How Long Can Fresh Killed Beef Keep Before Needs to Be Frozen

This data has been reviewed and adapted for use in South Carolina by P.H. Schmutz, HGIC Food Safety Specialist; R.D. Willey, Extension 4-H Natural Resource Specialist; and Eastward.H. Hoyle, Extension Food Safety Specialist, Clemson University. (New 01/99. Revised 03/07.)

HGIC 3516

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ABIDE BY GAME REGULATIONS FOR HUNTING, TRANSPORTING AND STORING GAME.

Care in the Field

Be Prepared for the Hunt: Remember to bring a sharp hunting knife, a pocket-size hatchet, a whetstone or steel, about 12 anxiety of light rope or nylon cord, plastic numberless, and clean cloths or paper towels. Other essentials include proper habiliment, binoculars, a canteen of fresh h2o, a compass, a map and matches. In warm weather you may want to bring a can of ground pepper and some cheesecloth. The carcass may be sprinkled with pepper and covered with cheesecloth to repel flies.

Video: To encounter video instructions, request White-Tail Deer: Field Care and Treatment, Record 7780 from PSA Publications, Clemson University at http://cufan.clemson.edu/olos/asp/showCart.asp

Annotation: As of September 2006 there has been no evidence of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in South Carolina white-tailed deer. For information on continued surveillance by the Due south.C. Department of Natural Resources see http://world wide web.dnr.sc.gov/news/Yr2006/sept11/sept11_waste.html.

Haemorrhage the Animal: Commonly it is not necessary to bleed the animate being, because the bullet or arrow has acquired plenty harm to the fauna to bleed it sufficiently. All the same, if the animal is shot in the caput it will need to be bled. If you think the deer needs additional bleeding, field dress the deer, then cutting the main avenue adjacent to the backbone.

If the animal is a trophy cadet that yous program to mountain, do non sever its throat, because this will cause problems during mounting."

Field Dressing: In that location are iii major rules to follow as before long equally the animal is expressionless.

• Remove the intestines, lungs, liver and heart as soon later the impale as possible.
• Keep the carcass make clean past getting it off the ground as quickly as possible and by using clean utensils during dressing.
• Cool the carcass quickly and keep it cool during processing and transport.

When field dressing an animal, plastic surgical gloves are recommended. Clean your hunting pocketknife ofttimes with clean h2o and a cloth to prevent contamination of the meat.

1. Place the animal on its back with the front end-finish elevated and spread the hind legs. Support the carcass in position by placing rocks or sticks on each side.
2. Cut along the midline of the abdomen from the breastbone to the anus. Avoid cut into the paunch and intestines by using the handle of the pocketknife and the heel of your manus to crowd the guts away. Cut around the anus, loosening the bung so it will come up out with the guts.
3. Cutting the diaphragm (the thin sheet of muscle and connective tissue between the breast and the abdomen) free from the rib cage by cut through the white tissue near the rib cage.
4. Reach forward to cut the windpipe, gullet and blood vessels at the base of operations of the throat.
5. Pull the lungs, heart and guts out of the animal. If you like variety meats, save the heart and liver in a plastic pocketbook and put on ice.

Hanging to Drain & Make clean: Put the carcass on logs or rocks if it cannot be hung.

• Remove all foreign particles and loose hair.
• Wipe out excess blood in gutted cavity with a paper towel or clean cloth and clean water.
• Use as little water every bit possible, considering clammy meat spoils faster than dry meat.
• Dry with paper towels or clean rags. Prop the cavity open with sharpened sticks and hang the carcass in the shade until the cavity surface is thoroughly dry out. Be certain at that place is adept air circulation.
• Do not use grass or snow to wipe out the carcass, considering this may contaminate the carcass.

Chilling: Improper temperature is meat's worst enemy. The surface of the carcass may be contaminated with leaner that can spoil the meat unless spooky stops the growth. During warm hunting seasons special care should be taken to keep the carcass absurd. It should exist kept in the shade and immune as much air circulation as possible.

• Air-condition the deer carcass as soon as possible for all-time quality. If the weather condition is over twoscore °F, it is strongly recommended that the carcass be taken to a cooler the day of the kill. If the air temperature is above 50 °F every bit it frequently is in South Carolina, the deer carcass should exist refrigerated inside 3 to iv hours after killing.
• Cool the beast quickly. Cool the carcass by propping the chest open with a make clean stick and allowing air to circulate. Filling the cavity with bags of ice will as well enhance cooling.
• To assistance cooling in warm conditions, the beast may exist skinned if yous take provisions to keep the carcass clean. Use ground pepper and cheesecloth or lite cotton bags to protect the skinned carcass from contamination by flies. Practice non use airtight game-bags or tarps that hold in heat and will cause meat to spoil rapidly.
• In cool weather (28 to 35 °F), wrap the carcass or quarters in a sheet and hang to chill in a ventilated shed.
• Do not allow the carcass to freeze. Freezing may toughen the meat.

Transporting:

• Keep the carcass cool during transport.
• Practise non tie a deer carcass on the hood of the motorcar or in the trunk when it is even so warm.
• Be certain to keep the carcass cool until it reaches the locker institute. Continue the carcass out of directly sunlight and let for adequate air circulation.

Aging Meat: Crumbling meat is the practise of holding carcasses or cuts of meat at temperatures of 34 to 37 °F for 7 to fourteen days to allow the enzymes in the meat to break down some of the complex proteins in the carcass. Aged meat is often more tender and flavorful. Practice not age any game carcass if it was shot during warm weather and non chilled rapidly, if the animal was severely stressed prior to the impale, if gunshot areas are extensive, or if the animate being was under 1 year of historic period. Aging is not recommended for carcasses with little or no fat covering because they may dry out during crumbling, and are more susceptible to deterioration through microbial growth. If the meat will be ground into sausage, crumbling is unnecessary.

• Leave the hibernate on and maintain the proper temperature when aging a carcass. Aging game that has been skinned often results in drying and high weight loss. For this reason, properly chilled game should be aged with the hide on unless it is to be anile in a libation where humidity is high. If you practise not take the proper cooler space, spoilage or dehydration may upshot.
• Practise non trim fat from game meat before it is anile considering the fatty protects the meat. Even so, fat should be trimmed after aging to avoid undesirable flavors associated with the fat.
• Limit aging to a maximum of two weeks at 34 to 37 °F. At this point tenderization slows down, and bacterial slime develops which then must be trimmed.
• Cold shortening, which causes meat to be tough, occurs if the internal muscle temperature drops to 32 °F within 12 hours after the kill, such equally if carcasses under 100 pounds are slaughtered when the temperature is below freezing. Frozen carcasses should be thawed and aged at 34 °F for 14 days.

Cut: Many freezer locker stores take power saws and capable meat cutters who cutting and wrap meat. Some hunters cut their own roasts and have steaks or chops cut by an expert meat cutter. Cutting is non a haphazard performance. For piece of cake cutting, hang the carcass by the hocks or hock tendons. Split lengthwise along the backbone from tail to neck, saw with a meat or carpenter 's saw, or chop with a cleaver or paw ax. Keep halves well spread while splitting. Cut between the final two ribs and through the courage to divide halves into quarters.

The simplest way to cut meat is to remove all flesh from bones post-obit along natural seams of muscles. Loins are removed from the back equally they lie between the upright vertebra and down-turned ribs. The long, sausage-shaped piece can then be trimmed of loose tissue and cut into steak-sized pieces (like to cutting a loaf of bread). On smaller animals, a cutting twice the desired size is made, and so cut about in ii once again, leaving connective tissue enough to fold out the cuts to resemble a butterfly.

Care in the Kitchen

Wild game provides wholesome, nourishing food, but should be preserved carefully to retain quality. Like domestic meat, wild meat is perishable, so care is needed to maintain its quality. Freezing meat is the most accepted way to maintain tiptop quality.

• Keep raw meat and cooked meat divide to prevent cross-contamination.
• Wash your knife, hands and cutting board frequently with warm, soapy h2o.
• Trim fat and inedible parts from the carcass when information technology is cut.
• Mix fifteen% pork or beef fat with basis game and 35% pork fatty with fresh game sausage.

To Store in Refrigerator for Immediate Use: Wrap the meat in moisture-proof plastic wrap or identify in a clean plastic storage bag. Store the meat in the refrigerator and use within ii or 3 days.

To Freeze Game Properly:

• Freeze meat while it is fresh and in height condition.
• Divide meat into meal-size quantities.
• Preclude "freezer burn down" by using skilful-quality freezer paper. Use moisture/vapor-proof wrap such as heavily waxed freezer wrap, laminated freezer wrap, heavy-duty aluminum foil or freezer-weight polyethylene numberless.
• Press air out of the packages prior to sealing.
• Characterization packages with contents and date.
• Freeze and store at 0 °F or lower.
• Avoid overloading the freezer. Freeze but the corporeality that volition go solidly frozen inside 24 hours.
• Avoid long storage periods. Limit fresh game to viii months frozen storage and seasoned or cured game to iv months frozen storage. In about states hunting laws require that all wild game exist used earlier the next hunting season. Cheque regulations for amount of game yous tin can continue and length of time that you can keep information technology.

Other methods for preserving game meats include curing and smoking, drying, corning, canning and sausage making.

To Thaw Frozen Meat: Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave oven. Game meat is often high in bacterial content. Thawing at room temperature enhances bacterial growth. Foods thawed in the microwave should be cooked immediately. Refrigerator-thawed meat should be used within one or two days.

Cooking Wild Game

Game animals lead active lives. As a consequence, their muscles are relatively lean. This makes game meat drier than domestic meat or poultry. Therefore, it is important to use cooking methods that add juiciness and season to game meat.

Cooking Tips:

• Trim abroad fatty before cooking if this was not done when the game was cut. Wild game fat tends to become rancid quickly and this contributes to the "game" flavor.
• Add other fats to go along game meat from condign besides dry. Rub a roast with common salt pork, butter, margarine, beefiness suet, salary fat, vegetable fatty, or sweet or sour cream to add moisture, richness and flavor.
• "Lard" your lean game meat past inserting slivers of uncooked table salt pork or bacon with a skewer or water ice option. If you brand your own rolled roasts, add together beef or pork fatty to the within and outside of the roast before information technology is tied.
• Baste very lean cuts with additional fat to meliorate flavor.
• Serve game meat very hot or very cold. Lukewarm game fat has a very greasy gustatory modality.

Roasting a Loin or Rib

Trim off all game fat; rub with bacon drippings or similar fatty. Flavor with common salt, pepper and desired herbs. Place on a roasting rack in an uncovered pan, bone down. For added flavor, place bacon strips on superlative of the roast. Baste with additional fat every bit needed, but do not add together water. Roast uncovered at 300 ºF. Allow 20 to 25 minutes per pound. Since lean game meat usually cooks faster than beef, use a meat thermometer, if possible. Game meats should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 to 170 °F.

Broiling Loin & Rib Steaks or Chops: Preheat the broiler to 350 °F. Trim all natural fat from steaks or chops. Rub meat with salary or similar fatty, and flavour it. Place steaks or chops on the broiler rack with the top surface 3 to v inches below the rut source, depending upon the thickness of cutting. Leave broiler or oven door open a few inches unless range directions suggest otherwise. If meat smokes or spatters, the flame is too high or the meat is too close. Brown meat on each side. A one-inch steak will require almost 15 to twenty minutes cooking. Baste with butter and serve at in one case.

Pan Broiling Loin and Rib Steaks or Chops: Partially heat a heavy frying pan. Rub the medium-hot pan with suet or a small amount of fat. Melt meat quickly over medium high heat.

Braising Less Tender Cuts (chuck or shoulder, leg or circular, breast or plate): Flavor with common salt, pepper, and herbs. Rub with flour. Brown all sides in moderately hot fatty. Add together a small-scale amount of h2o (nearly ii/3 cup). Cover tightly. Cook very slowly (simmer) until tender (2 to iii hours). Plough the meat occasionally; adding water, if necessary.

Stewing (shank, cervix): Cut the meat into ane-inch cubes. Sprinkle with flour and flavor. Chocolate-brown on all sides in medium-hot fatty. Cover meat with boiling water. Cover kettle tightly. Simmer until tender (about ii to three hours). Practise not boil! Add vegetables just long enough before serving time so they volition be tender.

Marinades: Marinades tin can tenderize, enhance or disguise game flavors to fit your preference. Encompass meat with one of the following marinades and let to stand in the fridge at to the lowest degree 24 hours. Bake, roast or braise.

• 2 cups vinegar, 2 cups h2o, ½ cup sugar
• French dressing, lycopersicon esculentum sauce, undiluted tomato plant soup or tomato juice
• Fruit juice (such as lemon, pineapple or a mixture of many juices)
• ¼ cup vinegar, ½ loving cup cooking oil, ½ tea-spoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 cups water; ii cups vinegar; 1 to two tabular array-spoons sugar; 4 bay leaves; i teaspoon common salt; 12 whole cloves; one teaspoon allspice; 3 medium sized onions, sliced
• Garlic salt, salt and pepper to gustation and equal parts of: Worcestershire sauce and 2 of your favorite steak sauces
• 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1½ teaspoons footing ginger, i clove garlic minced, ii tablespoons brownish sugar, ½ cup soy sauce, ¾ cup vegetable oil
• Commercial marinades
• Milk

Sources:

1. Garden-Robinson, Julie and Martin Marchello. (2003). From Field to Table…A Pocket Guide to Care and Handling of Deer and Elk http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/yf/foods/ncr525w.htm
2. Reynolds, A. Estes and James A. Christian. (1995). Venison from Field to Table: Getting the Almost Out of Your Deer. http://www.birdflumanual.com/resources/Food_Preservation/files/venisonUGA04.pdf

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Source: https://www.andrewcountyhealth.com/index.php/resources/news/74-wild-game-meats

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