Where are you going to take your meat?

Myles · 08-20-2002, 07:55 AM

I hate starting topic asking for opinions because inviting people on this board for an opinion can get ugly, but hopefully this won't become a bashfest.
I'm looking for a places or places to take game meat for processing.
Who makes the best sausage from elk/deer or bear?

Who has clean facilities? (who doesn't)
Do we have a sponsor or ifisher butcher?

I've taken deer to Edelweiss Sausage and Deli on SE Powell and 12th with good results, but I'm not sure I'd take a bear there.

thanks
myles

08-20-2002, 08:02 AM

Home

BlindSquirrel · 08-20-2002, 09:22 AM

Hi Miles -- Good topic!

Over the years we've used a few places. For burger/sausage, I like places that state they will give you your meat back, even if 25 lb minimums. The last place we used was Sausage Kitchen -- which did fair work in a timely manner and had competitive rates.

Too many places give very poor turn-around time for sausage/jerky -- often more than 4 weeks!

I second Keta's response -- the only way to make sure it's done the way you want it, and to make sure you get your meat -- is to do it yourself. It is not that expensive to buy a grinder and I'm sure most people on this board have enough knives, saws, and cutting boards. Wrapping is also pretty easy. Vacuum packers are nice but are pretty slow when you have 100 pounds (or more) of elk burger.

We cut up and process our game, including smoking/jerking/sausage making. I got so tired of paying around $2.00 a pound (wet + additives) for the processed stuff -- which can run into big $$$'s quick. The processed stuff often has way too much fat and salt added for my taste. I also love choosing my own seasonings with no nitrates/nitrites. There are lots of recipes on-line and in books to start with and experiment.

For deer, our hunting party gets the majority of processing done in about 1/2 a day, while for elk -- it may talk all day. Sausage making/jerking is saved for later when I know I will be housebound. I think this is a fair use of our time considering we would spend in the hundreds of dollars for the same services from a butcher -- who never will be as careful in handling (removing hair/bloodshot/etc) or sorting as we are.

Still it is work, and it is easier for many people to just take it in and come out with supermarket type packages.

Just my humble opinion.

Blind Squirrel

Bait O' Eggs · 08-20-2002, 09:59 AM

Going to be taking it home if all the stars and planets line up and I find a deaf dumb blind elk.

I have always cut and wrapped all my meat. I am pretty particular on how it is handled, and quite frankly I dont trust any butcher to give me my meat back. I am sure there are plenty of honest butchers out there, I just dont know who they are. I would like to get a bigger better grinder so I can play around with some sausage recipes this fall. I hoped to get my sausage stuffer completed by this season but I just havent gotten around to it. I want to build a water pressure operated one like I have used in the past, anything with a hand crank is to much work. :grin:

Myles · 08-20-2002, 10:15 AM

This will be my first week off in 4 years, otherwise I would do it myself. Any free time I get I'll be looking for fall salmon.
myles

Norm · 08-20-2002, 10:24 AM

There is a small place off of 47 between hagg lake and forest grove that is really good. I'll post the number when I find it. They charge me ~20.00 to hange elk in their cooler since I do my own cutting. They also have beef fat and a grinder to make burger, they will grind it even if you cut it yourself. They cut and wrapped a whole moose for me in a hurry a couple of years ago when I was to tired to do it myself, and did a excellent job. They don't make sausage etc though. I am looking for a good place for sausage and peperoni.

6wapiti6 · 08-20-2002, 10:43 AM

I know a place not to take it...maybe some if you have had a good experiance with this place but mine was a nightmare. It is Jacob Mullins in Corneilus. I dropped off a bull on a wendsday. On Friday they told me it was ready and I had one day to pick it up or they were getting rid of it as thier freezers were full. I had to take a day off from work just to get my meat. Then I find out they charged me a cleaning fee. That meat was as clean as any I have ever seen in a butcher shop. When I dropped the meat off, I asked for as many steaks, roasts and chops as I could get. When I picked the meat up 90% of it was ground into burger. I know that I am not the only one that was treated like that and I advise caution to anyone who make think of using them. Since I have used a husband and wife outfit behind gales creek tavern and could not have been happier.

chummer · 08-20-2002, 01:31 PM

6w6 you have got to learn to cut your own meat! It sounds like you go along ways to get your meat cut. It's not hard, really. There are some excellent instructional videos on how to cut up big game, shoot, it's even fun cutting up your own. You cut-em as thick or as thin as you like, a big roll of freezer paper, a quality butcher knife, your handy-dandy video for when you forget how to make that next cut, and your ready to go, if i can do it, you CAN do it

6wapiti6 · 08-20-2002, 01:45 PM

Thaks for the vote of confidence! My grandfather and dad were/are both butchers, so I know what I'm doing. Just didn't have the time, and at that time didn't have the space. Was living in an apartment...I usally do my own deer. Never have tried the sausage thing though that is next.

Tilla · 08-20-2002, 01:56 PM

Gartners in NE Portland does a good job. Closed on Mondays.
Would my Milwaukee portable bandsaw work?

kodiakfisher · 08-20-2002, 02:46 PM

Voget Meats in Hubbard has excellent pepperoni. We actually pay more for their pepperoni and my hunting partners whom are much more frugal with money than I am have even agreed with the quality of pepperoni being worth the extra cost.

Most butchers use the same mix for summer sausage and call it pepperoni because they put it in pepperoni casings. The down side is it's a 40# minimum to get your own meat back.

Fishbone · 08-20-2002, 04:26 PM

I've had good results with the Pepper Tree in Albany over many years. Small operation, variety of products, get your own meat back, OK prices. Best results butchering the animal myself. They do many types of game, including waterfowl. You might check it out.

birdhunter · 08-20-2002, 06:45 PM

I would strongly recommend Sportsmans Meat Cutting in Carver. I've taken meat to most of the shops around Portland and have been only using them for the past few years. They are great for price and time. I've had bear, deer, elk, fish, duck/goose go through there and it all comes out great. It's a small outfit, but the short turnaround time and personal service keep coming back.

MetalHead · 08-21-2002, 10:28 AM

Butcher Boys in Vancouver, You get only your own meat. They do have minimums on Pepperoni, Sausage, etc... but you can custom order anything. They make the best redhot Elk sausage I have ever had. Extremely clean facilities and fast turn around. I wouldnt trust anyone else with my Elk.

Dont have the time to do it myself.

k9jeff · 08-21-2002, 10:27 PM

Kodiak,,, I second VOGETS in Hubbard...I have used them for the last 10 years and am very happy with the service and quality. The prices are not bad and I agree.... the peperoni is out of this world... The sell it by the stick so you can sample it..... Microwave it for 15 seconds at home,,,, Nothing better....

The summer sausage it great also....they have a great turn around time and the customer service is good too...

Gartners in portland is a close second,,,

Steelheader · 08-21-2002, 10:56 PM

It's a bit of a drive but there is a place in Carlton I used last year and they did an EXCELENT JOB. There breakfast sausage is out of this world. They guarante you will get you animal back and no one elses. My theory on this is unless you stand there watching while the butcher is cutting you will never know for sure. I just had a great fealing about the service. And it's small town service, if you know what I mean. They are in the phone book.

FISH HAWK · 08-22-2002, 05:59 AM

I would have to conquer with birdhunter,Sportsman meats in Carver is where I take my meat. They do a great service and are very nice people.

fishuntr2 · 08-22-2002, 09:01 AM

Another vote for home and don't go to Jacob Mulhens. I had to wait over 6 weeks last year for pepperoni and beer sausage. They had told me that the pepperoni takes longer and the beer sausage would be done first and I had to pick it up when it was done. so I wait and wait and finally they tell me the pepperoni is ready but the beer sausage isn't!!! The pepperoni was real good but the beer sausage was the worst I've had. VERY GREASY!!
I clean, cut, and the wife wraps. We all take turns with one of those old fashioned meat grinders, they work well if you keep em sharp. I did borrow an electric grinder for last years elk..
Bob

Fishalot · 08-25-2002, 06:26 PM

Whites in East county has done a good job for me in the past when i had no time to do it myself. I would not take it there of rifle season they are just to packed with game and the job is rushed.

Fishalot

Dan Christopher · 08-25-2002, 08:51 PM

i have used whites for over 10 years.entell this year , i took 2 loads of meat in there last year.1 in oct. 1 in nov. both time the pepperoni was real dry.it has always been great.i told them about it and they had me bring it back for replacement.wich i did,new stuff????dry.....it sucks to pay over $100.00 for dry meat.so i will be going somewere else this year.

Snake9t9 · 08-26-2002, 12:29 AM

While I definately agree with MetalHead on the butcherboys elk redhots, I cut my own. Nothing is made into sausage. EVERYTHING is turned into steak, cabobs or stew meat. If I decide later to make some into hamburger I just pull out a pakage of stew meat and throw it into the hand grinder with a very little bit of pork fat...Instant burger. And breakfast sausage is just as easy.
Alot of hunters and non hunters alike will comment on the "gamey" flavor of deer or elk meat. I firmly believe that in the majority of those cases the "gamey" flavor is due to butchering with the bone still in the meat and or poor cleaning of the meat prior to butchering.
If you take your game to a butcher, expect to get the meat back cut as if it were beef. Deer and elk are not built like beef. The muscle mass is shaped and sized different and the result of cutting game as if it were beef can be some pretty tough cuts of steak.
Every year I see a couple of guys advertize in the paper that will custom butcher your deer or elk, bone in or boneless.
You may try contacting a few taxadermy shops to get some recomendations on wild game butchers in the area that have a good reputation.
- Duane

[ 08-26-2002, 05:07 AM: Message edited by: Snake9t9 ]

MasterCaster · 08-26-2002, 12:58 AM

If you have to take it in and cant do it your self then I have to give another vote for VOGETS in Hubbard. We do almost all of our own meat but when it comes to pepperoni and burger most of it goes there. Never had a problem with them and our meat is always as clean as the meat we take in. They do <or used to anyway> have a minimum amount if you want your own meat done on its own but I cant remember what it is right off hand.

Jon :smile: :grin: :smile:

brshooter · 08-26-2002, 09:09 PM

I'll put in another vote for White's Country Meats out on Orient Drive. I cut and wrap my own except I take my trim out there to be ground.

Killertraylor · 08-27-2002, 08:48 AM

Another vote for Sportsman's in Carver. I especially recommend their german sausages - they are the best I've ever had. They are clean, fast, and I'm confident I get my own meat back.

Megabites · 09-03-2002, 09:18 PM

Another vote for Vogets in Hubbard here. They do all of the pigs we butcher and a fare amount of the deer and elk we bring home. They have allways been great. Plus they will hang meat for you as well. Alot of place will not do this anymore. So you can get it later and do it yourself if you want. Rates have allways been good as well.

One word of advice to you and anyone having hamburger made. Ask to have it cut with beef plate instead of suit. Costs a bit more but very worth it. I do a 15% add to deer. Even my non-game-animal-meat eating wife will eat it.