Hunting & Fishing Skin on or off?

[2bfarming]

I cut my own meat and can't stand having to skin off the "crust" after my elk hangs for a week or so. Does anyone ever leave the hide on while its hanging? I don't kill elk until late nov so its nice and cool out plus I have great root cellar that stays around 36-40 in the winter.

What are some tricks you know of to avoid this hassle and waste?

 

[hunter223]

Re: Skin on or off?

I have a feeling the meat will spoil. Don't know for sure though. You could put them in hanging/smoking socks that helps some. YMMV

 

[BallCoeff_606]

Re: Skin on or off?

An animal's furry hide is designed to keep it warm. That's why it has to come off ASAP to help cool down the carcass, just like gutting it, to put the brakes on spoilage.

In a commercial slaughterhouse, large animals are skinned and cut down very quickly then immediately put into high capacity forced-air refrigeration coolers for just that reason.

It's a lot easier to skin right away too when the membranes, fluids and fat have not set up. And the animal will be a lot lighter without it, as you will find if you have to pack the carcass out yourself.

 

[acttacus]

Re: Skin on or off?

My rule of thumb is:

Gutt within minutes, skin within hours, and have the meat in the freezer by the end of the day.

 

[rm76]

Re: Skin on or off?

Well, each to his own I suppose -- and everyone has his/her own way to doing things. However, being an Animal Science major I took some meats courses at Texas A&M and recall a study that was conducted there years ago (albeit with deer). They found that the meat was in no danger of spoiling, and flavor was not affected, during the first 24 hours of a kill no matter what temperature the carcass was kept at (within reason of course). The meat is virtually sterile inside, except where the bullet drags bacteria inside, and as the carcass cools, it is Ok for 24 hrs or so. So, basically whether the carcass cools down in 2 hours or 24 hours, it should matter. I wouldn't think it would matter if the skin is left on an elk as long as the carcass is cooled down in about a day. If the outside temperature is cool enough and the animal is gutted, then it will still cool with the skin on. The skin will keep the meat clean and moist. We routinely leave the skin on deer which hang for a day, sometimes when the temperature is 80F during the day and gets no lower than 60s at night. Have done it for years. True, it is easier to skin when fresh but is not necessary as long as provision are made to cool down the carcass. Domestic livestock in the US all have a layer of fat that prevents the crusting while it is aging in the cooler.

 

[FARGO]

Re: Skin on or off?

Here is some very informative F.A.Q. .... Very good info IMHO...

http://www.best-venison.com/whatsmeat.html

 

[rm76]

Re: Skin on or off?

Oh, and aging is a personal choice also. Some find no advantage in it, while others do. Aging helps to tenderize the meat to some degree (although it takes several days) and also enhances the flavor. This works as a result of enzymes acting on the meat. Tenderness is initially affected by allowing the carcass to go into rigor mortis while still attached to the frame. For best results, hang the whole carcass. If this is not doable, then consider leaving the meat attached to the quarters. When meat is stripped from the carcass before rigor mortis, and the tendons/ligaments are not there attaching the muscle to the bones, then the muscle fibers contract severely -- making for tough meat. However, this does not matter as much if the meat is mechanically and/or chemically tenderized -- or if it is slow cooked with moist heat. May not matter as much with young folks with strong teeth also, but for us old farts with old teeth tenderness does matter.

 

[Rhys]

Re: Skin on or off?

Typically will cut and wrap deer or antelope within 24 to at most 48 hours. Elk just within 72 hours as it is usually cosiderably cooler by the time they are down.