deer neck

[in. pred]

seasoned it up and set in fridge 2 days.

i fillet the meat off the spine so i end up with a "rug" of meat. lol seasons up evenly that way. tossed in in the smoke sauna @ 200* with kingsford and mesquite chunks. it smoked for 2 loads @ about 3hours.

at the mid smoke flip point.

notice the small amount of fuel it takes to run a fire in chamber smoker! 12 briquettes will get her to 275 on warm summer day with no wind. i use 8 and a chunk or two of mesquite for more heat. i replenished it after the flip with 6 more coals and another chunk of wood on top. its dampened down so the wood doesnt flame long after shutting lid.

after the smoke session, i tossed it into the instant pot with some beef broth. did a 20min. squeeze on it and a natural release. that turned that big old tuff buck neck into fork tender smoky eats! it will get shredded and sauced for the fire side party friday.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Looks great. I always save neck meat. It’s delicious.

 

[Brokenhandle]

That's a mighty fine meal!

Ryan

 

[Winterrider]

Wow great idea. Ours just usually go into grind.

 

[disco]

seasoned it up and set in fridge 2 days.
View attachment 724369
i fillet the meat off the spine so i end up with a "rug" of meat. lol seasons up evenly that way. tossed in in the smoke sauna @ 200* with kingsford and mesquite chunks. it smoked for 2 loads @ about 3hours.
View attachment 724370
at the mid smoke flip point.

notice the small amount of fuel it takes to run a fire in chamber smoker! 12 briquettes will get her to 275 on warm summer day with no wind. i use 8 and a chunk or two of mesquite for more heat. i replenished it after the flip with 6 more coals and another chunk of wood on top. its dampened down so the wood doesnt flame long after shutting lid.

after the smoke session, i tossed it into the instant pot with some beef broth. did a 20min. squeeze on it and a natural release. that turned that big old tuff buck neck into fork tender smoky eats! it will get shredded and sauced for the fire side party friday.

Looks wonderful!

 

[JLinza]

That'll be some good eatin

 

[ajbert]

I get the meat off the spine and grind it up with the other scraps for the dog. We always hunt in November and the deer have been putting on fat for a couple of months. Way to time consuming to get all that fat out of the neck. If I was a bow hunter I would keep the neck meat for the wife and I.

 

[in. pred]

after tasting it several timesnow. i mite just leave as is and let them sauce it if wanted.

yea ajbert i get in there anyhow and remove all the fat i can. its kind of 2layered with fat between. labor of love though.

i used to saw the necks into roasts but stopped when the deer sicknesses got bad. neck meat has some of the best flavor on the deer. imo

 

[Timber II]

Good use of the ol’neck! Many get tossed…..

 

[chef k-dude]

I have definitely got to remember to butcher the neck next time Dad gets one. We usually just skin and quarter and take the horns (thats dad thing, I do not care about trophies, I want the meat!) and leave the rest to the wild (and it dont take long for the forest creatures to dispatch the carcass).

Dad's all about the kill, I'm all about the butchering. Before he lived next door here, he would always take his deer to a processor and I never liked how they processed. It's a bit of work but for some reason I prefer doing it myself.

 

[in. pred]

i prefer it too k-dude. you know what has been done to it. i drag them home, hang, gut, quarter, rinse, and pack in ice. faster the cool down the better. that cooler gets tipped up so the melt can drain off for 5 days. then i can take my time cutting it up if life gets in the way. make sure the meat dont touch each other and is surrounded with ice and it comes out the same as it went in! just bled out more. none of that blackened dried out hung meat to trim. this is the best way i have found to do it. gramps showed me how to butcher my first deer in 82 and i been doing it ever since. i have made it a streamlined process. i dont cut steaks i leave that till i thaw to make the choice to make steak or roast. it freezes a lot better that way too.

good to hear your keeping traditions alive too.

tip: try the deer liver it is very mild and delicious!!! saute in some butter and onions till just done.

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Awesome use of neck meat, highly underrated cut that is very tasty. Nice cook!

 

[chef k-dude]

Dad always avoided the organ meat. People say that's often where disease first settles. I wouldn't worry about it if it weren't a common concern with people.

Dad feeds them well and watches them for quite some time and knows the deer. He only takes what appears healthy. He usually has it gutted and brought to the overhead shelter on the tractor before I can get my jeans on and out there after I hear the shot.

I'm not much of a hunter. Not because I cant handle blood and guts, its the getting up early and sitting out in a blind for hours I'm not a fan of. Some men love it. Some men need the break from the hassle of their household. I just cant stand sitting for hours and days to maybe yield nothing. I have stuff to do. My time is valuable! BUT...I do value the butcher time once I have a deer on the work table. Used to do it for a buddy too. He'd kill and we'd split the meat for me butchering it and grinding it.

 

[thirdeye]

I would make the first cut right behind the ears. Pork neck bones are readily available around here.

 

[mneeley490]

My grandmother's recipe for mincemeat pie called for elk neck meat.
Not so easy to come by these days.

 

[TimboBBQ!]

seasoned it up and set in fridge 2 days.
View attachment 724369
i fillet the meat off the spine so i end up with a "rug" of meat. lol seasons up evenly that way. tossed in in the smoke sauna @ 200* with kingsford and mesquite chunks. it smoked for 2 loads @ about 3hours.
View attachment 724370
at the mid smoke flip point.

notice the small amount of fuel it takes to run a fire in chamber smoker! 12 briquettes will get her to 275 on warm summer day with no wind. i use 8 and a chunk or two of mesquite for more heat. i replenished it after the flip with 6 more coals and another chunk of wood on top. its dampened down so the wood doesnt flame long after shutting lid.

after the smoke session, i tossed it into the instant pot with some beef broth. did a 20min. squeeze on it and a natural release. that turned that big old tuff buck neck into fork tender smoky eats! it will get shredded and sauced for the fire side party friday.

Great eating right there !

 

[in. pred]

we enjoyed it for sure. we used the broth as a dip.

 

[pc farmer]

I don't know how you get big chunks of meat off the necks. We boil them down and make soups with them

 

[archeryrob]

I have never had great succes with neck meat and think its tough.

It cans well but juice gets thick like it does in span from tendons melting. Probably best and most tender.
I have marinated in ACV to tenderize a day and into a tied roast and good the first day and tough the second.
Just made Bigos stew with a neck roast and eating it last night commenting about how chew those diced pieces are.
In the ground pile is my preference, but canned meat its a good second choice to shoulders and shanks