How to Debone Deer
Deboning is an essential step in the preparation of deer meat. To make those tasty boneless roasts or cutlets from venison, deboning is an essential preparatory step. Here are some tips on how to debone a deer.
Tools/Materials Required
- Sharp knife
- Aluminum foil
- Trash bag
- Hacksaw
Skinning The Deer
One of the first things you will need to do is to remove the hide from the meaty portion inside the deer. This is a delicate process that requires skill and precision. Use a very sharp knife. Using just a quarter of the tip of the knife edge, make a cut through the skin at a depth of almost a quarter to half an inch. Start from the buttocks and work your way upward to skin the deer completely.
Sawing Off Portions
Next, use a hacksaw to cut off the deer's head. Then follow up by cutting off the ankles. Cut the ankles near the edge of the leg. Then use the saw to cut off the entire backbone. Start from the lower portion and work your way up till you cut the backbone in half.
Cutting The Sternum
Once you have cut the backbone off, use a very sharp knife to start cutting off the sternum. You will need to cut right through the join of the rib cage to remove these bones entirely. Then cut off all these remaining bones and dispose in the trash bag.
Cutting The Brisket
The brisket portion of the deer is the side of the deer that has the most meat. Use a very sharp knife to make an incision starting from the hind quarters until the shoulder joints. Then you need to hank this portion off to separate the brisket.
Cutting The Flank
Next, you need to use the sharpened knife to make a cut across the underbelly of the deer. This portion is also known as the flank and is widely used for making burgers and sausages. Start from the hind region and work your way up until the join of the fore limbs.
Cutting The Rump
The hind portion of the deer near the end of the spine is called the rump. This portion is widely used to make kebabs, roasts, and steaks. Use a very sharp knife to make an incision starting from the start of the hind quarter until the portion where the tail starts. Keep the rump in a separate aluminum foil for wrapping.
Incision On The Round
The round refers to the buttock area of the deer. It contains the most meat and is widely used to make kebabs, roasts, steaks, and stew meat. Start by making an incision across the hind quarters until the portion where the leg starts.
Cutting The Neck
The neck is another primary source of good-quality meat. Make an incision starting from where the head ends until the end of the neck line.
