Butchering deer?

First day of gun season is today. Been butchering deer all day.

My question is...Do any of you remove the two tenderloins from inside the body cavity? They are located towards the rear of the deer along each side of the spinal column. They are so tender that you don't even need a knife to remove them. Just use your fingers and work them down to remove.

Granted, they aren't huge but they sure are 'prime' choice.

I've never liked the taste of deer. Too "gamey" for me.

Started watching videos on utube about butchering deer. I found out I was doing almost everything wrong. I butchered a deer a few weeks ago and butchered it following the suggestions I had learned. The taste was great. No gamey flavor what-so-ever.

Anyway, out of all the vids I watched about 'How to butcher a deer', not a one of them had shown about the tenderloins inside the body cavity.

Does anyone else remove these loins?

Thanks

Yes, we do here in Vermont.

Been removing tenderloins for along time, do the back straps along the back bone. Remove them and cut almost thru and cut next one off and open up.(Dollar steaks) The make nice little steaks and are the best part of the deer.

We always save them they a are perfect for breakfast in camp.
Cook up some eggs, taters and toast to go with them.
I also save the heart and liver.

Alaways save em.

Absolutely, work your fingers to the edge or ends and carefully sever off the bone or whatever it is, then pull gently, I never just pull them off because they are so tender, they tear and the cut is not complete.

I've cut mine up for 20 years now at least, I used to take it to a retired butcher who does venison seasonally. I prefer to do it myself.

A few years back I set up a table to show a few friends, also taught a good friends son how to do it. I neatly placed all the cuts on the table and took a photo of it. That one went well, followed the muscle groups, made the appropriate cuts, and displayed each piece to demonstrate how I do it. I learned from an old book for reference, but mostly from doing it, takes about 3 hours, but can be longer if you really take the time on the shoulders.

I hunt on the land I live on, so I field dress them once its hauled in, immediately skin, then let the carcass cool if I have time, usually after an afternoon kill, then butcher. I prefer to have it cut up immediately, cleaned, bagged, labeled and in the freezer. Most times that is how it goes, but if its cool, in the 20's and time is short, I have hung them for a day, overnight, but prefer to get it done immediately, to clean the meat, seems to be well worth it.

The most time consuming part is removing silver skin/sinew and or whatever tendons there are.

I believe the game taste is from the fat, and that is something that needs to come off immediately. Also be cognizant of the fat residue on knives, don't smear that on your cuts, clean the knife first, use a different one, however you like its a must do.

Regionally, its hard to say what the habitat does for the meat, locally its no issue, the browse is plentiful, and plots I've put in have provided months worth of good protein, grasses, clover etc., in addition to the years where there was 60 acres of oat grass re-growth, the meat from all of those deer was very good and no game taste at all. Other areas north of here, less browse, more forest, it can be tougher.

The tenderloins are a celebrated and meal of thankfulness for me, take those cuts, prepare as you like, and enjoy, its the fillet mignon, that and the back straps !

Billy NY- I agree with you! The secret is about cutting along the muscle groups. That was my problem. I just started 'hacking' at the biggest hunk of meat.

I watched a utube vid of a Dr/vet that showed how to remove the meat by muscle meat and not get that gamey flavor by trimming off the fat and sinew.

On a steer those are where the filet mignons come from. If you don't want to sound too fancy, the whole muscle can go by the name of "goose neck". That muscle is very tender since it doesn't get much use. It's engaged in flat out running and during pelvic flexion during reproduction. It doesn't have a lot of flavor so it's usually cooked wrapped in bacon or served with a sauce.

My favorite part of the deer!
We usually cook them as a "reward dinner" for everyone
that helped as soon as we're done processing the deer.

Yes, take them out right away, otherwise they dry out.
I just cut them out of the 8 point that my wife shot this morning.I haven't had real good luck just with my fingers, I work a knife down behind them as I pull. Now I have given her permission to shoot mine if it's a nice one! That would be embarrassing!

Backstraps and tenderloin are the best eating IMO. We always take them.

Absolutely save the tenderloins. Cook them up as soon as the deer is processed.

Last couple years I have a local guy do the processing for me. To me it is worth it. He now charges $5 extra to remove the tenderloins, he said too many people were complaining the loins were too small, not from their deer etc. Says with the $5 upcharge, most guys will remove them before they bring the deer in.

Rick

Preacher's meat! Thats what we call them. Only served when the preacher came for dinner. They are by far the best piece of meat on a deer. We save them and cook them with mushrooms and taters.

We call them "butterfly cuts"
I buy my beef from home grown home butchered sources. I only buy tenderloin. A four pond piece of tenderloin is $50. But I will get 7 delicious steaks from that.

That's what we call them is preachers meat. I didn't know anyone else called them that.