DIY Meat Processing

[DaavG]

Hello Chaps,

Next year I'm keen to process my own animals and starting to plan a little. Probably would start with impala / blesbuck size animal.

I would love some guidance / comments on the aging / hanging side - I'm Durban based so warm even in winter:

1. Do you age your animals and if so, how long? I would aim to age a carcass about 7 days
2. How do you age the carcass at home? I've seen a lot of recommendations using ice & cooler box but concerned about water / meat / blood mix.
3. Maybe a single door fridge?
4. Anyone constructed a simple, pop up cold room or box?

I haven't found a butcher who is willing to hang the carcass for me yet.

[BEX]

I would not use ice boxes, you have to hang it and have some air movement. Whith all my hooks full i sometimes put it on a the floor on a wooden pallet, but work those first.

[Andrew Leigh]

You would need a temperature of circa 3 to 5 deg c to age. The carcass or quarters need to be hung such that free air moves about them. Many will keep the skin on to avoid excessive drying of the meat. Butcher definitely won't do this for you.

So if you want cooking meat then this may be worth aging, I see no sense in aging what will become mince, wors or biltong. You may wish to process the meat immediately and to retain the cuts for roasts etc. The can be kept in plastic bags, preferable vacuum packed, in the fridge for up to two weeks if you so desire before freezing. This is wet ageing.

You could buy a 210l Defy chest freezer which has a fridge setting as well. Build a frame to go inside, this could be your cheapest option. I try have nothing in my 210l pre hunt. I come back and it takes me a week to work the meat which keeps getting returned to the freezer (on fridge setting). When all the meat is processed and the wors etc. done and it is packed, I turn the bugger down to freezing.

Remember you need to have you wors mix at 3 deg C before mincing so the chest freezer is ideal for large batches of mince to chill down.

[NIBOR]

I dont see any benefit of ageing meat if its going to be frozen. I would personally not hang game meat for more than a week.

If u are keen on ageing some game meat your best cuts would be the backstraps, fillet, rump if its a big animal. U can also pull the rib eye. U can let them hang for a week and vacuum pack them for up to 6 weeks in a chiller, not freezer.
and check for a proper seal on bags as sometimes it doesnt seal proper and it pulls air. The packs that look like they are making bubbles or air in the bag should be used right away.

Strange thing with ageing beef is that it actually starts to have a gamey like taste/texture. More so with dry ageing.




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[NIBOR]

Oh, and also if u take me with u on a hunt. I would gladly show u how to strip your carcass down to the bone. And all the cutts, No saw needed. Or if u want we can use one

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[Adoons]

I don't age game as I don't cook or braai game. Just don't like the taste. So everything is made into biltong and drywors. I also make some hamburger patties with a 50:50 mix with beef. If not making anything else than described here, no need for ageing.

I do slaughter my own beef sometimes. They get aged for about 5 days in the cold room at 1 - 2 degrees C. Sheep hang till they are cold, then maybe another day and then I put them in a freezer for a few hours until they are partly frozen before sawing into chops. Semi frozen carcasses work better in my opinion if the only action is sawing them in pieces.

[BBT]

I don't age game as I don't cook or braai game. Just don't like the taste. So everything is made into biltong and drywors. I also make some hamburger patties with a 50:50 mix with beef. If not making anything else than described here, no need for ageing.

I do slaughter my own beef sometimes. They get aged for about 5 days in the cold room at 1 - 2 degrees C. Sheep hang till they are cold, then maybe another day and then I put them in a freezer for a few hours until they are partly frozen before sawing into chops. Semi frozen carcasses work better in my opinion if the only action is sawing them in pieces.

Bru, impala chops are better than lamb chops

[Toxxyc]

[DaavG]

You would need a temperature of circa 3 to 5 deg c to age. The carcass or quarters need to be hung such that free air moves about them. Many will keep the skin on to avoid excessive drying of the meat. Butcher definitely won't do this for you.

So if you want cooking meat then this may be worth aging, I see no sense in aging what will become mince, wors or biltong. You may wish to process the meat immediately and to retain the cuts for roasts etc. The can be kept in plastic bags, preferable vacuum packed, in the fridge for up to two weeks if you so desire before freezing. This is wet ageing.

You could buy a 210l Defy chest freezer which has a fridge setting as well. Build a frame to go inside, this could be your cheapest option. I try have nothing in my 210l pre hunt. I come back and it takes me a week to work the meat which keeps getting returned to the freezer (on fridge setting). When all the meat is processed and the wors etc. done and it is packed, I turn the bugger down to freezing.

Remember you need to have you wors mix at 3 deg C before mincing so the chest freezer is ideal for large batches of mince to chill down.

Thanks Andrew good idea on the 210L freezer. I used to have a mate who had a walk in fridge where we could hang our carcasses but they've sold the business.

How many carcasses can you fit into the freezer on a frame as a matter of interest?

[DaavG]

I dont see any benefit of ageing meat if its going to be frozen. I would personally not hang game meat for more than a week.

If u are keen on ageing some game meat your best cuts would be the backstraps, fillet, rump if its a big animal. U can also pull the rib eye. U can let them hang for a week and vacuum pack them for up to 6 weeks in a chiller, not freezer.
and check for a proper seal on bags as sometimes it doesnt seal proper and it pulls air. The packs that look like they are making bubbles or air in the bag should be used right away.

Thanks for the information. I haven't heard of wet aging for 6 weeks, that's a long time.

Oh, and also if u take me with u on a hunt. I would gladly show u how to strip your carcass down to the bone. And all the cutts, No saw needed. Or if u want we can use one

Haha will have to make a plan!