Grinding deer meat, die size?

[luvcatchingbass]

I do 1 grind with 3/8 plate.
I also grind the fat I use (beef brisket fat or pork backfat) with this plate.
Also, also, when making sausage from pork butts or brisket meat still use this plate, it's pretty much my go to.

Why 3/8? The grind is big enough for burger and sausage making while not breaking down too fine when mixing seasoning for sausage making.
When making sausage the seasoning mixing process usually breaks down the ground meat even further to basically a rough paste which means there is no need to do a 2nd grind to break down the meat more. The mixing process does this more than I actually want but hey, gotta get the meat tacky.

Will grinding 2x work, sure. Will it be necessary or useful... I've never found that to be the case for burger grind and sausage making. Others may have a good reason to grind more than once for what they are doing, but I never have and it was more work for no payoff in my cases.

Now you mention connective tissue in the deer meat. I would highly encourage you to solve this problem BEFORE you grind by cleaning silver skin and any skin film off the meat.
Also don't grind shake meat, heel meat, or any cuts that have silver skin all through them. Use those cuts for braised dishes and you will get a much better use of the meat as that tissue breaks down during the long braising process.

I learned a long time ago the rule: if there is any tissue in the meat that you would NOT throw in to the skillet, season, cook and eat... then it does not belong in grind, on steaks, or in jerky.

I fought the rule and lost. I followed the rule and wow, never had any issues.

The one muscle/cut you can get away with a grinding and leaving some internal silver skin on is the Sirloin tip roast (see below "Sirnloin"). clean off all white fat, silver skin, and slimy skin you see off the top, ends, and back end of it. Any internal silver skin will be ok but this is more of an exception than the rule.
View attachment 726649


The heel is that big round muscle where "Rear Shank" is written, the regular shank meat is on the bone beneath the heal. Clean this up a little cutting off obviously thick silver skin and tendon and then you can just braise this as is but it's not grind OR jerky worthy IMO and according to the rule I mentioned.

Very well said. I have been with friends that think all the "crap" is good grind, I can tell a huge difference in my products vs others that give me some of theirs that they say is "great". My scraps don't go to waste as we have farm cats that deserve a treat now and then too

 

[chef k-dude]

I do 1 grind with 3/8 plate.
I also grind the fat I use (beef brisket fat or pork backfat) with this plate.
Also, also, when making sausage from pork butts or brisket meat still use this plate, it's pretty much my go to.

Why 3/8? The grind is big enough for burger and sausage making while not breaking down too fine when mixing seasoning for sausage making.
When making sausage the seasoning mixing process usually breaks down the ground meat even further to basically a rough paste which means there is no need to do a 2nd grind to break down the meat more. The mixing process does this more than I actually want but hey, gotta get the meat tacky.

Will grinding 2x work, sure. Will it be necessary or useful... I've never found that to be the case for burger grind and sausage making. Others may have a good reason to grind more than once for what they are doing, but I never have and it was more work for no payoff in my cases.

Now you mention connective tissue in the deer meat. I would highly encourage you to solve this problem BEFORE you grind by cleaning silver skin and any skin film off the meat.
Also don't grind shake meat, heel meat, or any cuts that have silver skin all through them. Use those cuts for braised dishes and you will get a much better use of the meat as that tissue breaks down during the long braising process.

I learned a long time ago the rule: if there is any tissue in the meat that you would NOT throw in to the skillet, season, cook and eat... then it does not belong in grind, on steaks, or in jerky.

I fought the rule and lost. I followed the rule and wow, never had any issues.

The one muscle/cut you can get away with a grinding and leaving some internal silver skin on is the Sirloin tip roast (see below "Sirnloin"). clean off all white fat, silver skin, and slimy skin you see off the top, ends, and back end of it. Any internal silver skin will be ok but this is more of an exception than the rule.
View attachment 726649


The heel is that big round muscle where "Rear Shank" is written, the regular shank meat is on the bone beneath the heal. Clean this up a little cutting off obviously thick silver skin and tendon and then you can just braise this as is but it's not grind OR jerky worthy IMO and according to the rule I mentioned.

Thanks for that picture, I was looking for that (remembered seeing it some years ago) and couldn't find it when I was vac sealing. We are not pros at butchering so our cuts are less than perfect!

My ground isn't nearly as clean as you describe, but I've never had anything that shows up ugly or weird mouthfeel when cooked or bound up my grinder. I'm sure its not as good as a puritan grind though. I appreciate the advice.

Tell Dad that he needs to buy you another freezer to keep up with his deer processing

Thing is, we are working with three freezers already! All are on fridge freezer combos though. I dont really have a good spot for a chest freezer. I went and bought some bargains and had both of my freezers pretty full already. Fortunately dad had some room in his. Hard to just say "dad" still...mom just died in May

He does the killing and field dressing but I'm going to have to get off my arse and document his stand, blind, feeder, lick, etc. if I want to continue getting deer meat. I'm just not one of those guys that wants to sit in a blind for hours and days but I better get on it, dad's 83. I dont have a wife and kids I need to escape from (wife is not a problem, kids are grown)...I know THAT'S why a lot of men like to hunt and fish! It's been easy over the years to get deer meat but now that dad lives right next door and "hunts" right out back in the woods, its harder on him because I insist on butchering...he always had his kills processed. I never liked how they processed. So dad feels like he at least has to participate in getting it off the bone...its good old-men father and son time! But his wrists are giving out.

View attachment 726652
Cleaned up should look like this

Dang, no way mine will look like that! That's stew meat! I have some of that...for stew!

your large cuts of meat will stay better frozen than ground, Its very rare I grind much until I need it, no brisket fat this year as Kroger didn't have any sales this summer.

I did vac seal the major cuts, some of which may end up ground someday. I'm one of those guys that thinks the scraps and small cuts are for grinding...nowhere near that nice. I dont know the difference!

I do have another question for all. Looking around at adding fat to the ground deer, I see ratios varying from 10% to 40% in some cases depending on the intended use of the final product. My main uses are chili and casseroles, but I'd like to make a juicy deer meatloaf too. Never considered burgers...but then never used prime meat for grinding either!

I'm thinking maybe a 15% ratio? Maybe 20%? Thing is, I've seen two calculations. Some say 1lb fat for every 4lbs meat (calling it 20%), others are calling 20% 1lb fat to 5lbs meat. I realize absolute accuracy is not needed per se, but I dont want to see too much fat rendering while keeping the final cooked product moist.

What are y'all's ratios and math?

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Thanks for that picture, I was looking for that (remembered seeing it some years ago) and couldn't find it when I was vac sealing. We are not pros at butchering so our cuts are less than perfect!

My ground isn't nearly as clean as you describe, but I've never had anything that shows up ugly or weird mouthfeel when cooked or bound up my grinder. I'm sure its not as good as a puritan grind though. I appreciate the advice.

Thing is, we are working with three freezers already! All are on fridge freezer combos though. I dont really have a good spot for a chest freezer. I went and bought some bargains and had both of my freezers pretty full already. Fortunately dad had some room in his. Hard to just say "dad" still...mom just died in May

He does the killing and field dressing but I'm going to have to get off my arse and document his stand, blind, feeder, lick, etc. if I want to continue getting deer meat. I'm just not one of those guys that wants to sit in a blind for hours and days but I better get on it, dad's 83. I dont have a wife and kids I need to escape from (wife is not a problem, kids are grown)...I know THAT'S why a lot of men like to hunt and fish! It's been easy over the years to get deer meat but now that dad lives right next door and "hunts" right out back in the woods, its harder on him because I insist on butchering...he always had his kills processed. I never liked how they processed. So dad feels like he at least has to participate in getting it off the bone...its good old-men father and son time! But his wrists are giving out.

Dang, no way mine will look like that! That's stew meat! I have some of that...for stew!

I did vac seal the major cuts, some of which may end up ground someday. I'm one of those guys that thinks the scraps and small cuts are for grinding...nowhere near that nice. I dont know the difference!

I do have another question for all. Looking around at adding fat to the ground deer, I see ratios varying from 10% to 40% in some cases depending on the intended use of the final product. My main uses are chili and casseroles, but I'd like to make a juicy deer meatloaf too. Never considered burgers...but then never used prime meat for grinding either!

I'm thinking maybe a 15% ratio? Maybe 20%? Thing is, I've seen two calculations. Some say 1lb fat for every 4lbs meat (calling it 20%), others are calling 20% 1lb fat to 5lbs meat. I realize absolute accuracy is not needed per se, but I dont want to see too much fat rendering while keeping the final cooked product moist.

What are y'all's ratios and math?

For your freezer dilemma I would recommend an upright. When mine was still working I much preferred that to a chest freezer and that fit the best at my old house. Unfortunately mine died a couple years ago and I'm down to the old chest freezer at the farm house and 2 fridge freezers.

 

[crazymoon]

I am about to grind some deer burger, I do 2 grinds through a 3/16 plate, the second grind makes sure the meats are well mixed. I clean the plate of the gunk between grinds ,I use 70% venison to 30% pork butt. Nice mix always sticks together for a burger but there is no grease in the pan when frying up burger for chili etc.