[NM-LEO]

Ow does everyone here cure their meat after a kill?

Elk, deer, antelope, bear, oryx, even rabbits! How do y'all do it?

[Marlinman]

Originally Posted by NM-LEO

Ow does everyone here cure their meat after a kill?

Elk, deer, antelope, bear, oryx, even rabbits! How do y'all do it?

Depends on what you call curing.

[NM-LEO]

What I mean is:

Hang & dry
Set in ice
Alternate between ice and smoke

Or anything else.....

[Marlinman]

If cool out then I let my deer and such hang for at least 24 hours hide on. If not I skin and quarter em as fast as I can then hang them in the big walk in butchers freezer my grandma has. Squirrels and small game I clean and freeze as quick as possible if I'm not gonna eat em real soon like the next day.

[kycol]

I alway take my deer to local meat locker and have it processed, anything else gets skinned and right in the freezer. Everything get thawed out and soaked in salt water and vinegar before cooking

[kytowboater]

With deer hang them at least 24 hours with hide on. Skin and butcher, pack meat in ice til melts, repeat for a couple days. Then wrap and freeze. Soak in cold water again before cooking.

[Marlinman]

Originally Posted by kycol

I alway take my deer to local meat locker and have it processed, anything else gets skinned and right in the freezer. Everything get thawed out and soaked in salt water and vinegar before cooking

I don't take ANYTHING to a butcher bc you never get back the same animal or the right amount of meat. My grandma was gonna have a 1100 lb steer butchered. They told her it'd take 5 days to do complete it. I had it done totally in two. The meat tasted alot better than the one she had them do the year before that weighed the same. Plus we had 60 lbs more meat w me doing it.

[kycol]

Originally Posted by Marlinman

I don't take ANYTHING to a butcher bc you never get back the same animal or the right amount of meat. My grandma was gonna have a 1100 lb steer butchered. They told her it'd take 5 days to do complete it. I had it done totally in two. The meat tasted alot better than the one she had them do the year before that weighed the same. Plus we had 60 lbs more meat w me doing it.

You probably right but idk it last me much longer because when I do it it just 2 hams 2shoulders and the tenderloin

[Marlinman]

Originally Posted by kycol

You probably right but idk it last me much longer because when I do it it just 2 hams 2shoulders and the tenderloin

I take ALL the meat I can off from something. Except the ribs on a deer. And that's only cuz I blow to many up and they get to blood shot.

[TLuker]

I cheat and carry my deer to a processor simply because its easy, and I'm not set up for it. Processing large game is easy if you're set up for it and I haven't been for sometime. I'm working on that though and I'll be set up by deer season.

As for curing meat, that's something I've really got to work on.
Jerky is pretty easy.
Canning is pretty easy but there is just something about the thought of canned venison and a lot of other meats that just isn't appealing.
Smoking produces great meats but that just seems like a lot of work and requires a lot of things like a smoke house and wood.
Curing with salt works but I wouldn't want to try and live off salt cured meats. I'm guessing it wouldn't be especially healthy?

Curing meat is something that I'm still learning and thinking about. That's also the area that I'm the weakest in when it comes to long term SHTF. Curing is also something that I plan on working on this winter. My current goal is not to buy any meats or vegetables next year and learning more about curing meat will be an important part in me reaching that goal. Of course there is freezing, but that only works so long as there is power