Best meat from a big animal... Deer, pig, whatever...

[sooey]

G'day,

Forgetting hunting for rabbits or whatever small critters where you've got to eat the whole thing for a meal, but for big stuff that's going to fill a freezer what do you guys think are the best cuts?

Seems a lot of guys when deer hunting and others too just take the 4 legs, but I reckon that's missing out of heaps. I'm not an expert butcher by any means, but I've had plenty of good meals cooked with the saddle, or shoulder etc. Bits guys usually don't take.

What do you reckon the best cut is?

[Member-Deleted]

Fallow backstraps

[Brute]

I'd have to cast my vote for pork shoulder.

Slow roast pork shoulder with tomatoes and spices, perfecto.

[ebr love]

How you cook it is the trick to making it all equally good I reckon.

There's fillet steak or rump, but cooked well either is just as tasty and satisfying.

IMO.

[Chronos]

The idea of only taking such a small percentage of any animal shot for meat doesn't sit well with me. Shooting a 100kg deer and only taking 3-4kg of back straps strikes me as a terrible waste of meat. Sure some animals and some cuts may not make the best eating but it makes sense to use as much of the meat as you can.

Sure take the most tender bits for steaks for your self, but take as much as you can for sausages,stews, give it to friends even if they only use it as dog food it won't be wasted.

And what better way to introduce others to naturally harvested meats. Might even convince some of them that hunting and shooting us a good thing

Chronos

[Hatter]

Anything pork related is always tops

Stew with neck or shoulder, roast legs, bacon, pigs belly, pork chops.

You can't go wrong

[Lorgar]

Slow roast neck is about the best from everything I reckon.

Fillet steaks obviously good, but you get so little and buying it costs a fortune. Money better spent elsewhere mostly I reckon.

I agree with Chronos that only taking the legs is wasteful. A few practice runs and people can easily take a lot more. There are plenty of videos on YouTube showing how to do it too for anyone who needs info.

[Guliver]

We used to kill pigs for the family at my father in laws farm up in Grenfell and take some legs to Young to be processed for ham and bacon, best ham and bacon from our own pigs, feed mostly on our own gristed wheat.

[Member-Deleted]

The idea of only taking such a small percentage of any animal shot for meat doesn't sit well with me. Shooting a 100kg deer and only taking 3-4kg of back straps strikes me as a terrible waste of meat. Sure some animals and some cuts may not make the best eating but it makes sense to use as much of the meat as you can.

Sure take the most tender bits for steaks for your self, but take as much as you can for sausages,stews, give it to friends even if they only use it as dog food it won't be wasted.

And what better way to introduce others to naturally harvested meats. Might even convince some of them that hunting and shooting us a good thing

Chronos

Clearly another person that can't f***ing read! All the op asked was what's your best cut! Not what moral high horse your going to ride.

[Chronos]

Clearly another person that can't f***ing read! All the op asked was what's your best cut! Not what moral high horse your going to ride.

What's with all the agro? It's Friday afternoon! I get enough of that on Sydney's roads.

I have no "favourite" cut, all cuts can be delicious is prepared and cooked in the correct way. Beef ribs or cheeks, brisket, venison sausages, rump it all tastes good if treated with respect by the chef

I also don't care what you think of my post, i do however agree with the opening post when he says

"a lot of guys when deer hunting and others too just take the 4 legs, but I reckon that's missing out of heaps."

Now take your agro elsewhere, I had enough of it on other Australian forums over the past couple of years

Chronos

[Warrigul]

Fallow backstraps

Those and the silverside muscles from the leg are all I really bother with too. Occaisonally I will chop a couple of rib sections specifically for spit roasting but the rest is just mince and salami as far as I am concerned.

And the dogs usually eat well too.

Being from TAS we don't get much else than fallow, no pigs, not many goats etc The odd forester on permit but mainly small wallaby which are shot by the dozens each night and you get sick of them quick.

[Warrigul]

OFF TOPIC ALERT:

A quick personal note on the subject of wasting meat etc,

Whilst there are many different views, I take the stance(handed down by many generations) that most animals we as hunters specifically target are introduced pests and do untold damage to the environment. I would prefer to see ten pig/goat/deer/rabbits etc shot and left to rot rather that just a single animal shot and all the meat recovered.

While some may think this wasteful I refuse to allow an introduced species any cute and cuddly rights and may all proponents of 100% usage please make sure they eat every single carp they catch next time when cod fishing.

I have left plenty to rot, crows, tasmanian devils, quolls and tigers have to eat too.

[Chronos]

OFF TOPIC ALERT:

A quick personal note on the subject of wasting meat etc,

Whilst there are many different views, I take the stance(handed down by many generations) that most animals we as hunters specifically target are introduced pests and do untold damage to the environment. I would prefer to see ten pig/goat/deer/rabbits etc shot and left to rot rather that just a single animal shot and all the meat recovered.

While some may think this wasteful I refuse to allow an introduced species any cute and cuddly rights and may all proponents of 100% usage please make sure they eat every single carp they catch next time when cod fishing.

I have left plenty to rot, crows, tasmanian devils, quolls and tigers have to eat too.

Perhaps I worded my post poorly, I was of course talking about animals shot for eating, not simple pest control. I wouldn't confuse the two and no one expects a shooter to butcher out a boar, stinky or fox. Lol

Chronos

[tom604]

tenderloins, not much meat but,,,,,,tender

[Seconds]

nothing beats fillet I reckon.

Same problem as tenderloins though, hardly any of it for the size of the animal.

[Monty]

Rib-eye on the bone.

Still on the bone is a must!

[Warrigul]

Rib-eye on the bone.

Still on the bone is a must!

Fallow ribs are end of day, or next morning barbecue for us a few times during deer season.

[Skadoo]

I do love a good beef rib-eye.

About $30 a kg or something though

[Westy]

Fallow backstraps

X2

[Wheelbarrow]

I do love a good beef rib-eye.

The whole rack!

Rack of lamb with plum sauce is unbeatable.