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Just because it is a doe doesn't make them tender. They get old and tough too.

:D Al

I have heard (don't know if it's true) that quartering or cutting up a carcass before rigor mortis has passed can lead to tough meat.

Anecdotally, I have little experience with butchering animals, but the couple of times I did butcher before rigor had set in the meat was tougher than the times I waited until after rigor had passed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alleyyooper (Post 4279688)

Just because it is a doe doesn't make them tender. They get old and tough too.

:D Al

Around here the does are normally older than the bucks who seldom make it to year 3.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gjersy (Post 4279660)

Good advice. Also dschaefer1996 make sure you slice the meat across the grain. And on tougher cuts if you want try pounding the meat to tenderize it or even marinating it in an acid type like a vinegar or citrus base. But like my 1st post said a slow cook Crockpot makes any meat fall apart.

This will work for you, it does for me :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MidwestMatthew (Post 4279706)

thats exactly what i was thinking but i have never herd of it before so i wasnt sure

Thank you everyone for all the great help i wasn't expecting such a great turnout being this is the first post i have made on here. Hopefully i can get a deer soon being today was opening day, all i saw tho are a doe and a fawn who cut through the corner of my field on a mission to get wherever they wanted to go. Good luck out there and stay safe!

Quote:

Originally Posted by super_hunt54 (Post 4279669)

For heaven's sake, why on Earth would you want to do that?? That's where tha flavor is at bubba! Silver skin yeah that and connective tissue get all that crappolla out but lordy leave what little fat there is in venison alone! Aint enough fat in a 4 pound roast of a whitetail to raise ya cholesterol one itty little bit!

You are the first person I have ever heard of that recommends leaving fat from venison on them meat. Beef, yes, venison no. Maybe I am different but I have never heard of that.

There are also two schools of thought on letting the meat come to room temp before cooking. Many high end steak houses will not do that and want them cooked cold. If they are at room temp and you put them on a really hot surface the inside will get past medium rare before you get a good sere on the outside. Of course the thickness of the meat comes into play also. Some people same let it get to room temp and others say you will overcook it by doing that.

That's why ya gotta have ya grill or skillet HOT. And let me expand a bit on the "fat" comment. I'm talking about the VERY LITTLE bit of soft spongy fat found around the better cuts such as the tips and backstraps. NOT that hard crap in the flanks and lower quarters. That stuff is inedible. Makes leather look delicious. Many years ago I made the mistake of grinding some of that stuff in with my burger. Boy was that some wasted meat!

Yep, deer tallow, the sticky hard fat on the outside of the body is nasty tasting stuff.

I do all my own butchering and remove everything other than solid meat from all the cuts including the grind. People who say they don't like the taste of venison must have eaten some that either was improperly cooked or wasn't handled properly in the butchering phase. When I make sausage I add a percentage of fatty pork according to what recipe I use. The Pennsylvania dutch is my all time favorite.