Bone Sour?

[WAPITIHUNTER]

If you have some meat that is so ever slightly tainted with it is there a way to successfully pull the bad flavor out of the meat. I have heard a couple Idea's, like soaking it in milk, salt water, tomatoe juice etc, etc.

Anybody have any sure fire methods of drawing out the bad flavor in game meat, Particularly elk meat?

I would really appreciate any help!

[boneaddict]

I am not sour.  Maybe a little hateful of black cows at the moment.....

[boneaddict]

and.....not that I know of.

[elkaholic]

Never had bad elk.... I have heard of guys using those on geese to rid teh gamey?? Let me knoe.

[WAPITIHUNTER]

I am not sour.  Maybe a little hateful of black cows at the moment.....

You may not be sour but TANGY?

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Just wondering as I have some meat from my '07 5x7 that has been in deep freeze for a while. Some of it was actually good to eat and some was terrible. I am soaking it right now in salt water over night hoping to draw out any bad flavor and then slow cooking it for sandwhich meat for my next upcoming Nooksack foray. I sure hope it turns out. When I took it out of the Vacuum Packaging it smelled ok but you can never really tell till it hits the o'l taste buds??

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Just so you all know this was the only animal I ever left over night before I recovered it. I will never do that again as I lost about 70 percent to bone sour. Another victim of the wonderfullly stupid television programs where they always leave there animals overnight before they recover them. I feel sorrow deep within over the fact of how many animals meat spoils every year from people leaving them overnight just to find them 20-50 yards from where they shot them. I do not understand?

[TopOfTheFoodChain]

I always wipe them down with apple cider vinegar when hanging, not sure I've experienced the bone sour you describe?

 What about the elk burger smelling like wet dog while getting cooked up? How do you get rid of that smell?

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Do not think you can. I have noticed that too but it always tastes fine. If you do not get them cooled down in time they will turn to black/green slime that is utterly unbearable. Do not ever leave them overnight in warm weather. If you are huntin in very cold temps leaving them overnight would probably be ok??

[Goldeneye]

I also knew an old timer about 25 years ago who ran a slaughter house that would rub down an elk with white vinegar if the meat started showing signs of going bone sour before it got to him.  He said it didn't always work if it was already too far gone, but did save the meat on some animals.  

  Luckily, I've never had to try it personally.

[Austrian Hunter]

Slice it an lay it in milk overnight!

[runamuk]

I always wipe them down with apple cider vinegar when hanging, not sure I've experienced the bone sour you describe?

 What about the elk burger smelling like wet dog while getting cooked up? How do you get rid of that smell?

I think its like lamb you cannot get rid of the smell when cooking just learn to like it

[whacker1]

you can try smoking it into jerky

[WAPITIHUNTER]

Well two of the roasts turned out perfect. Cooked them all night on 180 degrees. Put them in a roasting pan covered them with onions, garlic, rosemary, salt, pepper, oregano and some crushed bay leaf. Sealed the pan with tin foil and the roasts were very moist and falling apart. MMMMMM!!!

The other roast I was going to cut up and fry for breakfast but it stunk so in the garbage it went. Oh well. I am glad some of the meat off that elk was good. Not much though.

Before, during, after pictures of roast.

[Huntbear]

Try soaking it overnight in Coca Cola.  I know a guy that does that with all his bear meat, never tastes bad or anything, no matter what it had been eating on.  It will also tenderize it for you. 

Oh, it will soften bones too, eat thru rusted bolts, etc.... 

[Hunterman]

Bone sour meat is only good for dog food. I learned this the hard way..NEVER LEAVE ANY ANIMAL OVER NIGHT IF YOU PLAN ON EATING IT!!!

Hunterman(Tony)

[Axle]

The meat can 'bone sour' and it can 'hide sour'. There is one other way it gets a flavor and odor which is the most common and I will explain; however, The best way to prevent this is to take the meat off the animal asap and process it asap.

One mistake many hunters make is that they think they need to 'cool it off' asap, so what do they do?....they put the meat in water such as a creek or river. That is what starts bacteria growth and it starts immediately. Bacteria is what what causes the stinchy foul smell and taste and it only take a matter if a few hours. Don't ever put your meat in water and if it is raining when you are cutting it up, then process it asap and get it in the freezer (which is what should be done normally anyway). Once the bacteria starts, it can cause meat to get an odor or taste - even in the freezer!

Don't put ice on it either. Ice can attract moisture which can cause bacteria growth. This would be similar to a glass of ice water on your counter which attracts condensation on the outside of the glass. If the meat attracts condensation, it is like submersing it in water. Keep the meat dry!

I have hung meat in temps of up to 85 to 90 degrees (max daytime temps) for up to 6 days and it was just fine because I kept it dry.

Everyone that has had bad meat tells me they made at least one of these mistakes.

Practice keeping the meat dry and you will have excellent quality meat nearly 100% of the time.

Axle