Fat / Silver Skin / Connective Tissue

[LCH]

I've been processing all of my own big game for about 10 years now. I do anywhere from 5-10 animals a year, but am still figuring some stuff out as I go.

The last couple years, I've been making extra efforts to remove as much silver skin and similar matter as possible during processing, where as in the past I would tend to get lazy and send more through the grinder. It takes time, and reduces my total yield a bit, but results in a better product. Overall, I take about 8 hours to do a deer and probably 12 hours to do an elk.

If I know I'm going to slow cook a particular cut I don't trim as much, but really I mostly just cut steaks and grind burger.

I don't do much or any trimming in the field, because when I remove the silver skin in the kitchen most hair and dirt goes with it.

I've also done some experimenting with aging bone-in on ice in a cooler, and silver skin seems to come off a lot easier after aging a week or so.


How do you all manage the aforementioned matter, from field to processing? Trim it off and leave it in the field? Leave it on and do more trimming at the dinner table?

 

[p_ham]

I trim when I'm processing for the freezer. All tallow comes off in the field.

 

[Sask hunter]

Trim before grinding. Where it comes from dictates how much I trim. Some of they silver skin on the hind quarter isn’t too tough and will tear with a knife vs shank silver skin which could be used for shoe laces lol

 

[RyGuy]

I’ve always hunted and processed game with my dad and grandpa. Grandpa believes every last shred of meat is good and should be at least put in the grind bucket. Often a lot of connective tissues/silver skin/fat makes it in there too. He packages “steaks” that I’d say are questionable to even go in the grind.
Dad is more picky about what gets packaged.
As I’ve gotten older I’ve become the most picky and diligent trimmer.
Eating the three levels of burger and steaks side by side I can definitely taste the difference. Less in the burger, but definitely in the steaks.
We do the vast majority of trimming at home before we package and freeze.
If I have time I’ll cut off big pieces of fat etc in the field.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

I've been making extra efforts to remove as much silver skin and similar matter as possible during processing

If I know I'm going to slow cook a particular cut I don't trim as much, but really I mostly just cut steaks and grind burger.

I don't do much or any trimming in the field, because when I remove the silver skin in the kitchen most hair and dirt goes with it.

This, very little silver skin in my freezer, but I keep it on until I get home as it seems to help with protecting the meat.

 

[Sask hunter]

This, very little silver skin in my freezer, but I keep it on until I get home as it seems to help with protecting the meat.

All my roast and steak keep there on in the freezer too. Once thawed for eating then it gets the final trim

 

[MNElkNut]

I get pickier every year. My test is, "Do I want to eat that?" If not, trim and toss.

However, I have started to save the tallow to feed the birds in winter instead of buying suet.

Growing up, we had a guy that ate everything but the bone. After he would eat a chicken drumstick, there was less meat on that bone than one that had been in a museum for 50 years! As we were processing deer, it was always one person's job to QAQC his work so gristle, tendon, bloodshot meat, and fat didn't go in the grinder.

 

[Scott85]

I put most of my meat in a fridge to age a little. When I get ready to package most of the exterior stuff gets cut off.

 

[Mallardsx2]

I have a friend that trims so much that I don't even know why he keeps any of the meat.....Literally he gets half as much meat as I do from a deer. His meat looks great, but lord he wastes a lot of meat.

I toss a lot into the grinding pile, and I clean my grinder blade frequently (every 5 pounds of meat of so).

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

I've actually gotten less picky over the years with trimming. Saves time and I haven't noticed any difference in end product quality.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Trim everything upon butchering. Put in effort to get most of it, but a little won't hurt, especially for burger.

 

[Henry22]

I trim burger while processing. Steaks are frozen with silver skin on and trimmed before cooking. And any scrap meat without too much undesirable tissue is tossed into the summer sausage pile.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Silver skin and connective tissue is collagen. It melts when heated. I do trim off heavy sinew that would clog my grinder but the thin sinew and silver skin becomes part of my burger.

I do trim off sinew and tendons on roasts that I grill just because I think it makes a better presentation and is easier to eat.

I have never noticed a taste difference between meat that I trimmed the silver skin heavily or meat that I ground with the silver skin.

I am going to boldly assert that the importance of trimming all the silver skin off is an old wives tale and any taste difference is measured by the imagination of the taster’s brain and not his taste buds.

 

[Bluffgruff]

I need to do a video on this because there aren't enough of them and my way is the best, obviously.

I like a cap of connective tissue on the outside of everything until I get home to keep it clean. I also dry age for up to a week.

I used to trim more, now I pay more attention to the process before the trimming, and a thin sheet of fascia and fat comes off both sides of each leg before I start breaking apart the muscle groups.

All fat comes off no matter where it is because it goes rancid first, and I like the meat to stay fresh as long as possible.

If it's whole muscle going into the freezer, fascia ("silver skin") comes off. I trim a lot for those whole muscle cuts.

Lower legs either become shanks for braising with only the outside fascia removed or into the grind pile with gastroc and most of the random shoulder cuts. I leave all the fascia in the shanks when grinding because you barely get any meat if you trim, and if you cross-cut your cubes, most grinders have no issues, even 50lbs into the session.

I really, really enjoy this process for the first 3-4 hours. Especially with a beer and some music.

 

[BillDoe708]

If the meat is really cold it helps with trimming I find. I trim a lot too. I just use a filet knife. Time consuming but worth it. FYI when canning venison all that silver skin tends to evaporate.

 

[shannerdrake]

I trim a lot in the field. Some more when processing. Then again before cooking.

That being said. If it’s a roast I’m slow cooking for myself, I’ll let some stuff go and pull it off after the cook.

If I’m serving guests, I’ll trim it to a show quality level. I like to make non hunters into believers.

I almost exclusively process with a 6in filet knife.

I’ll add that I raw feed my lab so she gets all the trim. Nothing goes to waste. According to my vet, that stuff is particularly good for her.

 

[LCH]

... That being said. If it’s a roast I’m slow cooking for myself, I’ll let some stuff go and pull it off after the cook.

If I’m serving guests, I’ll trim it to a show quality level. I like to make non hunters into believers...

Same, my wife and daughters like wild game. I do my best to remove anything even semi-unpleasant if they're going to eat it, I definitely do not want them turning against venison.

I’ll add that I raw feed my lab so she gets all the trim. Nothing goes to waste. According to my vet, that stuff is particularly good for her.

My dogs love that stuff also. Even the bones disappear after a few weeks.

 

[ImBillT]

The only thing I trim in the field is bloodshot meat. I don’t try to get it all, just the big chunks. Since I lung shoot, that’s only a small portion of the flank meat that I trim off in the field, unless I accidentally get into the shoulder. I’m much more meticulous trimming out bloodshot meat once I’m home.

Back home I trim the silver skin off the backstraps, the tri-tips, only the thick center piece of the sirloin tip, and some of the thick parts on inside and outside round. I remove the tendon from the outside round, along with the ball of blood vessels and stuff. On the front I trim the silver skin from the flat irons and cut the tendon out of the middle. I remove the silver skin/tendon from the back of the shoulder blade because that’s enough to plug the grinder. Beyond that, nothing else gets trimmed. Silver skin will melt down in slow cooked preparations. It gives the broth a silkiness and more body. I don’t grind shanks or what would be a picnic roast. I mostly grind flanks, mock-tenders, the two round muscles under the throat(the rest of the neck gets slow cooked), and trimmings from the hind quarter.

I do remove the outer layer of silver skin from anything that got dirt or hair on it because that’s a rather expedient way of cleaning it.

 

[tjones]

The only thing I trim in the field is bloodshot meat. I don’t try to get it all, just the big chunks. Since I lung shoot, that’s only a small portion of the flank meat that I trim off in the field, unless I accidentally get into the shoulder. I’m much more meticulous trimming out bloodshot meat once I’m home.

Game must be built different from where you are to here. Here the flank meat is a long ways from the lungs.

 

[ImBillT]

Game must be built different from where you are to here. Here the flank meat is a long ways from the lungs.

I call the flank everything covering the ribs all the way back to whatever covers the guts. Maybe that isn’t correct.