# How do you process your deer?



## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

We just get it all ground into hamburger w/Beef fat. It is real good, and we like it better than store bought hamburger meat. I know there are alot of options that are available in different cuts, roast and steaks, but all of ours goes into the grinder. 

How do you process or get yours processed? Any cool ideas?


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Fingerprints and picture ID...

I'm tellin ya, if you 'cut up your own' try this...

Get the cheapest Italian dressing you can buy. Get it by the gallon at Wally World or Sams.

Cut your loin, steaks, roasts, whatever.

Put 1/2 cup of Italian Dressing on top of the meat in a quart zippy lock bag.

Squeeze out the air and freeze.

Thaw when you want to cook and grill it. DON'T overcook.

:hungry

:hungry

:hungry


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## countryjwh (Nov 20, 2007)

grind deer up and make sausage, cube it, make roast, burgers, plain ol ground venison. anything that can be done to it we do it. em em :hungry


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## Catchin Hell (Oct 9, 2007)

cubed, hamburger, roast, and jerky the backstraps.


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## David Ridenour (Sep 28, 2007)

Standard butcher cuts,Roasts,steaks and burger.


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## PensacolaEd (Oct 3, 2007)

Cajun Specialty Meats' Hot Italian Sausage....as the Hawaiian's say, it's "Broke 'da mouth good".

Ed


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## Reelfun27 (Oct 4, 2007)

I also grind my deer meat at home and add about 3 pounds of bacon ends per hind quarter. Sometimes we use Boston Butt also. We then vacuum seal all the meat so it won't get freezer burnt. It is alot of work, but it pays off over the course of the year..


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## AUradar (Oct 1, 2007)

I keep the backstrap and make the rest into sausage. I do it myself, I really enjoy it and the kids like helping. Last year I wasn't to productive, to warm and acorns where everywhere. I'm hoping with this early cool winter this year it will be better.

http://pensacolafishingforum.com/fishingforum/Topic23435-42-1.aspx?Highlight=sausage


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## ButlerCoOwner (Oct 10, 2008)

A couple of years ago, I started processing my own. Bought a cheap grinder (like the one mentioned in AURadar's post). That worked for one deer. I then traded it in (Hey, it was defective) and got a 2 to 4 lb. per minute grinder from Bass Pro Shop. The thing that makes it better is metal gears rather than plastic. I grind up most of my deer. My wife loves for me to cut up stew meat our of the shoulder(s). Backstrap is self explanatory. However, I kept a backstrap fully intact last year and put it on the smoker that way and it was OUTSTANDING!:hungry I make my own sausage as well. One thing I do want to add about my hamburger. I have started just adding pork fat to all of my ground meat, sausage AND hamburger. I add about a 15% mixture to my hamburger and around a 30-40% mixture to my sausage. I have heard of people using bacon ends just like Reelfun27, but I have not done that one yet. Like AUradar, it is a family affair with us too. The kids help and enjoy it, etc. I may be biased, but my processed deer taste better than when someone else did it. Also, I retain more meat from my harvest. My favorite sausage has been the maple flavor from LEM products, found at Bass Pro Shops. We then vacuum seal it and in the freezer it goes...Not only do I think it tastes better, but I like the feeling of taking the kill from hoof to table, with no middle man.


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## BuckWild (Oct 2, 2007)

I do it at the house. Burger, cubed, stew meatand backstraps. Sometimes I peel out the ham muscles and slice em real thin and make jerky out of those. 10% beef fat is a must in my burger. I also like to take the ribs and shoulders and cook em real slow in a roasting pan till it falls from the bone. Makes great bar-b-q if done right:hungry


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## AUradar (Oct 1, 2007)

if you like homemade pizza, the vension sausage makes a good topping as well


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## ironman172 (Sep 28, 2007)

I process my own,debone and freeze whole muscle groups with all the crap on it...eliminates the freezer burn!!!!....you can always grind or cut for steaks or tips.....every cut you make and then freeze it adds to the surface area and freezer burn!!!:letsdrink


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

i grind up a good bit of it and do the tenderloins in a low oven like a prime rib. delicious. or you can cut filet medallions out of them. i also do my own sausage as well. link!


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## mpmorr (Oct 3, 2007)

> *ButlerCoOwner (10/30/2008)*A couple of years ago, I started processing my own. Bought a cheap grinder (like the one mentioned in AURadar's post). That worked for one deer. I then traded it in (Hey, it was defective) and got a 2 to 4 lb. per minute grinder from Bass Pro Shop. The thing that makes it better is metal gears rather than plastic. I grind up most of my deer. My wife loves for me to cut up stew meat our of the shoulder(s). Backstrap is self explanatory. However, I kept a backstrap fully intact last year and put it on the smoker that way and it was OUTSTANDING!:hungry I make my own sausage as well. One thing I do want to add about my hamburger. I have started just adding pork fat to all of my ground meat, sausage AND hamburger. I add about a 15% mixture to my hamburger and around a 30-40% mixture to my sausage. I have heard of people using bacon ends just like Reelfun27, but I have not done that one yet. Like AUradar, it is a family affair with us too. The kids help and enjoy it, etc. I may be biased, but my processed deer taste better than when someone else did it. Also, I retain more meat from my harvest. My favorite sausage has been the maple flavor from LEM products, found at Bass Pro Shops. We then vacuum seal it and in the freezer it goes...Not only do I think it tastes better, but I like the feeling of taking the kill from hoof to table, with no middle man.


We process exactly the same, way. The deer is still warm when it hits the grinder, we cut the backstrap into medallions and pound them individual into the size of saucer plates and freeze them on parchment paper. We use those for scallopini, and the tenderloin generally never makes it home.


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## KoolKat45 (Oct 3, 2007)

Girlfriend bought me a grinder for christmas last year and it has changed our lives on deer meat eating. I cut it up debone and freeze in small portions so I can thaw as needed then grind it to make burgers or whatever we need it for.We eat a lot more deer meat doing it this way and its simple to grind up. Backstrapsare frozen and marked asbelly meat in case someone gets in the freezerthat shouldnt be:toast


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## redfishin'JR (Jun 18, 2008)

I take mine to Cajun Specialty Meats. GREAT HAMBURGER meat for spagetti*or chilli. However I would like one day buy a grinder and do it myself. I know that my little boy would love to do that and make it a family affair


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

> *ButlerCoOwner (10/30/2008)*A couple of years ago, I started processing my own. Bought a cheap grinder (like the one mentioned in AURadar's post). That worked for one deer. I then traded it in (Hey, it was defective) and got a 2 to 4 lb. per minute grinder from Bass Pro Shop. The thing that makes it better is metal gears rather than plastic. I grind up most of my deer. My wife loves for me to cut up stew meat our of the shoulder(s). Backstrap is self explanatory. However, I kept a backstrap fully intact last year and put it on the smoker that way and it was OUTSTANDING!:hungry I make my own sausage as well. One thing I do want to add about my hamburger. I have started just adding pork fat to all of my ground meat, sausage AND hamburger. I add about a 15% mixture to my hamburger and around a 30-40% mixture to my sausage. I have heard of people using bacon ends just like Reelfun27, but I have not done that one yet. Like AUradar, it is a family affair with us too. The kids help and enjoy it, etc. I may be biased, but my processed deer taste better than when someone else did it. Also, I retain more meat from my harvest. My favorite sausage has been the maple flavor from LEM products, found at Bass Pro Shops. We then vacuum seal it and in the freezer it goes...Not only do I think it tastes better, but I like the feeling of taking the kill from hoof to table, with no middle man.


*You guys that process your own have got me interested, I just don't know what to do and where to start. How hard is it? and What are the details of doing it right? Packaging? Cleanliness? and stuff like that........*


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## AUradar (Oct 1, 2007)

> *Garbo (10/31/2008)*
> 
> *You guys that process your own have got me interested, I just don't know what to do and where to start. How hard is it? and What are the details of doing it right? Packaging? Cleanliness? and stuff like that........*


very easy, here's the post again I wrote last year:

http://pensacolafishingforum.com/fishingforum/Topic23435-42-1.aspx?Highlight=sausage 

main thing is buying a good grinder. Be prepared to spend upwards of 300 bucks. any of these should work:

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_40794____SearchResults

I woudl get the .35HP because its not much more expensive than the .25. To go upto the next power you are probably buying speed more than quality. So its just up to you.

I do all mine on the kitchen counter. I just bought some painters plastic drop cloth to put on the counter and go from there. you would be suprised how clean it can be. Meat mixer would be nice, but its not required. I don't have one, want one, but don't have one. So I mixe mine by hand, 25 pounds at a time, on the counter. The mixers are pretty expensive and you just have to decide how much you want to spend. The other thing you have to consider is how are you going to smoke them. People out in the woods use old refridgerator shells or some other contracption. Don't know what you p'cola city slikers can get away with poke) Last thing is you need a scale. 

the next "hard" thing is finding a butcher that will supply you with the pork fat and casings. Just have to ask around. I can get it locally here in DFS, don't know about p'cola area.

other than buying the grinder, you can make the sausage for as cheap, or cheaper, than you can have it processed. And the seasoning you would use is the same the butchers use, so there's no advantage there.


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## ButlerCoOwner (Oct 10, 2008)

> *You guys that process your own have got me interested, I just don't know what to do and where to start. How hard is it? and What are the details of doing it right? Packaging? Cleanliness? and stuff like that........*


Garbo, if you have any specific questions, you can pm me and I will be happy to answer what I can. I am no expert by any means, but I am willing to help. I agree whole heartedly with AUradar about the grinder size. I have the .25 HP (2-4lbs./min), you can buy it for $199 at Academy,but I am looking at possibly selling it and upgrading to a bigger one. The sausage is much less expensive to make than what I had been paying. I get my pork fat from Winn Dixie. I just call them up and they let me know when they will be trimming some pork and will keep back some with my name on it, then I go pick it up (runs around $0.50/lb.) and I ususally get about 8-10 lbs of it. I grind the fat first, then put it in the freezer in a bowl. I then grind my meat (de-boned & cut into about 2 inch chuncks). I grind it into a meat lug (big pan you can pick up at BPS for 6 or 7 dollars). I have a kitchen scale that I use for measuring out my pork fat to add to my meat. Then you add fat to meat (I do about 15% to Hamburger and 30-40% to sausage) and mix. I mix by hand as well. As far as cleanliness, I put garbage bags on a table outside and do it on the back porch. Trust me, if I can do it, anybody can do it. It is not hard. A little time consuming, but like I said the family all works on it and has fun doing it. We use a foodsaver to vacuum seal the packages. When you think of $45/deer being processed it doesn't take long to break even depending on how many you are doing.


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## ironman172 (Sep 28, 2007)

> *Garbo (10/31/2008)*
> 
> 
> > *ButlerCoOwner (10/30/2008)*A couple of years ago, I started processing my own. Bought a cheap grinder (like the one mentioned in AURadar's post). That worked for one deer. I then traded it in (Hey, it was defective) and got a 2 to 4 lb. per minute grinder from Bass Pro Shop. The thing that makes it better is metal gears rather than plastic. I grind up most of my deer. My wife loves for me to cut up stew meat our of the shoulder(s). Backstrap is self explanatory. However, I kept a backstrap fully intact last year and put it on the smoker that way and it was OUTSTANDING!:hungry I make my own sausage as well. One thing I do want to add about my hamburger. I have started just adding pork fat to all of my ground meat, sausage AND hamburger. I add about a 15% mixture to my hamburger and around a 30-40% mixture to my sausage. I have heard of people using bacon ends just like Reelfun27, but I have not done that one yet. Like AUradar, it is a family affair with us too. The kids help and enjoy it, etc. I may be biased, but my processed deer taste better than when someone else did it. Also, I retain more meat from my harvest. My favorite sausage has been the maple flavor from LEM products, found at Bass Pro Shops. We then vacuum seal it and in the freezer it goes...Not only do I think it tastes better, but I like the feeling of taking the kill from hoof to table, with no middle man.
> ...




This videomight help you Curtis....:toast

http://media.putfile.com/Processing-Deer-Made-Easy






http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=processing+deer&search_type=


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## Huntinman (Aug 12, 2008)

Processing the meat yourself is the only way to go!!!!!!

We bought a grinder out of cabelas along with a cuber and a sausage stuffer.

All my deer meat becomes ground burger,cube steak, and patty sausage (for the biscuits and gravy!!!!)

The best part about the whole process is that you get to choose how you want all of your meat packaged! We use these small cylindrical bags (specifically for meat packing) that hold exactly one pound, the perfect serving size for a few folks. My dad uses the vacume sealer, that works well too. I eat all the deer meat to quickly to invest in one of those.


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

O.K. Yall have me sold. .

Which one or two of you are going to give me the "on the job" training I need to get started? South West Alabama and the Western Panhandleis pretty accessable for me but I would be willing to travel for a day of processing. I will do whatever is needed and will work as hard as you want, but would like to learn the process. Cleanliness, Wholesomeness and Sanitation is important to me. 

So who is gonna be the Instructor?


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## ButlerCoOwner (Oct 10, 2008)

I don't mind at all. The issue you may have with me as your instructor is timing of the kill. I have only been able to go one evening during bow season. I am hoping to have one in a couple of weeks. I would also suggest watching a couple of people and forming your own "style".

Ron


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## AUradar (Oct 1, 2007)

get yourself a boston butt or two and practice. you don't need to add fatt to the butts. Buy your seasoning and pour into a measuring cup and deterime the volume. That volume works for 25 pounds of meat. So lets say you have 8 oz of seasoning. If you get4 pounds of boston butt, then thats 1/8 of 25 pounds (basically) so you would need 1 oz of seasoning. The seasoning is about 2 bucks a bag so if you end up throwing the rest away, so be it. 

grind your meat, mix in the seasoning, and then try the stuffer. Stuffing really doesn't effect the taste, its just a "looks pretty" deal. So if you don't start of with pretty looking links, so be it. Buy your stuffing, Pour all the water from that package into a bowl. Then rinse very well. Use what you need. the important thing is to always keep the stuffing wet, never let it dry out. What you don't use put in a bag, pour what you had into that bag, and then pour a bunch of salt and some more water into the bag and put in the freezer. It'll save for next time.

It would help to watch, but you can't hardly mess up. But practicing on a few pounds of normal pork would be a good idea because it would test out your smoking conctrapction as well. 

When it comes to actually using deer meant, just measure your meat and go 25-50% pork fat. In fact, the first time around just go one pound of deer meat to one pound of port fat. I wouldn't go more than 50% pork fat, but I would side on the error of more fat. Going 25% maybe to lean for your liking, but 50% wouldn't be bad even if you decide to go leaner the next time. Try splitting the difference and use 2 pounds of vension per 1 pound of pork fat. that will give you 33%. So, if you had 30 pounds of ground deer then add 15 pounds of pork fat. 

In short, it will take you one batch to understand what you need to do. So go spend 20 bucks on some pork butts and try it out. Don't forget the leggs seasoning comes in different flavors. I only use the breakfast seasoning for venision, but for pork you could try the itilian sausage as well.


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## AUradar (Oct 1, 2007)

in fact, order you some of these and have. I think they last forever. If your stuffer doesn't quite work out, just put the sausage in these casings. you can still smoke them and you can use for normal breakfast patty sausage

http://www.sausagemaker.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=76


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## BuckWild (Oct 2, 2007)

> *Garbo (11/2/2008)*O.K. Yall have me sold. .
> 
> Which one or two of you are going to give me the "on the job" training I need to get started? South West Alabama and the Western Panhandleis pretty accessable for me but I would be willing to travel for a day of processing. I will do whatever is needed and will work as hard as you want, but would like to learn the process. Cleanliness, Wholesomeness and Sanitation is important to me.
> 
> So who is gonna be the Instructor?


Dang, I just butchered one today. No sausage, but i did hamburger w/beef fat, cube steak and backstraps. From carcass (sp?) to vacuum sealing all this morning. If I get another one, you can come over and try your hands at the process. I live just outside of Niceville.

If you get a grinder I would get a .75- 1 hp one. They usually have a reverse switch on them. I have a .5hp and the fat can bind the screw up at times. You gotta feed the fat kinda slow. The bigger grinders just blow through it.

Nothing like doing it yourself. I am anal about cleanliness so I don't trust other people processing my deer. Also I only want my deer back and not someone elses.

:hungry


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

If anyone is planning to process any the weekend after New Years Day, I would like to sign up for the 101 course. Western Panhandle would be really cool.


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## ButlerCoOwner (Oct 10, 2008)

I'll definitely keep you in mind.


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## Rack&QuackObsession (Nov 18, 2008)

For anyone looking to get into processing yourself, Cabela's has a dvd called from "field to freezer" Best 20 bucks I have spent. I took a meat processing class in high school I learned more from this video than that whole class. I didn't realize how much meat I was losing every deer at the local butcher. Definitely check into it for all the newb's to butchering, basically all you need is a good set of knives I recommend the Outdoor Edge butchering set, 59.99 Cabela's and a good metal grinder I use a handcrank just because every electric I have bought has burnt up on me. What used to cost nearly a hundred bucks to get processed now cost maybe ten. Also you don't have to get a food-saver reynold and ziploc have the handheld vacuum bags that cost like 3 bucks and the vacuum is less than that. hope it helps p.m. if you have any questions.


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## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

> *Garbo (12/22/2008)*If anyone is planning to process any the weekend after New Years Day, I would like to sign up for the 101 course. Western Panhandle would be really cool.


If my boy lays the hammer down this upcoming weekend I will be doing one that sat or sun. If you got one bring it!


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## jaster (Oct 7, 2007)

> *Rack&QuackObsession (12/22/2008)*For anyone looking to get into processing yourself, Cabela's has a dvd called from "field to freezer" Best 20 bucks I have spent. I took a meat processing class in high school I learned more from this video than that whole class. I didn't realize how much meat I was losing every deer at the local butcher. Definitely check into it for all the newb's to butchering, basically all you need is a good set of knives I recommend the Outdoor Edge butchering set, 59.99 Cabela's and a good metal grinder I use a handcrank just because every electric I have bought has burnt up on me. What used to cost nearly a hundred bucks to get processed now cost maybe ten. Also you don't have to get a food-saver reynold and ziploc have the handheld vacuum bags that cost like 3 bucks and the vacuum is less than that. hope it helps p.m. if you have any questions.


I watched and helped Mr. holland, once ran Lee's, do'nt know if he still does,in highschool. learned alot, but mostly as I go. I have done about 12 with my electric grinder over 4 seasons, keep it clean, and use a light oil, olive or something close to it, to oil gears. My wife has started helping in the last 2 yrs, makes it easier, we usually debone it in the kit. Bleach everything first and wipe it down. Use rubber gloves, .97 cents for 2 pair at wally world. Put it back in clean cooler and chill for a couplre days on ice draining the whole time. I just use my filet knifes, I can hit em on the slone when they get dull, they are also perfect for slicing steaks, when I findthe right spots,or getting in near the bone and cutting around cartlige and stuff.

My wife likes it completly perfect, no muscles, no joints, veins, what ever, this just causes for a little more time, it is well worth it. Just this year I started double grinding the meat, and man that stuff is so much better, If I could put it in a tube, you would never know its not thompsons. My grinder has the adapter for link sausage, but since the wife found out what the link casing actually was, she decided she does'nt like link any more. As for bagging, I use high quality ziplock bags and have amethod of sealing them, I have never had freezer burn on any of it, and just finished up last years sausage the other day. I seal it and lay it flat to freeze, it stacks or stands and I can fit 3 times more than the rolls you get back from the market. Thats just how I do it, everybody has there own way!


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

Good Stuff.


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## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

wow, this thread is revived 2 years after the last post. That is just cool. AND...it IS good stuff.


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## mrmojo2136 (Feb 16, 2008)

Buckwild, I live in Bluewater and always used Cajun Specilaty. However I never thought about doing it myself. Seems like something Id like to do. Can you PM me when you are up to instructing? My name is Andy



BuckWild said:


> Dang, I just butchered one today. No sausage, but i did hamburger w/beef fat, cube steak and backstraps. From carcass (sp?) to vacuum sealing all this morning. If I get another one, you can come over and try your hands at the process. I live just outside of Niceville.
> 
> If you get a grinder I would get a .75- 1 hp one. They usually have a reverse switch on them. I have a .5hp and the fat can bind the screw up at times. You gotta feed the fat kinda slow. The bigger grinders just blow through it.
> 
> ...


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

I and my brother have been butchering our own for about 20 years now. 

WE NEVER add any processed fat (beef or pork) to the burger. I have question for the masses - why do you/would you add fat to venison? It seems counter productive.... 

Just trying to learn if I missed something. We make burgers, meatballs, meatloaf, anything you can make store bought burger out of we make out of 100% trimmed and lean venison. Which is Soooooo much better for you.

Thanks for any insight.
Stressless


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

*Btt*

Just asking...


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## DVR6 (Jan 28, 2009)

Stressless said:


> I and my brother have been butchering our own for about 20 years now.
> 
> WE NEVER add any processed fat (beef or pork) to the burger. I have question for the masses - why do you/would you add fat to venison? It seems counter productive....
> 
> ...


I do the same. Nothing added.


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## Rocko (Jul 8, 2010)

Looking to start processing my own two...bump for the prvs question....Is it just to take some the "lean'ness" out of it? give it a bit of flavor?


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

Stressless said:


> I and my brother have been butchering our own for about 20 years now.
> 
> WE NEVER add any processed fat (beef or pork) to the burger. I have question for the masses - why do you/would you add fat to venison? It seems counter productive....
> 
> ...


Same here. I'll never understand cutting off all the deer fat just to add pork or beef fat.


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

After you get the meat off of the deer, cut it up into cubes and toss through the grinder. Then season with A.C. Legg seasoning and stuff into casings. Cook and then eat. We got in a little bit of a hurry and left some meat on these guys. We already had one on ice from the day before.


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