Author Topic: hanging birds before eating? (Read 3795 times)

ebonitekid767 · « **on:** August 12, 2012, 11:05:13 AM »

Been reading alot on this lately and am just not sure if its worth it or what..... Do any of you guys hang your pheasants/grouse etc for a few days? WEEKS? before eating? Im willing to give it a try but just want to be 1000% sure of the process. I have a old fridge in the basement that holds beer/bait generally but would transform it for a few days if its that worthwhile. Do I gut them first? or just simply hang them from the rack for 3-4 days? will it effect it if I hang it then just gut and pluck it then freeze it? or should it not be frozen?

muznut 54 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 12, 2012, 03:27:06 PM »

I shoot a lot of grouse every year and I don't do that but that's what they did in the old old days. I think back then they kinda liked rotten tasting stuff.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #2 on:** August 13, 2012, 02:37:55 AM »

dads old hunting partner would hang deer till they turned grean inside. Theyd actually have maggots in the chest cavity. Not for me! I want my game cleaned and packaged in in the freazer as fast as possible. I dont know about birds but ive tried hanging deer for a week to see if like was said it taste better or was more tender and I didnt see one bit of improvement. Butcher told me the only meats that need to be aged are meats that are marbled with fat. The ageing helps break down the fat and connecting tissues and makes the meat more tender. His thoughts on aging wild game was go for it if you like rotten meat.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #3 on:** August 13, 2012, 02:51:05 AM »

When hunting in Canada our host would hang ducks and geese the week we were there . One night they fixed up a duck dish . A few of us stayed out late hunting and missed the aged dish since we were hunting in tee shirts if you get my drift . You might say the camp had a certian foul air about it .

Bugflipper · « **Reply #4 on:** August 13, 2012, 04:50:08 AM »

Not really a need for it imho. You can just soak in salt water for a day in the fridge to get the blood out of the meat. I don't even hang deer. Just process it out, put in a cooler and put rock salt on it. Open the drain spout and add ice for 3 days. That runs all the blood out. Not really a need to age anything that's not tough to begin with.

I have an 1800's cook book that says to hang fowl up with charcoal dust sprinkled in the feathers and wings propped open with a stick. Claims they will keep for a week in the shade, no thanks. It also says the proper way to cook a duck is 500 degrees for 30 minutes. Leaves a raw bird with about a 1/2" of the outside cooked. Not for me either.

bobg · « **Reply #5 on:** August 13, 2012, 05:34:51 AM »

The guy that butchered the last deer i shot told me he didn't care what i had been told before. Let the deer hang in my pole barn till it started to get a little mold in it. Hung about a week. He cleaned the mold out and skinned it out and butchered it. Some great eating venison. The only venison i had that was any where near that good was some spikehorn gave me. I have no idea how long that hung.
Thanks Gene.

Buckskin · « **Reply #6 on:** August 13, 2012, 06:46:05 AM »

I age my ducks and geese as well as venison. How long is all dependant upon weather. I gut everything and hang, ducks and geese about 4-5 days and venison up to 2 weeks if I can get temperatures about 50 degrees. I leave the hide on deer unless it is warm when it's shot, then I skin right away to start the cooling. If temps are reasonable I will leave the hide on, because it reduced the amount of moisture that is lost during hanging. All of my deer hunting is done on our property, so I usually have them hanging within the hour after kill. Key is getting body temperature down as fast as possible, then you can hang without worry, even in temps in the 70's. Makes the meat much more tender and flavorful, not gamey. I wouldn't bother with pheasant or quail, because they are generally tender anyway. Won't do any good for hogs either.

I read that someone recommended using salt. Not a good idea, because it not only pulls blood, but moisture from meat. That will make it tough. Most of the blood will come out anyway, all you are doing is removing valuable juice from meat. Venison/game is lean enough without it being dry too. Also never cut meat when it's still warm from body temperature, because it makes meat very tough. You can quarter if necessary, but don't cut across grain. At a minimum deer should be hung until cooled before processing.

If you've ever had an aged steak you know what a difference that can make, same goes for game. I just built a pole barn and going to make a walkin cooler so I can age my meat even longer and in any weather, I will try to get to 28 days if possible...

ebonitekid767 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 13, 2012, 02:02:09 PM »

hmmm well, I kinda figured it would be like this, some say yes, some say no..... im gonna go with NOT hanging because I know i like fresh pheasant and I just dont kill that many to have a experiment go wrong and me not like it. Thanks for your input guys!

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #8 on:** August 14, 2012, 01:14:34 AM »

deer must be differnt up here. In all my years of hunt and eating venison i can only recall one old swamp buck my dad shot that id call tough. Unless a guy is trying to make steaks out of shoulder meat or some other second rate cut aging is sure not need to tenderize the deer i shoot and like i said deer dont have fat marbled through the meat that needs to get broken down like beef anyway So if your trimming all the conecting tissue out of your venison like you should aging isnt doing a thing. If your leaving the connecting tissue in your meat THAT is where the gammy taste is comming form. Biggest mistake people butchering deer make is to butcher it like a cow. You need to bone out a deer and remove EVERYTHING that isnt red meat. I also just cant rap my head around the idea that semi rotting meat will make it less gammy tasting. I butcher proably an average of 50 deer a year and have yet to have a single complaint about my venison tasting gammy.

Buckskin · « **Reply #9 on:** August 14, 2012, 03:59:27 AM »

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/other/recipes/2006/01/deer-hang-time
http://www.noble.org/ag/wildlife/propercareofvenison/
You don't have to believe me, there are many artilcles about aging deer. I definately did not say anything about semi rotten meat... Aging has nothing to do with rotting. All this about turning green and maggots is not aging, it's not paying attention... Also, marbling is the fat that gives flavor and moisture to beef and does not get broken down during aging, the collagen in the meat is broken down.

I as well have never had a gamey deer and it doesn't hurt that mine are all from farmland... Aging enhances the flavor, does not remove or cause the gamey flavor. I will bet you anything that if you put a piece of aged veni against the same cut of not aged you would favor the aged every time...

As a matter of fact, we have an old timer that hunts with our group, about 5 years ago we were having this same discussion and he was saying the same thing, that venison is not like beef and aging does not do anything for it. I gave him a package of steak from the buck that he mounted for me and he couldn't believe it. Said it was like eating a beef tenderloin and has been aging venison ever since...

GeneRector · « **Reply #10 on:** August 14, 2012, 06:17:18 AM »

Howdy! I wonder if "aging vension" is similar to hanging it in a refrigerated cooler and letting it stay there for 7-10 days, then process it? On opening day of deer season, we take our field dress deer to the processor and it may hang a few days in the cooler before they can process the meat. Always, Gene

Buckskin · « **Reply #11 on:** August 14, 2012, 07:07:21 AM »

Quote from: GeneRector on August 14, 2012, 06:17:18 AM

Howdy! I wonder if "aging vension" is similar to hanging it in a refrigerated cooler and letting it stay there for 7-10 days, then process it? On opening day of deer season, we take our field dress deer to the processor and it may hang a few days in the cooler before they can process the meat. Always, Gene

Yeah, really no different. You can age a roast or steaks or whatever in the fridge before cooking. Best to do with a whole chuck of steak or loan meat then slicing in into steaks if possible. Can either do wet aging (leaving in the vacuum bag or freezer paper) or dry aging (wrap with cheese cloth) which gives it a better flavor and texture. After dry aging you may have to shave off some of the meat that dried out, but you don't lose much.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #12 on:** August 14, 2012, 07:21:30 AM »

We once airconditioned a room in a house for hanging meat. They didn't want a cooler ?

muznut 54 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 26, 2012, 08:37:20 AM »

In Maine the norm is hanging deer for a week or two but its usually cold in November. When I lived in Florida it was de'boning in the field then in a cooler with ice as soon as possible.

chefjeff · « **Reply #14 on:** August 26, 2012, 09:23:17 AM »

I put a spare refrigerator to good use,age my deer a few days.I know the inner loins are better after a couple days,make sure they don't smell from poor shooting or butchering.I age beef for two weeks and two days. Have two red pigs raising now,soon to kill.No aging,just cooling,but I will bacon cure the middlings in the same fridge.I think hanging birds til they were "high",meaning smell,that came from an old (european?) pre-easy refrigeration era.Can't seem to age any duck breasts longer than it takes to filet and grill them rare.Succulent eating fit for a king.

jager · « **Reply #15 on:** August 26, 2012, 10:17:09 AM »

I agree with Buckskin on the Venison "hanging/aging" subject and believe it to helps "tenderize" the meat. I normally hang the "field dressed" deer in the garage and take the hide off as soon as possible. When the temps go much above 50F I either quarter it and put it in the refrigerator for a few more days, or go ahead and "cut-it-up" and freeze it. I do think cutting every last bit of fat off the meat is as important as "hang time" and have yet to have any "rotten" or "spoiled" meat from hanging "too long". I have never tried "aging" any "fowl", but have been surprised at how long Dove taken in warm weather seem to "keep" without "spoiling" (Arizona "White Wing" season comes to mind!). Most of my birds are aged a couple of days, in most cases, because I hunt more birds "out-of-state" than "in" (I do put them in an "ice chest" for the trip home after "dressing them out"). I think "traditions" play a big part in the way we prepare, as well as cook, our game. I'm up for any new "formula" as long as it doesn't entail such techniques as "burying" the meat until it turns black and eating it "blind folded" to keep from burning the eyes

!

blind ear · « **Reply #16 on:** August 26, 2012, 12:18:02 PM »

Just as someone else said, I like to hang deer, chilled, until the carcas turnes dark and little flecks of white mold begin to appear. Aged meat, concentrated flavor and tender.
-
This is only done when the temperatures don't get over 43 degrees F. Lot of places protected from the sun can do this. If you see flys working it is too waarm to not have the deer in a cooler.
-
ear

Ranger99 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 02, 2012, 01:54:22 PM »

i'll have to leave yall
to that. . . . $:-\$

i get my game in the refrig.
or freezer a.s.a.p

of course, this is hot most of
the year here.

hillbill · « **Reply #18 on:** November 13, 2012, 02:47:52 PM »

wow, yu got two camps on the meat question.one likes to let it hang till it gits moldy. one likes to put it up rite away. i put mine up rite away.but its often warm here. birds i process soon as i get home.deer gits processed as soon as i git home or left to hang overnite to chill if it under 40 degrees or certain to be frosty that nite.

i just dont see letting meat hang that has no marbleing to break down.the only way lean meat can git more tender by hanging is by rotting.

Buckskin · « **Reply #19 on:** November 14, 2012, 02:01:53 AM »

Quote from: hillbill on November 13, 2012, 02:47:52 PM

wow, yu got two camps on the meat question.one likes to let it hang till it gits moldy. one likes to put it up rite away. i put mine up rite away.but its often warm here. birds i process soon as i get home.deer gits processed as soon as i git home or left to hang overnite to chill if it under 40 degrees or certain to be frosty that nite.

i just dont see letting meat hang that has no marbleing to break down.the only way lean meat can git more tender by hanging is by rotting.

Nobody here hangs meat until it rots... And marbleing has nothing to do with making meat more tender, it enhances flavor and moisture, the collagen in the meat is broken down. Some meats do not have the collagen such as pork, venison and beef have it so that is why it is beneficial to age... If your in a warmer climate it gets tougher to do without the potential to let it get away from you. In Wisconsin, most years we have perfect conditions for it around rut time.

FPH · « **Reply #20 on:** November 14, 2012, 02:09:57 AM »

It doesn't mater how long you hang meet in order for the bacteria and enzymes to break the meat down. Just make sure you cook the meat properly and achieve the proper temps. to kill the bacteria.

Buckskin · « **Reply #21 on:** November 14, 2012, 03:21:29 AM »

The only dangerous bacteria will be on the outside of the meat, that is why you can cook well aged beef to be rare (still cool in the middle). Now there are ways of introducing bacteria to the center which is why there still is a slight risk of eating rare meat. But it is worth the risk imo...

blind ear · « **Reply #22 on:** November 14, 2012, 04:39:44 AM »

Hanging meat is only done when the temperatures don't get over 43 degrees F. This is how aged beef is treated. Let the moisture dry out and concentrate the flavor and the enzymes tenderize the meat. Lot of places protected from the sun can do this. If you see flys working it is too warm to not have the deer in a cooler.
-
ear

muznut 54 · « **Reply #23 on:** December 01, 2012, 07:13:19 AM »

I have plenty of meat in my freezers but the buck I shot on November 24, is still hanging in my barn and will probably be hanging till march unless we get a thaw.

FPH · « **Reply #24 on:** December 01, 2012, 07:32:19 AM »

Actually

Quote from: Buckskin on November 14, 2012, 02:01:53 AM

Quote from: hillbill on November 13, 2012, 02:47:52 PM
wow, yu got two camps on the meat question.one likes to let it hang till it gits moldy. one likes to put it up rite away. i put mine up rite away.but its often warm here. birds i process soon as i get home.deer gits processed as soon as i git home or left to hang overnite to chill if it under 40 degrees or certain to be frosty that nite.

i just dont see letting meat hang that has no marbleing to break down.the only way lean meat can git more tender by hanging is by rotting.

Nobody here hangs meat until it rots... And marbleing has nothing to do with making meat more tender, it enhances flavor and moisture, the collagen in the meat is broken down. Some meats do not have the collagen such as pork, venison and beef have it so that is why it is beneficial to age... If your in a warmer climate it gets tougher to do without the potential to let it get away from you. In Wisconsin, most years we have perfect conditions for it around rut time.

Actually it does make the meat more tender as the marbleng disrupts the structure of the meat.

Buckskin · « **Reply #25 on:** December 02, 2012, 03:24:00 AM »

Quote from: FPH on December 01, 2012, 07:32:19 AM

Actually
Quote from: Buckskin on November 14, 2012, 02:01:53 AM
Quote from: hillbill on November 13, 2012, 02:47:52 PM
wow, yu got two camps on the meat question.one likes to let it hang till it gits moldy. one likes to put it up rite away. i put mine up rite away.but its often warm here. birds i process soon as i get home.deer gits processed as soon as i git home or left to hang overnite to chill if it under 40 degrees or certain to be frosty that nite.

i just dont see letting meat hang that has no marbleing to break down.the only way lean meat can git more tender by hanging is by rotting.

Nobody here hangs meat until it rots... And marbleing has nothing to do with making meat more tender, it enhances flavor and moisture, the collagen in the meat is broken down. Some meats do not have the collagen such as pork, venison and beef have it so that is why it is beneficial to age... If your in a warmer climate it gets tougher to do without the potential to let it get away from you. In Wisconsin, most years we have perfect conditions for it around rut time.

Actually it does make the meat more tender as the marbleng disrupts the structure of the meat.

Yes, I meant that marbling has nothing to do with the aging process of the meat. It of course makes the meat more tender and yummy...