How to Grind & Season Deer Meat

Learn how to grind deer meat and make it tasty.

Deer hunters often have large amounts of deer meat in their freezer after a hunt. A professional butcher can grind the meat, turning it into sausage or patties. However, it's possible to save money while enjoying the highest-quality deer meat by grinding and seasoning it at home by using an amateur grinder.

Things You'll Need

• 8-inch butcher's knife
• Meat grinder
• Plastic bowl
• Cow fat

Instructions

1. Take a piece of dear meat out of the freezer and let it defrost until it's still partially frozen and not completely thawed. This should take about two hours with a 1 lb. piece of deer meat.

2. Cut the piece of deer meat into cubes that are about 1- to 2-inches thick. This will ensure that the meat won't get stuck in your grinder.

3. Cut the gristle and white (or gray) fat off of the meat using the knife. Deer fat is very tough, and it will clog your meat grinder if you don't trim it well enough.

4. Plug in your grinder and put the cubes of deer meat into the top of the grinder. The optimal plate to use on the meat grinder is 5/32 inch. You will see the chopped meat squiggling out of the front of the machine.

5. Place the chopped meat in a plastic bowl and weigh the meat.

6. Take cow fat and add it to the meat at approximately 10 percent cow fat to 90 percent deer meat to season it. This formula is based on weight. For example, if you have 1 lb. (453 g) of deer meat, add about 45 g of cow fat. Mix the deer meat and cow fat in a bowl using your hands.

7. Unplug your grinder and wash the pieces with soapy water. If parts of your meat grinder are dishwasher safe, you can clean them in your dishwasher.

Tips & Warnings

• Defrost only the amount of deer meat that you want to use the same day. Grinding meat allows bacteria to enter the meat. The meat will gradually lose moisture once it's ground.

• Wear rubber or latex gloves to avoid getting deer meat on your hands.

• If your meat grinder blade gets jammed while grinding, unplug the grinder and remove the blade. Clean off the blade and reassemble the grinder. You can then continue grinding your dear meat.

• Be very careful with your fingers when using a meat grinder.

References

• Elk Hunting Tips: Grinding Venison
• New Mexico State University: Processing Your Deer at Home