DIY Processing - Trimming for grind

[DntBrnDPig]

I've been self processing for several years now. I always feel guilty about the amount of meat I discard because the time trimming to the amount of clean meat doesn't seem... worth it. Do yall trim meat of all fat and silver skin before grinding? All the meat I vacuum seal or run through my grinder has very little to none on it. Which means I have a lot in my discard pile.

I've been thinking about cooking the discard pile for dog food. Anyone do that?

 

[Omega]

I remove as much as I can without been too OCD about it.

But at the end of the day I have a bunch that I could have done better on. I used to give the long bones to my dogs until they started leaving them in my mowers path, now I just discard them.

 

[Big Pop]

Sometime I roast the bones and then bone broth them. But I grind some fat and silver skin and it's not a problem.

 

[AT Hiker]

Id guess that I remove over 50% of the silver skin and def not 100%...no problems what so ever. Only issue I have is every once in a while the silver skin might slow my grinder down if Im doing large batches, so Ill have to take it apart and clean it.

 

[jetwrnch]

My dogs eat it raw. Never seen a dog start a fire, so figured raw is best. Anything I don't eat gets ground for dog food. Heart, liver, silver skin, whatever. I don't get too ocd about the silver skin with a fine grind for burger, summer sausage, etc. I just try to mix the leg muscles in with the good meat so it's not concentrated in one package. I eat hotdogs and bologna, so silver skin shouldn't kill me.

 

[Lost Lake]

I'm in the same boat. Between my daughter and I, we processed five deer. After I weighed the meat, I think I had the equivalent of four deer that a professional would have processed for us.

But, I didn't want to take a chance on grinding undesirable parts. This year I'm gonna trim a little closer and do a little better.

 

[AT Hiker]

My dogs eat it raw. Never seen a dog start a fire, so figured raw is best. Anything I don't eat gets ground for dog food. Heart, liver, silver skin, whatever.

Lol, my lab chewed a electric smoker cord in half and was extremely close to starting a fire. I cook his venison now.

 

[catman529]

Big bite grinder eats all the silver skin like it's nothing. I trim off the thickest pieces of silver skin and fat, and don't worry about the rest. Use the fine grind plate and it shreds it all up.

You'd be surprised how much good ground meat can come off a shoulder that was shot with a rifle. Trim away the bloody parts around the wound channel, cut off the meat in chunks and cube it up for the grinder. Paper towel will help clean up clotted blood on the meat. Neck meat is good for that as well, just remove the wind pipe and some of the thicker sinew.

 

[backyardtndeer]

I've been thinking about cooking the discard pile for dog food. Anyone do that?

That is what I do, but instead, I run it through large grinder plate and pack it in sleeves to go in the freezer. Cook it later, the dogs love it. Win win.

 

[Pioneer1789]

Big bite grinder eats all the silver skin like it's nothing. I trim off the thickest pieces of silver skin and fat, and don't worry about the rest. Use the fine grind plate and it shreds it all up.

You'd be surprised how much good ground meat can come off a shoulder that was shot with a rifle. Trim away the bloody parts around the wound channel, cut off the meat in chunks and cube it up for the grinder. Paper towel will help clean up clotted blood on the meat. Neck meat is good for that as well, just remove the wind pipe and some of the thicker sinew.I

Exactly. I make some really tender ground venison out of shank, neck, and rib meat. Keep it near freezing while grinding. Makes a world of difference.

 

[catman529]

Exactly. I make some really tender ground venison out of shank, neck, and rib meat. Keep it near freezing while grinding. Makes a world of difference.

I've never frozen it for the grinder, it usually goes in straight off the deer or after aging in the fridge for a while. Comes out great

 

[Pioneer1789]

I've never frozen it for the grinder, it usually goes in straight off the deer or after aging in the fridge for a while. Comes out great.

My fridge is set on kill. When I pull it out ready to grind, It's not frozen, but close. Probably mid 30s.

 

[AT Hiker]

If you have no tried partially freezing the meat and grinder head then youll be amazed how much better it grinds. Probably a little more food safe too.

 

[Tn_Va_Hunter]

I trim off what I can. Usually just make jerky for my household except for the back straps. Some silver skin won't hurt anything as well as some fattier parts and pieces. The grinder works well mixing it in. I age mine in a cooler and leave the drain hole open. Usually 7-10 days. Does make it taste better in my opinion.

 

[catman529]

If you have no tried partially freezing the meat and grinder head then youll be amazed how much better it grinds. Probably a little more food safe too.

How so? My grinder eats it as fast as I can feed it. End result is always good, how does partially frozen meat affect it? I've never tried it

 

[AT Hiker]

How so? My grinder eats it as fast as I can feed it. End result is always good, how does partially frozen meat affect it? I've never tried it

Ive noticed that warm meat can get mush where super cold to almost frozen comes out with just a better texture, IMO.
I once read the directions on my grinder and it suggested doing this, lol. Directions sometimes pay off.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Ive noticed that warm meat can get mush where super cold to almost frozen comes out with just a better texture, IMO.
I once read the directions on my grinder and it suggested doing this, lol. Directions sometimes pay off.

A lot of the processing shows recommend this

 

[AT Hiker]

Pork is an extreme example of super cold meat vs not. It turns to mush quickly.

 

[Daniel90]

I partially freeze my meet as well it does work very well.

 

[Wrangler95]

Ive noticed that warm meat can get mush where super cold to almost frozen comes out with just a better texture, IMO.
I once read the directions on my grinder and it suggested doing this, lol. Directions sometimes pay off.

I also keep my meat semi frozen to feed the grinder,much less mushy meat

 

[Union Co. Boy]

I'm guilty of OCD trimming. I don't have any white in my meat that going to the table. I do feed the trimmings to the dogs. I freeze bags of it and feed them with it about once a week until it's gone.

 

[catman529]

I may try it some time just to see, but I like the way my ground turns out.

 

[megalomaniac]

Put me in the camp of half frozen as well... much better product.

A few mentioned cooking it before feeding to dogs. Why is this?

 

[catman529]

Put me in the camp of half frozen as well... much better product.

A few mentioned cooking it before feeding to dogs. Why is this?

Good question. Every dog I've given deer meat to ate it up raw like candy. BigA's dog even stole a tenderloin out of my hand one time and swallowed it whole

 

[UCStandSitter]

Half frozen is the way. Especially if adding beef fat for burger grind. The fat will straight up melt if not.

As for trimming, I am compulsive. The wise older gentleman that taught me the ways of the processing jedi beat it into me and that man doesnt waste a single scrap. A good processing job is just that, A JOB. A lot of work if done properly but I find the meat tastes a lot better if I follow his sage wisdom instead of cutting corners. The beauty of everyone processing their own though is they can do whatever floats their boat. I like there are still some areas in this country where free men are allowed to make their own decisions and do what is right for them and theirs.

 

[gatodoc]

Good question. Every dog I've given deer meat to ate it up raw like candy. BigA's dog even stole a tenderloin out of my hand one time and swallowed it whole

My lab gets diarrhea every time I feed her much raw deer meat. I've got no problem feeding it raw cause I know how it's been handled by me but it busts her loose. I guess it's the change in diet doing it...

 

[rukiddin]

I'm OCD about silver skin and tendons. I remove it all. Like mentioned earlier, it is a job but I'm yet to taste any burger from a processor be as good as mine.
As far as what to do with scraps. Coons, possums and skunks gotta eat too.

 

[timberjack86]

If you have no tried partially freezing the meat and grinder head then youll be amazed how much better it grinds. Probably a little more food safe too.

This!! As I collect my grind pieces they go in a stainless pot. When the pot is full or when I'm done they go straight in the freezer for about an hour and then I grind them. Meat grinds so much faster when it's half frozen.

 

[jejeffrries71]

My dogs eat it raw. Never seen a dog start a fire, so figured raw is best.

I'm with you. I don't see any point in cooking for a dog. If they won't eat it raw, they must not be that hungry. If they won't eat it raw, well, maybe they are not really dogs anyway.

 

[jejeffrries71]

Big bite grinder eats all the silver skin like it's nothing. I trim off the thickest pieces of silver skin and fat, and don't worry about the rest. Use the fine grind plate and it shreds it all up.

You'd be surprised how much good ground meat can come off a shoulder that was shot with a rifle. Trim away the bloody parts around the wound channel, cut off the meat in chunks and cube it up for the grinder. Paper towel will help clean up clotted blood on the meat. Neck meat is good for that as well, just remove the wind pipe and some of the thicker sinew.

You just start with the fine plate? I always ran it through twice - once on coarse then on fine.