deer ribs
 

Do you people ever use the ribs? I don't have a band saw, but the butcher does. Is there a good amount of meat there to make it worth it?

Just my $0.02 worth, don't use a saw on deer. Deer fat and bones taste bad unlike cows and pigs. If you ever watch cooking shows they always say that the flavor is in the fat. IMHO that is a bad thing with deer. That is why they taste so gamey when a butcher processes a deer. I use a boning knife to remove all the meat, and am careful not to get any fat. If you want the rib meat, cut it out from between them and then grind it into burger. People who come to dinner at my house are always supprised at how good the deer meat tastes.

no, not enough meat. Just dries up when you try to make anything out of them.

This is where things get interesting. My buddies say the ribs are great on the grille. I don't know as I usually just discard them. One year I couldn't find any beef suet for the burger and just ground in some of the hard back fat from the buck and guess what, no difference in taste....

That is interesting. The deer fat and bones that I have had have been pretty horrid. I always add pork fat when it is needed.

I have always just discarded them. doesn't seem to be enough meat for the effort involved in extracting it. but in regards to using a saw posted earlier. I have a bone saw that can be used to separate the animals back quarters if I choose to do it that way. as well as remove the head for whatever purpose. Yes, I am familiar with deboning the entire animal and depending on time frame that is always an aption. but if I need to quarter the animal in a hurry and get it in the fridge, nothing beats a good sharp bone saw.

I use a saw after de-boning/ removing legs too. Makes for quick cut up.

I should clarify, I use a saw for the pelvis, sternum, sometimes for removing the head and for removing the legs at the last joint. However, I don't saw through bones at the same time as the meat that I'm planning on eating (such as in making Bar-B-Q ribs). IMO getting the bone bits in with the meat can make it taste bad. That has been my experience anyways. Doing it this way, even the "gamey" bucks taste like little does. I'm sure that others may not notice a differences. This could be due to different diets the deer eat or the different tastes of the individual. Typically I fillet the meat off of the ribs leaving very little between them. Then I just give the carcass to the coyotes and birds. I think I added it up once and got less than one pound of meat from between the ribs. Really not worth the bother.

Thank you for that clarification. It makes all the difference to your previous statement. venison fat is awful but most of the gamey taste comes from the deers diet, and the care of the processing of the animal from the field to the fry pan. improper care of meat can make all your efforts from the season a waste.
the entire deer can be deboned without ever touching it with a saw. but on a late Sunday evening and an early Monday workday approaching and the daytime temps threatening 50 degrees. Got to quarter it and chill it ASAP.

I take extreme precautions in caring for my deer from the time I grab their antlers till the time I cut and plate it.