| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| powerjen |
Getting a Lamb Carcass and Butchering it...A old farmer friend came up last weekend and asked us if we'd like a lamb off him, it is one of last years - guess he's looking to get rid of some before his next lambs come. At £50 with us having to butcher it, is seemed like a bargain so we're expecting it to turn up anytime soon.Ok, so I have a couple of questions I'm sure you guys can answer for me - hope you don't mind! My first question is, roughly what sort of size carcass do you think we'll end up with for a one year old lamb (I'm very excited about it - sad as I am) as we're a bit unsure as to how big it will be and where we can put it to butcher it and the second question is what can I get away with equipment wise to process it? I have read the article on here about processing one and I have a good kitchen knife and have enough saws in the garage to probably do the job and a cheap cleaver which isn't very heavy so might not be up for the job. Is it worth me getting a boning or filletting knife too? We are planning on getting our own lambs this year for eating and are looking to hunt for the odd deer/rabbit etc to eat too so perhaps I should get some proper equipment in for future use or just go for the bare min for now? Your experienced opinions would be greatly received. Thanks very much indeed! Jen |
| tahir |
A good cleaver is handy for chops, size is hugely variable, ask the farmer. Have fun! |
| Nicky cigreen |
if you can borrow a bone saw that will make life easier, we use that and a steak knife and ordinary kitchen paring knives - we don't use a cleaver
the videos available from quality meat Scotland are very useful. We butcher our own mutton, and we don't go for chops but more roasting joints - just because that is what we prefer we cut to get: leg joints, chumps, loin, rack. We bone out the shoulder and cube that meat for curries and casseroles. We bone out the breast (the ribs marinaded for a while are great on the bbq) and carefully cut the meat from the fat to mince and make patties - sort of mutton sausages, we save the shins and shanks for braising. |
| Nick |
A regular hacksaw is fine. Try and avoid the blades that are painted blue, otherwise you get funny coloured bones. 
A sharp knife is very handy, and I prefer a flexible one. You'll also likely want to make sure you've lots of bags, a sharpie, and possibly string available. Size wise, no idea, sorry. But smaller than pigs, and they are easily manageable.
I do mine on the big wooden table on the patio at this time of year. |
| powerjen |
Thank you for all your replies.
Tahir - I'm guessing using a saw on a chop will damage the meat and that's why you'd use a cleaver instead? I've chopped through chickens with the cleaver in the past so maybe with a youngish lamb it will do for the job? Colour It Green - I will look at the videos, thanks for that. We're not great chop people so will think about keeping things in larger as you suggest. It's good to be able to tailor it to how you like your meat and would get round the possible problem of my cleaver not being up for the job... Nick - Think I will get a cheap boning knife online and it might also end up on the kitchen table with a board under the bits I'm cutting. That reminds me I also need to defrost the deep freeze before it comes... Jen |
| Nick |
I got a cheap butcher's knife from Bookers for under a tenner. I have much better knifes, but for macro butchery, cheap and bendy is perfect. Use a blade for meat, a saw for bone. A cleaver will go through both, but not so cleanly. You may get ragged cut flesh, and chips of bone, if done badly. But it's quicker. |
| Rob R |
Cleavers are essentially for cleaving, ie splitting bones between the cartilage joints. Personally I prefer a bone saw for cutting bones (sheep aren't so bad but I'm still haunted by the memory of trying to get through a stack of Dexter bones with a hacksaw), particularly if you have to split the carcass. If it's over a year old they will have split it in the abattoir, chances are they'll split it even if it was younger but not guaranteed. My best knives are some cheap chef's knives that don't matter if I hit bone with them, as they're sharp again after 20 strokes of the steel, I keep the good knives for cutting boneless pieces up & are a lot more careful with them (both in terms of not damaging the blades or slicing a finger off). |
| dpack |
my kit for a hogget/yr old
8" butchers knife or bushcraft knife small heavy cleaver or machete / axe i butcher in relation to anatomy and seperate joints with a knife rather than sawing bones boning knife and saw for english cuts by anatomy is best done with the beast hanging by the back legs and bits removed from the whole for english cuts on a bench you can walk around and a cutting block to section the chunks plenty of clean cloths for wiping ,beef is not too bad but sheep n pigs are greasy and knife handles are easily made slippy if you plan on doing it regularly a boning glove is a good investment unless you fell like me that take care of the hand and you wont stick a leg or a pal ,tis slower than cutting with the mailed fist sharpen well as you goes ,blunt is slow and dangeroos ps a flint can do all the necessary but good steel is quicker but only by twice |
| powerjen |
You're all giving me brilliant info!
dpack - thank you very much. I have a couple of hand axes which sound like they'd be a great substitute for the cleaver if it's not up for the job. Rob, & Nick - I think a couple of cheap knives might be the way to go based on what you say. I have a steel so can sharpen them no problem if they blunt and then I won't be needing to tackle it with my best kitchen knife that I've had for 20 years and couldn't be without! |
| RichardW |
You will be better off with a tenon wood saw.
Cut the meat for the chops first then use the saw to just cut the bone. |
| dpack |
if you cook as you butcher my fav bits would be barbie kidneys and liver while cutting ,fillet for tea and fruit for supper 
if accuracy and power are an issue with a cleaver ,use a mallet /log to whack the cleaver rather than swinging it ,slower but safe and accurate if it cuts critters to bits it is dangeroos ,plenty of space ,stay tidy ,discourage distractions ,take breaks ,if it feels wrong it probably is so stop and think i assume plenty is heading for the freezer so adjust for as cold as before you put it in to drop the temp on what is in now re salting ,breast of sheep cooked as salt brisket is the only thing i can think of re drying blow dried baah snacks are nice but have a short shelf life due to fat |
| powerjen |
dpack - you're making me hungry and thank you for your advice! Most will be going in the freezer (having a clear out of it as we speak) and we've asked for the head and as much offal as we can have (not sure what the restrictions are on what we can have due to foot and mouth, bse etc) for us and the dog.
RichardW - we do have a tenon saw (and a bow saw) so I'll get that cleaned up. Thanks for your help. Jen |