Home butchering handbook : a living free guide

All-in-one resource for processing meat, for the finest and freshest cuts.Gone are the days when butchering was only trusted to someone at the local supermarket. An essential introduction to the art of butchering, this is a hands-on, how-to guide for anyone who wants to save money and have greater control over the quality of meat they consume.Readers will discover how to fine-tune their knife skills, as well as the knowledge necessary for the most common cuts. They'll also learn how to prepare their kitchens, master essential butchering tools, prepare and store the most common cuts, and what not to do when attempting to butcher at home.About the AuthorAngela England is the author of Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less), a Living Free Guide, and a freelance writer who, along with her husband and four children, cultivates a 1⁄2 acre farm in their backyard where they manage to raise diary and meat goats, keep enough chickens for eggs and free-range poultry, and foster an intensively productive garden for fresh fruits and vegetables. With dirt under their fingernails, they started by cultivating a small garden and eventually took on chickens and goats. With time, their garden grew and they began expanding to parent bees, cultivate fruit trees, and manage a larger plot while shedding the conveniences of urban life. Angela is the Plants and Bulbs Feature Writer at Suite101 and founded the Untrained Housewife website in order to guide others in recapturing the lost arts of rural living. She also manages and maintains the Blissfully Domestic community with an additional 300,000 page views monthly and contributes to other sites and forums on a regular basis.Jamie Waldron first wet his feet at a small, country butcher shop as a young teenager. Since then, Jamie has dedicated his life to mastering the art and skill of butchering; working, learning, researching and teaching an age old craft that has fallen out of step with the current methods of purchasing and preparing foo Contents iii 5 Part 1: The Butchering Craft Past and Present 1 15 1 Butchering: The Evolution of a Craft 3 17 The History of Butchering 3 17 Safety Concerns 4 18 Lack of Personalization 6 20 The Revival of Home Butchering 6 20 Selectivity and Personalization 7 21 Sourcing Quality Meat 7 21 Meet Local Farmers 8 22 2 Preparing the Optimum Workspace 11 25 Counter Space 11 25 Workspace Necessities 12 26 Fridge and Freezer Space 12 26 The Essential Tools 13 27 Boning Knives 13 27 Cimeter Knives 14 28 Cleaver 15 29 Bone Saw 15 29 Breaking Hook 16 30 Sharpening Stone 16 30 Honing Steel 17 31 Butcher’s Twine 17 31 Tabletop Grinder 18 32 Miscellaneous Items 18 32 The Extra Stuff 19 33 Part 2: The Breakdowns 21 35 3 Beef 23 37 Introducing the Animal 23 37 The Main Breakdown 24 38 Hindquarter 25 39 Boning Out the Hip 28 42 The Loin 48 62 Ribs 71 85 Beef Chuck 95 109 4 Lamb, Venison, and Goat 121 135 Introducing the Animal 121 135 The Main Breakdown 122 136 Remove the Front Shoulders 122 136 Remove the Belly and Back Legs 126 140 Break Down the Saddle 131 145 Making the Cuts 136 150 Foreshanks and Brisket 136 150 The Neck 139 153 The Shoulders 140 154 Leg of Lamb 143 157 Loins152 166 Ribs 158 172 5 Pork 167 181 Introducing the Animal 167 181 The Main Breakdown 168 182 Remove the Shoulder 169 183 Remove the Leg and Rib Rack 171 185 The Cuts of Pork 173 187 Rack and Belly 174 188 Loin and Rib Chops 178 192 Tenderloin and Sirloin 180 194 Leg of Pork 184 198 Shoulder 192 206 6 Poultry 199 213 Introducing the Animal 199 213 The Main Breakdown 203 217 Remove the Wings 203 217 Remove the Legs 205 219 Fillet the Breast 208 222 7 Fish 211 225 Cleaning the Animal 211 225 Making the Cuts 212 226 8 Rabbit 219 233 Cleaning the Animal 220 234 Making the Cuts 221 235 Part 3: Butchering Beyond the Cuts 225 239 9 Charcuterie: Curing and Brining 227 241 Fermented and Salt-Cured Meats 227 241 The History of Bacon 228 242 Making Bacon 228 242 Using Nitrates 232 246 Brining 233 247 Making Corned Beef 233 247 Curing Poultry 234 248 10 Forcemeats: Sausages and More 237 251 The Origination of Sausage 238 252 Ordering Your Sausage Meats 238 252 Sausage-Making Equipment 239 253 Meat Grinder 239 253 Sausage Stuffer 239 253 Casings 239 253 Scale 240 254 Ingredients 240 254 Making Fresh Sausage 240 254 Smoking Sausages and Meats 243 257 Smoking Equipment 243 257 Making Jerky 244 258 Creating Pates 246 260 A Glossary 249 263 B Resources for More Information253 267 C Tying a Butcher’s Knot 255 269 Index 261 275 Gone are the days when butchering was only trusted to someone at the local supermarket. Today, butchering has come full circle and is once again appreciated for the great craft that it is. Small butcher shops are popping up everywhere, and people have realized that by handling butchering at home, they can not only save money, but have greater control over the quality of the meat they consume, how they cut, utilize, and preserve it, and from where it is sourced. The Home Butchering Handbook is a hands-on, how-to guide for anyone who understands the benefits of and appreciates this craft, and wishes to fine-tune their knife skills and develop the knowledge necessary to handle all of the most common cuts. Readers will learn from a professional craft butcher how to prepare their kitchen for butchering, what tools they need, how to prepare and store all of the most common cuts, and most importantly what not to do when attempting to butcher at home This book will help anyone who wants to find a source of safe, high quality meat and prepare it themselves--from carcass to freezer.;Part 1. The butchering craft past and present -- part 2. The breakdowns -- part 3. Butchering beyond the cuts.