Oldtimr

Yeah, it is amazing how many people are correct about dry aging mproving the flavor and tenderness of venison . It does both. As far as venison not having marbled fat, fat does not have a thing to do with dry aging. It is the enzymes in the meat that start to break it down and that is what affects it on the table. All the top chefs must not know what they are foing because they buy dry aged beef and venison or they dry age it themselves. I have killed, cared for cooked and eaten venison for in excess of 50 years. I have eaten it both ways, there is no doubt aged venison is better than venison that was shot on monday and cut up and frozen on tuesday. Good flavor however starts in the field immediately after the kill. What you do from that point forward will determine if you have lousy meat. Most of what people call a gamey flavor is the taste of improperly handled meat. If the beef you bought in your butcher shop was handled like most people's deer, and you knew it, you would't eat it.

Topgun 3006

No doubt that it makes a difference if you know anything about how enzymes break down tissue. However, most people have no means of doing it properly in a controlled environment at the proper temperature and humidity and that's why I stated what I did.

Oldtimr

Top, I agree with you on that. I am lucky enough to have found a guy who will hang my deer for a week in the correct climate. If he would hang it for 3 weeks, I would have it done. My response was more to those who said it makes no difference than to your response. Everytime this subject is broached, someone comes along with the nonsense that venison has no fat marbling so aging will make no difference. That is a load of male bovine excrement. That is right up there in the BS catagory as you have to remove the scent glands from deer legs. If the glands are going to taint the meat after the deer is dead, it would have when the deer was alive. Not to mention, you saw off and toss that part of the deer. I used to have to checkle when I saw people who were brought up being told the first think you have to do is to remove the glands after you kill a deer. Ten they take that stinking knife and open up the cavity to gut the deer. I stopped trying to talk sense to people because it just led to an argument.

ModernPrimitive

100% accurate.

Especially cooling it down as quickly as possible.


Also accurate-
With humidity levels being as, if not more, important than temperature for dry aging.

If you're not hanging your deer, you are missing out on some wonderful flavor!

Meat is not as delicate as we are inclined to believe.


edit: obviously this is a little OT however, if you are paying to have it done, is it being done right?

dougl

I cut mine up 90% of the time and I do age the meat in a fridge for at least 7 days.I actually took three to a butcher this year.The guy charged 50 bucks and did a nice job.I hate paying money for something I can do myself but I got overloaded with dead deer the last two saturdays.It was late when we got home both days and I was beat from walking all day and dragging deer out.It was money well spent.

moosemike

Aging venison makes a huge difference.

jerseyhunter

I hang it 2-3 min , if it's nice and cold I'll a little over a week depending on my schedule. I have butchered into muscle meat and let hang in the fridge for a few days. But also eat some(tenderloins) as soon as I get it home. All depends on the temp. I regulate it by opening my garage door at night and closing during the day. also it's attached so seldom goes below 32, in which cas the hide keeps the deer at about 38. I must say I got some from a friend and it was skinned quarted and given to me 1-2 days later and was great, ate it all week while making time for butchering.

kidoggy

I"ve done it both ways and can tell ZERO difference in taste or tendernace. I believe it is just an old wives tale but to each his own.

does are supposedly better tasting then bucks . I think this is also B.S. WHILE IT MAY SOMETIMES BE TRUE ,IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.

I have noticed however that a desert deer seldom tastes as good as a mountain deer. jmhonmnl

moosemike

I've definitely found Does to be tastier than bucks. Cows tastier than bulls too.

kidoggy

that's why I added the just my humble oppinion,no more no less.