22 replies to this topic

[et alors]

I'm a pretty decent home chef, but I feel a strange and overpowering desire to learn how to take apart a chicken, fillet a fish, cut chops and maybe even bigger deconstruction projects. Of course cooking classes don't go that deep (knife skills focuses on carrots and onions. ;) and it seems to be a bit excessive to go to culinary school just for that.

Any ideas?

[ScottyBoy]

Get some nice sharp knives and follow some videos online. If you're only looking to butcher smaller things I think there are plenty of instructional videos on chickens and fish.

[Charcuterer]

I have a couple ideas. It is hands off but you can find some great tutorials on you tube. There are some good ones on a variety of types of meat. Also, I have gotten to know my local butcher and he offered to let me watch the process of breaking down a half hog.

[jorach]

Plenty of places offer butchery classes, and the bonus is you get to take home some meat.

You should look around in your area.

For example here's 4505 Meats' classes in San Francisco: http://www.4505meats...typeID=it000012

Edited by jorach, 16 May 2012 - 10:46 AM.

[et alors]

Thanks!!! I suspected that there might be classes in the city of cosentino, but was unable to track them down.

(I live in Palo Alto, so SF is not far for me to travel)

Edited by et alors, 16 May 2012 - 11:26 AM.

[KennethT]

Jacques Pepin has a DVD available (I think through the PBS website) where he shows many different techniques in quite good detail. With a little practice, he can show you how to take apart a whole chicken in less than a minute... granted, with practice, I'm still at about 5 minutes, but it's much better than it used to be before watching his technique!
http://www.shoppbs.o...rentPage=search

[ojisan]

See if your library has a copy of Merle Ellis' book

[Shalmanese]

Cows and hogs might be worth taking a class for but chicken and fish are trivial. Watch a few videos, do it a couple of times and you'll have them down pat.

[mgaretz]

Jacques Pepin has a DVD available (I think through the PBS website) where he shows many different techniques in quite good detail. With a little practice, he can show you how to take apart a whole chicken in less than a minute... granted, with practice, I'm still at about 5 minutes, but it's much better than it used to be before watching his technique!
http://www.shoppbs.o...rentPage=search

I think this technique is also shown on the DVD that comes with his latest book: Essential Pepin

[Okanagancook]

I would confirm that the on line videos allow one to do a fairly good job. We are on our third whole hog and 15 or so lambs. Very rewarding but you need good refrigeration...coolers with ice work well for us.

[janeer]

You seem to be talking about basic stuff; agree that youtube and even many cookbooks (julia, etc) will show you how to bone a chicken, filet a fish, etc. Many cooking schools have basic classes. I have always found this kind of butchering fairly intuitive. I would encourage you to, e.g., buy a whole leg of lamb and bone/butterfly it, or a whole pork loin, and make yourself a crown roast, and a whole fish and just figure it out. For something more ambitious, try this.

[weinoo]

See if your library has a copy of Merle Ellis' book.

That's how I learned a lot of tricks!

[rotuts]

The Merle Ellis book is fantastic, my copy was 'removed' from my library and i got a used one to replace the original very cheaply.

one cant beat J.P. and his new book is wonderful. you can see the shows here:

http://blogs.kqed.org/essentialpepin/

Edited by rotuts, 17 May 2012 - 05:50 AM.

[Mr Holloway]

Love this video
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=kAekQ5fzfGM

Edited by Mr Holloway, 17 May 2012 - 10:20 AM.

[KennethT]

That video is in the DVD linked to above, plus others turning the whole chicken into parts for sautee... I love that video!

[wanderingtaoist]

I have bought my first whole lamb this Easter and this guide has proven both foolproof and easy to follow. Bone saw was not necessary, but cleaver was pretty much indispensable.

[rotuts]

BTW the cleaver does not have to be expensive: the 'high-end' ones at IKEA are great for this sort of thing

http://www.ikea.com/...ducts/50131070/

there are also some various sized stainless steel ones in Chinatowns for ever less

Edited by rotuts, 18 May 2012 - 08:38 AM.

[avaserfi]

You could do what I did and stage at a butchers shop, then end up working there for a year. Or practice on your own. Practice is the best way to learn to butcher. One class will show you the basics, but repetition is how you learn to do such tasks. It doesn't matter if it is a fish, chicken, pig or cow. That said, if you can butcher a bird wells most birds (and rabbit) are similar. The same is true for mammals. If you can do well with pig, lamb and cow aren't too hard. The muscle groups are similar, so they are butchered similarly. The difference come in during the fine work. Fish is a little different but most groups of fish ( I.e., flat or round) are treated similarly.

For a cheap good knife, get a victorinox straight boning knife. Skip the cleaver and pretty much any other knife. You can break down most any animal with a good boning knife and skill.

[Shalmanese]

Are there any books/resources that cover the differences in breaking down large animals between different countries? I know British, French and American cuts are different but I'd love to find out how Japan, for example, breaks down a cow or pig.

[Charcuterer]

Mr. Holloway
Thank you so much for the link to the video of Jaques Pepin. I had never boned out a whole chicken before but after watching the video I couldn't wait to try it. He is an amazing presence and a wonderful teacher. I watched it twice and went in the kitchen and boned out a whole chicken like I had been doing it my whole life! I am going to stuff it with a combination of onions, brown rice and kale. Then I'll roast it whole. Thanks again it was great to see Mr Pepin again it had been years.
Jim

[TBAFarms]

Our farm is in Upstate NY and we do Slaughter Your Own Pig classes/workshops here a few times a year. it's great fun and a pretty good deal. OP is obviously too far to partake but I thought others might be interested. Here's a link with more information.

As for OP, try this board to find a farm that might offer a similar experience on the West Coast.

[rotuts]

on the series Essential Pepin, Ep. 119 deals with game and the duck section will interest you. See the link to all the shows above.

[mgaretz]

Anyone have any experience with the Whole Beast Butchery book? Not really interested in butchering a whole beast but wondered if it might be useful for general butchering. Hoping for something like the Ellis book but with better pictures.