# Ground meat question



## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

I just slaughtered and butchered two goats for the first time. It went pretty well and just as I expected. But, when I went to grind the hamburger type meat, it really smelled bad. It was a brand new grinder and freshly washed so the odor did not come from the machine. The meat did not smell strong going in, just coming out. So, my question is this...Does ground goat meat always smell stronger? None of the nicer cuts smell that way and I cooked some into stew last night. (It was delicious by the way! Only the second time I have tasted goat.) I am wondering if it is the connective tissues that carry the smell. I was really careful to trim most of the fat off and the worst of the other stuff, but ......the wethers were almost a year old if that makes a difference.


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## m57gonefishing (Jan 26, 2012)

I usually grind most of it and have never had that issue. Are you sure you didn't puncture the gut, intestines, bladder. It sounds like some of your meat might have got a little dirty while other areas didn't. Stinky meat is usually bad meat or meat that has bacteria growing. My guess.


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## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

I don't think it could have gone bad in the few hours it took to complete the job from start to finish. It was more of a strong smell than a rotten smell. Gamey? I've never known what that meant. We definitely didn't puncture the gut or the bladder. I have decided that that meat will be fed to the dogs as there isn't that much of it anyway. The rest of the goat smells fine.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

It would not of gone bad. Most likely more on how you finished them before you butchered them. ALSO, never use goat fat for hamburger. Trim all fat and anything else that isnt meat as thats where you are going to get the strongest goatie taste. Go to the locale butcher shop and buy some beef fat. They should of already ran it through a grinder so its kinda like in pellets.


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## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

I think anytime you cut something into smaller pieces you are going to release more smell. More surface area=more smell. If you are sensitive to smells already it may be enough to smell bad to you, but wouldn't to someone else. I barely have a sense of smell so it probably wouldn't bother me. I would fry up a small amount and see if it tastes funny, if not, I wouldn't worry about it.


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## m57gonefishing (Jan 26, 2012)

Edit


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## m57gonefishing (Jan 26, 2012)

I've never had smelly meat other than tainted or too warm. Otherwise how do you explain that some was good and some was bad. Just my opinion.


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## Axykatt (Feb 1, 2013)

Actually, while I've never had that happen with goat (possibly because I haven't butchered a goat yet!) I have noticed the same thing when I'm butchering wild hogs. It's all just normal blood/meat smell until I do the grind. The whole area gets a terrible strong smell that sticks with me for days! It's extra awful because normally I have no sense of smell, but I can smell this. My husband doesn't notice it, but he's been butchering his whole life, so maybe you get used to it? 

Anyway, the meat has always been fine, it just smells icky.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

... maybe hitting a scent gland?


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## lauraanimal1 (Sep 5, 2013)

I don't know if this wll make a dif or not, Here in Wyoming there is A-LOT of hunting. I used to go get scraps from the processor for my dogs of wild game during hunting season. OFTEN hunts would be amazed at how FAST meat can spoil on them. The butcher and I would talk about it cause Everytime a hunter come in that only field dressed it and didn't prop the cavity open to cool till he got ready to go, OR they did all that but didn't slit the skin all the way up the neck to the chin cause they wanted the hide for a trophy, that just the short trip of 30 min to the processor ruined or nearly ruined the neck meat cause it wasn't allowed to open up and cool down so it held the heat in while the rest cooled off. I don't understand the logistics over it, but I have seen the proof of it MANY times. Mind you this was dealing with large game, elk moose etc. but it happened with white tail and mule deer as well as pronghorn! :shrug:


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Its likely the fat that caused the smell. Goat has a very strong taste to the fat. When grinding it use beef or hog fat... never the fat of a goat.


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## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

Thanks all for your responses! It is just the ground meat that has the smell, and only after grinding not before. It must be the non meat tissues. (Sinew, fascia, small bits of fat etc) Maybe next time I will go ahead and finish grinding anyway and see if it tastes bad, but I guess I am just sensitive to the smell.


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