re: Best deer processing

Kens Deer Butcher Shop in Raceland. About 35 minutes from Kenner.

quote:

---

Van’s

---

As good a smoked sausage as I’ve ever had. But when they are full, they will turn you away, even my cousin who has used them for decades.

I’ve used many of the ones listed, Benoits, Bergeron’s, Fortenberry’s, Curtrer’s. Past couple of years, I’ve used Stacey’s in Crystal Springs, and been well pleased. They put your meat in plastic tubs, right into their walk-in cooler. So I’m at least optimistic I get my own back. And they have a very wide variety of products, and all have been very good and well packaged.

If they’re not seasonal, that’s the way to do it

You’re right. It’s the Crystal Springs exit off 55, but I think their address is Utica. Those piney woods all start to look the same after awhile.

The contract out their tamales to a local that specializes in them, and everyone I’ve shared them with has asked for more. And Stacey offered to hold a batch for me in her personal freezer last year when I got caught up and couldn’t get there for a couple of weeks.

Good people.

FIRST watch where they process and if they actually separate your meat from others I have seen ice chests with no ice and smelly in line to be processed with mine ( I left) also seen one big table with six butchers and meat being passe around with no separation (i left) and tables not being cleaned in between batches - do your own

Might be a little far, but I know a few people that use C&C SmokeHouse in Franklinton that seem to like them.

I worked for a processor in college, much smaller than most of the ones mentioned in here.

Deboning an entire deer is a 5 minute deal for a processor, so you’re either losing a good bit of meat, or those leaves and sticks that are stuck to the bloody bone fragmented shoulder jelly are going in with any silver skin, tendons, adrenal glands. If you don’t want anything in your finished meat, you should take care of that before you drop it off.

I don’t know any place that advertises that they go big batches between customers, but I’m sure there are some. Even if they make an effort to keep the customers’ deer separated unless they are keeping the tailings out of the grinder/stuffer for themselves, there’s always going to be some cross contamination between batches or customers. Some use it as samples for people to try before ordering, another processor used to call this “x blend” and would smoke it and either give it away or keep it for himself (smoked jalapeño cheddar pineapple breakfast sausage was pretty damn good)

In reality it’s rarely a big deal, but could be the difference between your batch being some of the best you’ve ever had, and never using a processor again. If any of this is alarming you might want to try bringing it outside of the seasonal rush, being more involved in the deboning process cleaning process, or doing it all yourself.

This is Bennny Vine. Just an FYI - We are working to improve our deer processing ops. Also have my dad back helping / directing operations. Hope we can get another shot.

quote:

---

This is Bennny Vine. Just an FYI - We are working to improve our deer processing ops. Also have my dad back helping / directing operations. Hope we can get another shot.

---

It’s hard to imagine how difficult this operation can be. I appreciate you guys trying.