boiling, add no salt at this stage)....

Place tenderloin on grill at med-high heat. Grill approximately 4-5 minutes before turning. Grill approximately 4-5 minutes on second side. We shoot for 130-135 internal temp. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes...

Carve 1 1/2" to 2" thick medallions out of your filet...meat should be medium to medium rare. Plate with your pinot reduction, garlic/horseradish mashed potatoes, vegetable of choice (gilled asparagus goes nicely) and a glass of pinot or a nice cab. Enjoy.......

I know this wasn't a recipe thread, but with elk season a mere 7.5 days away, the mere mention of elk tenderloin gets my mouth watering! Anybody else having a hard time sleeping?

[Flat Lander]

Originally Posted by ORsouthpaw

Otto's also does a great job on salmon (pepper smoked). Has anyone else had any expierence with ottos for processing deer and/or elk?

We do our own meat as far as butchering but I take in some "scraps" to Ottos for sausage and pepperoni every year and they do a great job. My cousin took his deer there a couple of years ago and he was pleased. He just had steaks and burger.

I love roasts, backstrap, sausage, and pepperoni. Someone on here last year said something about cooking either the tenderloin or backstrap as a roast. I think I will try that this year if I get one.

[Wang]

With deer I take the tenderloins and the backstraps for my breakfast steaks. I will take some of the meat to use for stew and chili meat. Everything else goes to summer sausage, pepperoni, and jerkey. Don't really care for deer burger.

With Elk I do the same thing as I do with deer, although I will take some choice steak meat along with some roasts. I love elk burger so thats where quite a bit of the elk meat goes.

[ehunter]

Deer I cut up my self bone all the good steaks the rest goes to pepperoni no hamburger not fond of it either. I do the same as wang some of the legs we make into roast and for stews.



Elk I have it boned and then all the good steaks I can get the rest rib meat neck scraps ect I have made into Hamburger and a few lbs of sausage and pepperoni but that can get expensive so I limit it to like minium lbs of sausage and abour 10 lbs of pepperoni. We really like elk hamburger, about 10% beef is what we use.

I would always have your elk boned the less bone marrow in deer and elk the better. That is what the way we like it anway

Originally Posted by Wang

With deer I take the tenderloins and the backstraps for my breakfast steaks. I will take some of the meat to use for stew and chili meat. Everything else goes to summer sausage, pepperoni, and jerkey. Don't really care for deer burger.

With Elk I do the same thing as I do with deer, although I will take some choice steak meat along with some roasts. I love elk burger so thats where quite a bit of the elk meat goes.

[scottishsetter]

I cut my own always have;always will.
I did elk into pepper pepperoni and some into thuringer with extra peppercorns added thru Shyann's it turned out great.
I may grind my own elk/deer scraps for meatballs this year. I remove all the tendons/sinew so my guests don't have to at the table.
Salt pepper flour fry. Then the next day a sandwich from fried steaks with bettered bread and mayo, also bread and butter pickle chips. oooh.

[flyin chrome]

Can't sleep and worthless at work after last weekends scouting adventure!!!

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteHunter

I started doing this with an elk tenderloin a few years ago...worth a try...:

Whip up your favorite dry rub or marinade - I like a peppercorn rub if dry, a pinot base marinade if wet.

Apply liberally to whole elk tenderloin and let stand at room temp while you peel and boil potatoes and start your pinot noir reduction....

Add puree'd roasted garlic, a touch of horse radish, white pepper, butter and half n half to the potatoes (salt the water heavily before boiling, add no salt at this stage)....

Place tenderloin on grill at med-high heat. Grill approximately 4-5 minutes before turning. Grill approximately 4-5 minutes on second side. We shoot for 130-135 internal temp. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes...

Carve 1 1/2" to 2" thick medallions out of your filet...meat should be medium to medium rare. Plate with your pinot reduction, garlic/horseradish mashed potatoes, vegetable of choice (gilled asparagus goes nicely) and a glass of pinot or a nice cab. Enjoy.......

I know this wasn't a recipe thread, but with elk season a mere 7.5 days away, the mere mention of elk tenderloin gets my mouth watering! Anybody else having a hard time sleeping?

[arlie]

I cut up my own deer and elk. I freeze the good cuts in meal size chunks (steak cut it when defrosting). I cut a lot of the rest into 1 1/2" cubes, gristly meat is canned and the rest is made into burger. On the meat I freeze I wrap first with saran wrap and then another layer of freezer paper. The ribs I cut into serving size pieces, these I will pressure cook then barbecue.

[crittergitter]

I usually have Deer cut into steaks, ( backstraps and tenderloin,) the rest I mox up with pepperoni and thuringer sausage. And I'll save some stew meat, the family loves my venison stew I make up on our summer camping trips.

Elk is a whole nother matter. We get it cut into steaks and roasts, and burger.

A little trick for making some fantastic elk burger if you are grinding your own is to use bacon ends, as the fat in it rather than beef fat. Makes a mighty tasty burger.

[PISCES]

For deer I cut as many steaks I can (backstrap/tenderloin), the rest ussualy depends on other tags I have for the year. Sometimes the rest of the scraps goes towards pepperoni.

Elk steaks, same as deer. Scraps go mostly to burger, some sausage and pepperoni.

[SImudBogger]

I get the basic cheap cut at gartners or whites. Its something like 49 cents per pound. Steaks, burger and roasts. Next animal i kill will do the same except get some spicy pepperoni and summer sausage in place of about half the burger.

[Applegate]

I have cut my own since I could hold a knife and help. Some of the round is almost, if not better than the backstrap if you know what to look for.

Bought a grinder years ago, paid for its self quickly. Grind alot of elk every year and add nothing. Why put fat in perfectly lean meat. No truth to the rumor that it falls apart when ya' cook it either.

[Nuf]

Originally Posted by ORsouthpaw

Otto's also does a great job on salmon (pepper smoked). Has anyone else had any expierence with ottos for processing deer and/or elk?

Yes, pretty good, in MHO. Also used Edelweiss Sausage & Deli several times,
3119 SE 12th Ave., Portland.

[SImudBogger]

Originally Posted by Applegate

Bought a grinder years ago, paid for its self quickly. Grind alot of elk every year and add nothing. Why put fat in perfectly lean meat. No truth to the rumor that it falls apart when ya' cook it either.

Only when you press down REALLY HARD to drain all the delicious juices out does it fall apart. Also if you freeze the patties and put them on the grill frozen they are less likely to fall apart.

[oregun_webfoot]

We cut up the deer and elk both the same. get as many steaks and roasts as we can and then take the rest to otto's for further processing. Ottos (in the woodstock area) makes the best summer sausage I have ever had. same goes for there pepporoni as well. Now Im living in salem and havent heard of any place down here yet.

[nehalemguy]

Originally Posted by Limbhanger

The bear is breakfast sausage and pepperoni.

Back in the day, my father would time his harvest of a blacktail and a bear and mix them 50/50 for Italian and polish sausage. This was when you could still hunt with hounds.

Elk has always been top table fare in our household so we get all the steaks and roasts possible. Blacktails/mulies are reserved for the grinder except for the choice cuts. Montana whitetails get better treatment. Wheat field whitetail!

E