[Shanks Mare]

For years I've butchered my own game animals, even farm animals (mostly pigs and goats!).

But I've had this problem, that I've always wondered what other folks do.

When you butcher animals, what do you do with the ribs? How about the Fat?

The reason for the question, I ask my friends what they do with their deer ribs.

Some cook whole, after boiling, others de-bone and grind for hamburger. Myself, I find there is so little meat on most ribs, I'm not sure if its is worth the trouble. I take the outer layers off, and fillet off the meat, then throw the fat away.

I've never rendered down the fat of a deer...but I'm wondering in a survival situation if it would be worth it. Baked pie crust with deer fat might be an acquired taste!

In survival situations, fat is extremely useful, and is one thing we take for granted, yet I haven't heard of anyone using it from animals that are available to folks in the North, like me.

If your in Texas, where pigs are avialable, I don't see as much of a problem. Pig fat is what my Mom would render down, save, and use....but WE AIN'T GOT NO WILD PIGS AROUND HERE!

What do you guys think? First Question-Ribs, Second Question-Fat.

 

[Al Diehl]

First let me tell you that wild pigs don't normally have the fat like a farm raised one. You are correct, they will have some though.

Deer fat could be rendered and used to make lamps, waterproof equipment and/or cook with. Had this last deer I shot had more fat I was going to do just that. Maybe the next one.

Ribs to me depend on the amount of meat on them. It varies.

Good post Shanks.
Al

 

[On Point]

Well, Ive got a yard here full of big dogs.
I toss all the fat, scraps & big bones to them.
They love deer season as much as I do.

 

[Cool Hand]

My experiences rendering deer fat have not been good ones at least from a canning perspective. I would use it in a survival situation or as Al said above but I would be hard pressed to use it normally.

As far as the ribs go? I find that pigs under 100 pounds have very small ribs with little meat on them, same with deer. Unless it is survival I won't even mess with them as it takes to much to cook them for what I get out of it.

Just my two pennies. Not much more than what Al already told ya.

 

[AtticusFinch]

Deer fat really isn't good to eat. It is very strong and tastes bad. I don't know about rendering it down to use for lamps, etc.

I normally don't save the ribs. There is just too little meat on them to mess with the long rib bones. I will often cut the rib meat out, however, along with trimming the rest of the carcass. Normally, when I butcher a deer, I cut out the backstrap (loin), the tender loins, and the front and rear quarters. I will do different things with the quarters pretty much depending on my mood at the time. Sometimes I will cut one into steaks, or maybe debone one or more, or sometimes just quarter them. Then I will give the rest of the carcass a good going over, trimming meat from around the ribs, neck, etc, and put that in a ziplock bag to either use for stew or jerky.

I trim off all the fat and throw it away, though, because it really isn't good to eat.

 

[AtticusFinch]

First let me tell you that wild pigs don't normally have the fat like a farm raised one. You are correct, they will have some though.l

The pigs I have killed this year down here all had plenty of fat on them. As much as a farm pig. Maybe it's just what they are eating here.

 

[backwoodsbullets]

Deer ribs mmmmm good. I take them after skinning and cut them off the back and then into peices. Say one side into 6-8 peices then throw them in a pot of beer and bbq sause and bring to a boil let boil for 20min. Then throw them on the smoker and every 30min to. Hr go and bast them with butter melted with red pepper and bbq powder. Then after 2-4hrs take and eat them. I dont know about the fat though.

 

[mmwb]

I strip the fat off the ribs and grind it for burger and sausage. I trim as much fat off as I can, though if a little goes in with the meat to grind I don't lose any sleep over it.

 

[Al Diehl]

The pigs I have killed this year down here all had plenty of fat on them. As much as a farm pig. Maybe it's just what they are eating here.

Has a lot to do with what feed they have available. Some can get as big and meaty/fatty as farm hogs. Depends where you are. Some I have killed were as lean as they come. But, hey, if it's there, use it.:thumb:

Al

 

[Old Soldier]

We don't eat the ribs, they get cooked and go to feed the dogs. Deer fat has a very high melting point and has a bad flavor, we trim off all we can see and don't use it at all, it gets thrown out.

How the rest of the deer gets proccessed depends on what we're short of. The first one this year I left the backstaps on the bone and cut them into steaks, (I have a band saw), as well as cutting the hind quarters into steaks, the rest got boned out and ground with Pork in a 3-1 ratio, vacumm sealed and frozen. The next one will be boned out completly and canned as stew/soup meat.

 

[PATTYH20]

Well, Ive got a yard here full of big dogs.
I toss all the fat, scraps & big bones to them.
They love deer season as much as I do.

Same here. Our lab gets all the bones and organs. The bones make a wonderful pacifier (silly labs cannot go w/out something in their mouth)

On the fat, I have been reading about Pemmican...can the fat rendered from the deer be used for that? I know it's usually beef tallow, but if that's not available could deer fat be used?

 

[16mmsocket]

Survival situation venison fat = good.
Current situation venison fat = nasty ****. Smells bad when you burn it, tastes like rut.

 

[Shanks Mare]

We don't eat the ribs, they get cooked and go to feed the dogs. Deer fat has a very high melting point and has a bad flavor, we trim off all we can see and don't use it at all, it gets thrown out.

How the rest of the deer gets proccessed depends on what we're short of. The first one this year I left the backstaps on the bone and cut them into steaks, (I have a band saw), as well as cutting the hind quarters into steaks, the rest got boned out and ground with Pork in a 3-1 ratio, vacumm sealed and frozen. The next one will be boned out completly and canned as stew/soup meat.

Just about exactly what I do, except no band saw. Can't get enough deer steak, the rest is either stew meat, or hamburger, and I trim every bit of fat off of whatever we make into hamburger.

Cooked the ribs once, but it took so much bar-b sauce to make them edible, and took way longer to make them tender (even after boiling, for hours!), well lets say it just doesn't seem worth it at all to me!

 

[kmonto]

Shanks,

Would like to learn more how you processed your own pigs. This year I raised 4 pigs with a friend a mine and we took them in to get processed which sucks as it really cut into the benefits of raising your own pigs.

Did you use a book to go by or just knowledge you got from someone else? You can send me a note privately if you wish...

 

[MeatHunter]

I give a deer a pretty good cleaning, all usable meat that doesn't make steak, roast, or stew meat becomes hamburger. I trim as much fat as possible and when it comes time to make burger, I use the KitchenAid with meat grinder and grind away, mixing bacon in at about 10%, and after grinding it gets the grinder again, and a third time, before finally being packaged.

As far as fat goes, I am sure in a survival situation it would all get used, the ancients used everything possible so it can't be too bad of an idea.

 

[Mountain]

For years I've butchered my own game animals, even farm animals (mostly pigs and goats!).

But I've had this problem, that I've always wondered what other folks do.

When you butcher animals, what do you do with the ribs? How about the Fat?

The reason for the question, I ask my friends what they do with their deer ribs.

Some cook whole, after boiling, others de-bone and grind for hamburger. Myself, I find there is so little meat on most ribs, I'm not sure if its is worth the trouble. I take the outer layers off, and fillet off the meat, then throw the fat away.

I've never rendered down the fat of a deer...but I'm wondering in a survival situation if it would be worth it. Baked pie crust with deer fat might be an acquired taste!

In survival situations, fat is extremely useful, and is one thing we take for granted, yet I haven't heard of anyone using it from animals that are available to folks in the North, like me.

If your in Texas, where pigs are avialable, I don't see as much of a problem. Pig fat is what my Mom would render down, save, and use....but WE AIN'T GOT NO WILD PIGS AROUND HERE!

What do you guys think? First Question-Ribs, Second Question-Fat.

Personally I completely debone all meat, I can't see using good freezer space for bone that I am not going to eat.

As far as fat goes, any fat I get I run through the grinder with meat for making my hamburger, I usually add spices in the process so it makes it somewhat like sausage burger also a good cover for strong flavored meat. I never originally intended for the fat to be for flavor, I just got tired of all the deerburger and goatburger falling apart when I tried to cook it, so I added fat basically as a binder. In the end mixing pork, beef and deer fat in with it has made a very very good flavor combo, like I said basically like sausage. I just add in rubbed sage and black pepper while I am grinding it up.

 

[Shanks Mare]

Shanks,

Would like to learn more how you processed your own pigs. This year I raised 4 pigs with a friend a mine and we took them in to get processed which sucks as it really cut into the benefits of raising your own pigs.

Did you use a book to go by or just knowledge you got from someone else? You can send me a note privately if you wish...

No Worries! I've been/being taught by a local Farmer who has basically taught himself. Very fast too.

We've skinned in two different methods, first one you cut the hide in about 2" strips down the length of the animal, and then pull, after gutting of course!
Second method you just skin them. Its my favorite method. With two of us, its FAST. Did 7 in one afternoon.

First we shoot them. Make an "X" between the eyes and ears, and shoot just right of center. One guy shoots, the other cuts the aorta with a "sticking" knife by sticking it between the front legs, and rocking the blade up and down, just a bit. Too much and you can damage some of the meat, and too much blood will stay in the body cavity. You see, just after being shot, the pigs will "stiffen" up, that is the only chance you'll get, so take it!

Step back after sticking, blood will gush out, and many of the pigs will start to kick up a storm. This also removes all of the blood from the animals, their own heart doing all the work.

Afterwards we pressure wash them to remove anything and everything on the outside of the body. We like to keep them clean! Helps remove any loose hair too.

For me, since I needed the "training", I volunteered to do the "nastiest" part, around the anus, and "clearing" it, from around the inside of the pelvis, then I split them up the center to eviscerate. I've gotten fairly quick at this now, and not so "squeamish" either. Sometimes you just got to get in there! :

Then we skin just like a deer, or any other animal. Cut around the ankles, and slit up legs to center of body, then skin as you go.

I just LOVE a "sheep skinner" type of knife. It has a slightly rounded tip, that allows me to run it just under the skin without cutting into entrails or flesh.

Now comes the part where I'm not so good, the cutting up, and the details are so vast, it would become a book....

I will say this, I don't/can't do bacon or hams, I've always hired that part out.

I have friends that do their own, but I'm not up to that part yet. Maybe one day??

For cutting up, depending upon what you want more of for your family, there are some great video's out there. If you like, I can try and find the links to some that really helped me, besides my Friend that seems to always be there to help.

For the "short" explanation I CAN say that I've done it two different ways.

I've boned them out, just to make it faster than using the saw, and scraping all the bone shavings off (things like pork chops must have this done!), and cut hams and "steaks" that are essentially pork chops without the bone, and bacon with trimmings for either ground pork (which is great!), or sausage.

First you have to know what your own family likes best.

I sure hope this helps....I'm hurrying to go get my kid from evening service at Church!

 

[trekker111]

Deer fat is not like domestic livestock fat. It leaves this nasty stickyness on the roof of your mouth.

Like others have said you can render it down and use it for fuel, waterproofing, patch grease for your muzzleloader, suet cakes for bird feed (rendered fat with various seeds mixed in).

Native cultures have had other uses with more limited survivalist uses such as a base for body paints (just add various pigments), and a hair treatment.

When we process deer we debone all the meat, and then depending on the deer's age and sex we cut it up from there. Old Bucks get ground into hamburger, old does also get ground except the loins. Younger deer will get chopped into steaks, stew meat, cube steak, the occasional roast, and the remnants get ground into hamburger. It just depends on what mood I'm in and the amount of meat present whether I fool with the rib meat.

Whats left, along with the guts, hide, lower legs, and head if present, get taken to a field and put out for coyote bait.

 

[Shanks Mare]

Deer fat also doesn't freeze at the same temps as beef or pork.

For Example, maybe you have notice deer meat that has been in the freezer for a while, tasting a bit more "gamey" than what you remember it being when you first butchered it.

To prevent this, turn your freezer down 10 degrees colder, and it will stop. Deer fat will keep going rancid in the freezer if temps are not kept at a lower temp.

 

[TrysteofFate]

I tried deer fat once, on a dare, cooked in a skillet like fatback. I don't do that anymore. I agree with most of the other posters here that it's not the best fat for eating, but it does have more utilitarian uses in a survival situation. Matter of fact, when I'm processing a deer I try to get all of the fat off of the deer as I'm cutting it up....what parts I'm grinding up I'll typically add either beef or pork fat to give it some juices and a more neutral flavor, just because I can't stand the taste of the deer tallow.