Butcher

[davsel]

Butchering your own is fairly simple, but very time consuming. Took me six hours to debone and trim a large Muley last week.
Just work to separate the muscles from each other and from the bones. Trim off all the fat and as much silver skin as you can.
Once the muscle is trimmed up, either bag it whole for a roast or steaks, slice it thin for jerky, cube it for stew, or if it is from the neck, ribs, or lower legs, bag it for grinding. Then separate the next muscle.
I use a fish fillet knife - easy to sharpen often, and can easily use it to separate the silver skin just like removing the fish skin from a fillet.

You get quicker with practice, but it still takes a lot of time to minimize waste and maximize yield.
It's one job that adding workers to will speed the process - two butchers = half the time.


My father taught me when I was young. He went to a processor once when he was invited on a hunt and the guys he was with always used a processor and did not have the time or skills to do it themselves. He said they weighed his deer and then put it onto a pile of other deer. They assured him he would be getting his deer back, but he didn't believe them. I've heard of other processors who will assure you that the steaks and roasts will be from your animal, but the ground and sausage all goes into a community batch with everyone else's - they weigh out what you should get, but it's not all from yours.

I'm certain there are youtube videos available for instruction. It ain't that hard.