Cutting Steaks

Graphic images will follow.

I cut both front leg/shoulder sections the same as with the road kill bear. Dad came over to help me with the first side, to section the meat and cut the steaks. I don't have a lot of pictures because it was a learn as you go process, and messy, and I was busy trying to keep up, lol.

We used the meat chart from mom's old cookbook. There are lots available online as well. We drew roughly where we figured the cuts should be made right on the beef, then tried to make sense of our drawings by lining up the bones on the other side.  Dad never worked in a butcher shop, and when he butchers wild game he debones everything.

The first picture is separating the rib steak section from the t-bone section.  The t-bones start at the base of the tenderloin and run up to the top of it.  The brisket/shoulder section, and the flank (belly fat) were already removed.  My knife is inserted between the ribs just below where the tenderloin had been.

This is my current meat band saw.  It's an old black and decker that we bought at a pawn shop.  I like it, because it's powered externally by a drill, so I can open it all up after I'm done and wash everything with no fear of damaging it.  I would like to get a proper meat band saw some day, because there isn't quite enough clearance to slide the steaks right through on this one.  We have to turn them as we cut.

My sad little t-bones.   I never knew that tender oh-so-delicious piece on the bottom side of the t-bone was part of the tenderloin.  Tenderloins don't leave moose camp.  They're the first piece to rot if you hang too long or in less than desirable conditions, so hunters pop them out and fry them up at camp.  We made some delicious stir fries with them.  But they would have been better on my t-bones!

And just for fun, here's a side pic so you can see how thick they were.  You can also see that I don't cut straight.

The rib steaks were cut the same way.  We also used the band saw to cut the ribs.

We cut boneless blade steaks.  We cut a few round steaks from the first side.  I cooked them for supper so I'd know whether I wanted to cut more from the second side or keep it for  roast.  Those are the really big cheap steaks you see in the store.  They weren't bad, but I'd rather have the roast.  I love roast beef.