How many you old heads remember cutting lamb and pork like this.
especially at 6 to 6:23 on the time line I use to have to cut 6 to 8 lambs a week like this in the 60's for A&P. every bit was cut by knife and hand saw
I am quickly realising that I have had much better training than most fellas.
I have personally slaughtered (sliced throats and broken necks) 65 lamb during my apprenticeship training.
Regarding the glands: There are a number of glands that need to be removed. I personally found the easiest way to learn gland locations was breaking swine.
-- Edited by JimmyMac on Thursday 22nd of November 2012 12:18:14 AM
-- Edited by JimmyMac on Thursday 22nd of November 2012 12:20:00 AM
We get about 10-15 lamb per week. 99% of the time, we don't use the hand saw on lamb. It's all knife and power saw. One thing we do different is at the 55 second point we disjoint it with a knife and have no need for any kind of saw. You look at it from the inside of the body cavity and don't need to feel for the bones on the back (which you see him do at the 44 second point). We cut it at the end of the first level vertebrae from the ones that angle 45 degrees (approx) up to the tail. It will cut and then break away.
As for cutting the loin chops that Leon mentioned 6-6:23, we do it sort of that way. Some guys chop it with a cleaver between each vertebrae. I've only seen one guy where I work cut it with a knife the way they are doing. I've tried it, but I'm not strong enough, or our lamb is older with tougher bones maybe. It looks real easy in the video. Not easy with our lamb. I like to touch between each joint just a very tiny amount on the band saw. Maybe 1/4 inch deep and then knife between the joints. We do get carcass veal, maybe a week or two old and I do cut the veal chops the same way as the video.
99% of the time, we don't use the hand saw on lamb.
We only use the hand saw if the lamb isn't broken yet and a cutomer wants neck or shanks. In that case, we'll take a knife and hand saw and quickly take off what we need.
We cut the legs, and loin and rib chops that way except we used either a cleaver or the band saw to cut through the back bone after knifing the chops. I was waiting to see how he merchandised the shoulder but it didn't show it. The shoulder was worked on the band saw, square cutting into round bone and shoulder blade chops.
I remember those days, knife, hand saw and cleaver.
Cowboy something I think isn't done anymore is the removeal of the gland, I don't think most meat cutters today even know about it. For those that don't, a gland sits in the shank end of the leg between the bottom round and the eye of the round. The gland is embedded in a little chunk of suet inside the leg. This gland should be removed before you cook the leg. It will make the meat taste very gamey, which may be why many have never liked leg of lamb. Removing the gland changes the taste of the lamb, makes it mild and delicious.
Let me ask, How many of you take the gland out when you sell a leg of lamb?
I remember those days, knife, hand saw and cleaver.
Cowboy something I think isn't done anymore is the removeal of the gland, I don't think most meat cutters today even know about it. For those that don't, a gland sits in the shank end of the leg between the bottom round and the eye of the round. The gland is embedded in a little chunk of suet inside the leg. This gland should be removed before you cook the leg. It will make the meat taste very gamey, which may be why many have never liked leg of lamb. Removing the gland changes the taste of the lamb, makes it mild and delicious.
Let me ask, How many of you take the gland out when you sell a leg of lamb?
We remove the gland on boneless legs, but leave it there if it's bone in. Of course we remove it if the customer asks.
I like to touch between each joint just a very tiny amount on the band saw. Maybe 1/4 inch deep and then knife between the joints.
thats how I like to do it too. Even though its probably possible to force the knife between the joints Why would anyone want to do that to their knife? I also use this method for bone in Ribeyes. I try to keep the band saw off the meat as much as possible. Only pork shoulder, pork loin or short loin gets the band saw. I once tried to show someone how easy it is to cut an ox tail with the knife but they couldn't get it. I learned from a old guy with 50 years experience at the time he trained me. I am learning that the younger people don't even know that they could just find and seperate the joints very easily.
I always remove glands and alot of people don't even old timers I have worked with don't see what the big deal is. I guess its just a matter of work ethic. I have worked with plenty of old timers with lots of years under their belts who put out the sloppiest cuts I have ever seen. some people just don't understand the concept of making it pretty. It doesn't matter how old or experienced they are.
-- Edited by fdarn on Thursday 22nd of November 2012 08:19:24 AM
Hi cprbbq. I wish I could remember this video and I would try to find it. It appears that the original was deleted. Here is another one based on lamb cutting with just a knife and hand saw.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIwjyRFFT9M
