RE: How much meat do you get from a deer?
An average sized deer (dressed out at around 110 lbs) should give you about 35 lbs of boneless well-trimmed meat. Could be more-- if you add anything to the grind-- and even more if you don't bone it.
If you ever butcher deer yourself it is interesting to take all the muscles off the bone and set it on a table. On another table put everything your'e NOT gonna eat (head, skin, bones AND trimmings) Watch how the 2 tables stack up. You'll be surprised at how much the waste parts weigh. Remember, great tasting venison is well trimmed of ALL silver skin and fat.
The amount of weight you put in the freezer is only more than the usual 35 lbs of boneless meat if you leave all bones in and include eveything like ribs, shanks and so on.
Bigger deer, more lbs. obviously.
I've read cook books from some chefs that recommend leaving the different cuts on the bone so the muscles don't contract during cooking. I guess they say that leaving the bone in allows the meat to stay streched out (like on a frame) and thereby allowing it to be looser and more tender.
I personally like my venison completely boned, except for the neck roast and shoulder roasts.
Edited by - 8mm/06 on 10/27/2002 19:45:29