Venison vs beef

[Baroque Brass]

This has probably been discussed at length, but last week I wanted some cubed steak. The wife went to Publix and got a package of the Greenwise beef at $7.99 a pound. First, I wouldn’t have bought the Greenwise. I cooked it up with onions and gravy and it was tough and didn’t have good flavor. The last cubed venison I had was everything the beef wasn’t. Tender and great flavor. The wife won’t eat venison though. So here’s my question. For you guys that take a deer to the processor, what does it cost per pound for the meat you get home with? I know processing has gone up a lot, but I still remember getting a deer processed for about $40. Doesn’t it run about $80-100 now, depending on how it’s cut up?

 

[Hickory Nut]

Yep, $80-120 last season depending on the processor. There's 3 or 4 up this way and you get what you pay for.

 

[sinclair1]

Hunting To feed a family, the first thing to do is eliminate the processing fee.
The truth is the freezer full of meat is just a small payment on an expensive hobby for most, but there are a few folks that spend very little and probably come out ahead hunting and fishing.

 

[buckpasser]

First, I prefer all deer steak to all beef steak. My favorite beef stead is sirloin, and the more fatty and marbled a steak, the more I dislike it, but that’s just me. Second, I feel for you on having a wife that won’t eat venison. I know there are a bunch of women out there like that, but that’s unfortunate and a little crazy to me. Lastly, I agree with Sinclair. There aren’t many of us coming out ahead financially by hunting or fishing, so I wouldn’t even consider that. It’s around $100 here for a basic processing. Get all sausage or summer sausage or something more extravagant and it goes up significantly.

 

[livinoutdoors]

Hunting To feed a family, the first thing to do is eliminate the processing fee.
The truth is the freezer full of meat is just a small payment on an expensive hobby for most, but there are a few folks that spend very little and probably come out ahead hunting and fishing.

This is it right here
Aint nothing wrong with spendin a little money to enjoy life. Deer camp, offshore fishing, nice bass boat, etc etc. All great ways to enjoy life and have some food to show for it as well. But,
If you are trying to live off the land as it were, the quickest way to save money is to home butcher your deer. For the cost of a bullet, few bags of ice, and a couple hours time i can have a deer put up.

 

[fireman32]

You should get about 35% meat yield from the live weight of a deer. $100.00 for processing a 200 pound deer down to 70 pounds. That’s around $1.45 a pound. Not bad on that side. Add up gas and gear, license, land rent and all other things you spend money on and the price per pound will grow significantly.

 

[MattLemmon]

For years this was my issue, too cheap to pay processor and wife & kids didn’t really eat it. A good grinder solved this. Tacos, spaghetti and 50/50 burgers, they couldn’t tell the difference. It’s different now (kids are older and hunt with me and eat anything and wife came around) but for a long time I ground most of my deer.

 

[greg_n_clayton]

Hunting To feed a family, the first thing to do is eliminate the processing fee.
The truth is the freezer full of meat is just a small payment on an expensive hobby for most, but there are a few folks that spend very little and probably come out ahead hunting and fishing.

I was raised around a family of around 7 or kids. They were fed from meat that came from from around 80% wild game and fish ! Their parents were very frugal when it came to meats and processing their own game. Processors in this area are few and aren't busy at all. Most folks here process their kill at home. It ain't hard to find somebody with meat saws, slicers, cubers and grinders that are willing to help you if needed.

 

[Baroque Brass]

I wasn’t thinking about it from an economic standpoint. I’d think the only way it would be economical would be to own your land and process the meat yourself. If you have to factor in a lease, license, transportation and other associated cost, there’s nothing economical about eating venison over beef. My question was about just the cost per pound of having a deer processed.

 

[buckmanmike]

From a taste standpoint, I prefer venison cubed steak over beef cubed steak. More flavor. Add mashed taters and green peas, Im in heaven.

 

[Baroque Brass]

From a taste standpoint, I prefer venison cubed steak over beef cubed steak. More flavor. Add mashed taters and green peas, Im in heaven.

I like mine with onion gravy over rice. Sautéed or roasted broccoli makes a nice side.

 

[BassRaider]

Always used to process my own deer. Shoot it, gut it, hang in a cooler for week, skin it, an process. I shot a nice 9pt that I wanted to mount so I took it to a processor to cape. While it was there, I just had them process. It came back with so much hair on the meat that my wife said no way she would eat it. Gave the meat away then eventually stopped hunting for other reasons.
Sorry to the OP for straying from the question.

 

[mrs. hornet22]

We try to process all deer at home. Cubed Venison vs cubed Beef? I'll take venison all day long. Cooked some cubed beef one time and my son said there is something wrong with this. Never cooked it again.

 

[sea trout]

-Cubed beef steak vs cubed deer steak = hands down cubed deer steak wins! My wife fries them and makes biscuts in the oven and sawmill gravy on the stove and that all put together is a family favorite!

-ground beef vs ground deer= For burgers on the grill I prefer ground chuck hands down! So fatty and greasy cooked medium with all the fixins and colby jack cheese man that's good! For every other burger dish like spagetti, hamburger helper, taco's, lasagna, chili, mac n cheese n burger and on and on and on ground deer wins.
When my wife makes a chili for church or kids school everyone loves it and wonders what's in it!!?? It's the venison that adds to the great flavor!

-Steak on the grill.... Beef.
Deer steak on the grill to me is like eatin shoes. I probly aint got the hang of it or somethin.

 

[Lilly001]

I had the problem with Wifey not wanting to eat venison.
I slowly introduced her, sometimes covertly, to the more premium cuts like backstrap stroganoff, venison sausage spaghetti sauce, cubed venison steaks with mushrooms and onions.
Now, after 40 years, she is eager to eat most of the venison I cook.

 

[dang]

I had the problem with Wifey not wanting to eat venison.
I slowly introduced her, sometimes covertly, to the more premium cuts like backstrap stroganoff, venison sausage spaghetti sauce, cubed venison steaks with mushrooms and onions.
Now, after 40 years, she is eager to eat most of the venison I cook.

My wife was never apprehensive but I did the same thing with a few of her friends. I just called it whatever it is …we’re having spaghetti and meatballs, or cheesesteaks, or chilli. I found that if you don’t put some big emphasis on the fact that it’s venison, and you’re a decent cook, most folks even ones that weren’t raised on deer don’t think twice. At this point everyone that comes over pretty much knows the deal. My wife and I haven’t bought any beef at all in 3 or 4 years besides briskets to smoke in the summer.

 

[DannyW]

-Cubed beef steak vs cubed deer steak = hands down cubed deer steak wins! My wife fries them and makes biscuts in the oven and sawmill gravy on the stove and that all put together is a family favorite!

-ground beef vs ground deer= For burgers on the grill I prefer ground chuck hands down! So fatty and greasy cooked medium with all the fixins and colby jack cheese man that's good! For every other burger dish like spagetti, hamburger helper, taco's, lasagna, chili, mac n cheese n burger and on and on and on ground deer wins.
When my wife makes a chili for church or kids school everyone loves it and wonders what's in it!!?? It's the venison that adds to the great flavor!

-Steak on the grill.... Beef.
Deer steak on the grill to me is like eatin shoes. I probly aint got the hang of it or somethin.

You pretty much nailed it for me. I like to deer hunt. I eat the deer I kill. But if I had to choose between beef and venison, beef would win.

Cubed and ground venison are great, but steaks, chops and roasts have a flavor, to me, that reminds a little of liver. Kinda slightly bitter taste. And deer are loading up on those "sweet" acorns when we are hunting them. I think the taste comes from that.

Now elk venison is a whole other story...elk over beef any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

 

[Baroque Brass]

We snuck in some venison on my wife years ago, she said it was good then we told her what it was. She’s been leery every since. To me venison is too lean to grill, it always seems dry. But the tenderloin cut into cubes, marinated and grilled to about medium is mighty fine

 

[sinclair1]

I guess I am lucky, my wife is a knock the horns off steak eater. Eats rabbit, frog legs and venison.
She is the fru fru type, but grew up on game and hasn’t changed because of all the Tofu ladies at work.
She knocks those horns off even when I am on one of my no meat months

 

[earlthegoat2]

For me, like beef steak better if I am having steak. I only eat NY strip or ribeye though if I am having steak.

I still eat and enjoy venison steak though.

I don’t cube anything. That’s just another piece of processing equipment I don’t want or need.

Strategically add some fat here and there to your ground and figure out a few preparation and cooking hacks for venison and it’s like it’s just another meat