There is no better way to celebrate a successful hunt than to process your newly acquired meat yourself. Whether it be in the outdoors, at the shop or on the kitchen counter; all you truly need is a sharp knife, a couple of hours and a few freezer bags. So far we have covered “How to Debone a Deer Hind-Quarter”, “How to Remove a Deer Tenderloin” and “How to Remove a Deer Backstrap”. For our last installment, which many have already asked for, here is our “How to Debone a Deer Shoulder” with Josh McFaddin.
In the video below, Josh shows how to break down this awesome chunk of meat into 4 delicious cuts ready for the smoker, BBQ or slow cooker. Below that Josh goes over all the steps, and encourages folks to try some new recipes with these underutilized cuts of venison!
Breaking it Down
The level of satisfaction that comes with breaking down your own deer is quite high. I was fortunate enough to grow up with a butcher in our hunting crew and have loads of fond memories of pulling out tables in the garage, laying down plastic, sharpening knives and labelling freezer bags with a sharpie for hours on end while everyone stood around with bloody hands, a beverage and tunes playing from a junky old shop radio.
As one who has been in hot pursuit over the years to learn how to enjoy the less common cuts, I have found the front shoulder to be one of the most fun and rewarding chunks to tackle.
The shoulders are often used as stewing meat or trim for the grinder and I am here to tell you that you should really consider trying other options. Between the shank, mid-roast and blade, you’ve got yourself a quality meat experience ranging from tender and rare steaks to slow-cooked meat that melts under a fork.
This season I encourage you to follow along with the video, grab a sharp knife and learn to break down a shoulder, earn some new tricks and try something new that will benefit your venison-eating experience.
