How to speed up skinning and butchery?

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pazmino

Well-Known Member
Having taken more than five hours to skin and butcher a fallow pricket last night, I'm very keen to try to speed up the process. Any advice or tips warmly welcomed!
It took me 25 minutes to skin: I first peel the skin back from the front legs and the hocks with the carcass on the floor, then hang it from a winch and use a combination of knife and pulling.
It then took about 2.5 hours to butcher: I kept the shanks whole; trimmed the fillets (tenderloins/ backstraps) and cut into individual portions; cut the largest muscles of the haunches into pavé steaks and diced the rest; minced the shoulders and other trim.
Packing into individual portions, cutting the roll of vacuum pack, vacuum packing with my Aldi vacuum packer, and labelling, took more than another two hours. Plus all the cleaning up at the end.
From that I got:
2 packs of 2 shanks each, 1.3kg: £10 each
3 packs of fillet portions, from 360g - 810g. From £19 - £43.
6 packs of pavé steaks, around £8 each
10 packs of mince 500g, £7 each
11 packs diced 500g, £7 each
Total £319.50

One thing I'll do immediately is upgrade my vacuum packer to a Buffalo CN414, which seems heavier duty. I'm also buying ready to use vacuum bags from now on, as cutting/ sealing each bag is a massive time waster, I now realise!

But any other tips for how to speed this whole process up, or to increase income from a carcass, will be gratefully received. I've attached my price list so you can see what I charge. My setup is very small and I only have one butchery table, so have to move stuff around quite a lot. I process an average of 2.5 carcasses a month, mostly roe, sometimes fallow.
 

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pazmino said:
Having taken more than five hours to skin and butcher a fallow pricket last night, I'm very keen to try to speed up the process. Any advice or tips warmly welcomed!
It took me 25 minutes to skin: I first peel the skin back from the front legs and the hocks with the carcass on the floor, then hang it from a winch and use a combination of knife and pulling.
It then took about 2.5 hours to butcher: I kept the shanks whole; trimmed the fillets (tenderloins/ backstraps) and cut into individual portions; cut the largest muscles of the haunches into pavé steaks and diced the rest; minced the shoulders and other trim.
Packing into individual portions, cutting the roll of vacuum pack, vacuum packing with my Aldi vacuum packer, and labelling, took more than another two hours. Plus all the cleaning up at the end.
From that I got:
2 packs of 2 shanks each, 1.3kg: £10 each
3 packs of fillet portions, from 360g - 810g. From £19 - £43.
6 packs of pavé steaks, around £8 each
10 packs of mince 500g, £7 each
11 packs diced 500g, £7 each
Total £319.50

One thing I'll do immediately is upgrade my vacuum packer to a Buffalo CN414, which seems heavier duty. I'm also buying ready to use vacuum bags from now on, as cutting/ sealing each bag is a massive time waster, I now realise!

But any other tips for how to speed this whole process up, or to increase income from a carcass, will be gratefully received. I've attached my price list so you can see what I charge. My setup is very small and I only have one butchery table, so have to move stuff around quite a lot. I process an average of 2.5 carcasses a month, mostly roe, sometimes fallow.
Click to expand...
Seems to me you're doing ok, and you got a good yield off that carcass by taking your time.
Concentrate on the quality of your work, and don't get too hung up over how long it takes.
 
pazmino said:
Having taken more than five hours to skin and butcher a fallow pricket last night, I'm very keen to try to speed up the process. Any advice or tips warmly welcomed!
It took me 25 minutes to skin: I first peel the skin back from the front legs and the hocks with the carcass on the floor, then hang it from a winch and use a combination of knife and pulling.
It then took about 2.5 hours to butcher: I kept the shanks whole; trimmed the fillets (tenderloins/ backstraps) and cut into individual portions; cut the largest muscles of the haunches into pavé steaks and diced the rest; minced the shoulders and other trim.
Packing into individual portions, cutting the roll of vacuum pack, vacuum packing with my Aldi vacuum packer, and labelling, took more than another two hours. Plus all the cleaning up at the end.
From that I got:
2 packs of 2 shanks each, 1.3kg: £10 each
3 packs of fillet portions, from 360g - 810g. From £19 - £43.
6 packs of pavé steaks, around £8 each
10 packs of mince 500g, £7 each
11 packs diced 500g, £7 each
Total £319.50

One thing I'll do immediately is upgrade my vacuum packer to a Buffalo CN414, which seems heavier duty. I'm also buying ready to use vacuum bags from now on, as cutting/ sealing each bag is a massive time waster, I now realise!

But any other tips for how to speed this whole process up, or to increase income from a carcass, will be gratefully received. I've attached my price list so you can see what I charge. My setup is very small and I only have one butchery table, so have to move stuff around quite a lot. I process an average of 2.5 carcasses a month, mostly roe, sometimes fallow.
Click to expand...
I use 3 washing up bowls when doing a red/fallow for the farm, they like diced meat (alot) so the waste (don't have or want a mincer) goes in one the rough cuts go for diced the second and the steaks (they like them about 40mm wide) in the last.
The meat is easy picked from the bowls into bags the diced is a different colour bag so they can just pick then out the freezer.
not sold just given back for the stalking but the bowls work well for speed.
 
pazmino said:
Having taken more than five hours to skin and butcher a fallow pricket last night, I'm very keen to try to speed up the process. Any advice or tips warmly welcomed!
It took me 25 minutes to skin: I first peel the skin back from the front legs and the hocks with the carcass on the floor, then hang it from a winch and use a combination of knife and pulling.
It then took about 2.5 hours to butcher: I kept the shanks whole; trimmed the fillets (tenderloins/ backstraps) and cut into individual portions; cut the largest muscles of the haunches into pavé steaks and diced the rest; minced the shoulders and other trim.
Packing into individual portions, cutting the roll of vacuum pack, vacuum packing with my Aldi vacuum packer, and labelling, took more than another two hours. Plus all the cleaning up at the end.
From that I got:
2 packs of 2 shanks each, 1.3kg: £10 each
3 packs of fillet portions, from 360g - 810g. From £19 - £43.
6 packs of pavé steaks, around £8 each
10 packs of mince 500g, £7 each
11 packs diced 500g, £7 each
Total £319.50

One thing I'll do immediately is upgrade my vacuum packer to a Buffalo CN414, which seems heavier duty. I'm also buying ready to use vacuum bags from now on, as cutting/ sealing each bag is a massive time waster, I now realise!

But any other tips for how to speed this whole process up, or to increase income from a carcass, will be gratefully received. I've attached my price list so you can see what I charge. My setup is very small and I only have one butchery table, so have to move stuff around quite a lot. I process an average of 2.5 carcasses a month, mostly roe, sometimes fallow.
Click to expand...
for the skinning side, try splitting down the spine, then pulling off in two halves. Do it for all our deer and makes it a lot quicker, especially on muntjac. but basically what @VSS said, better to do a quality job than rush it. The speed will come over time. We had a young lad who we are helping into stalking come and do a MJ the other day - probably took him double the time but then was only the 2nd deer he'd ever butchered. for the Pave steaks, I will only normally use the topside and silverside as they are the quickest and easiest to trim and sort out - worth working out what is actually worth the effort of faffing around and trimming and has made a massive difference on how long it takes.

Sandy
 
pazmino said:
Having taken more than five hours to skin and butcher a fallow pricket last night, I'm very keen to try to speed up the process. Any advice or tips warmly welcomed!
It took me 25 minutes to skin: I first peel the skin back from the front legs and the hocks with the carcass on the floor, then hang it from a winch and use a combination of knife and pulling.
It then took about 2.5 hours to butcher: I kept the shanks whole; trimmed the fillets (tenderloins/ backstraps) and cut into individual portions; cut the largest muscles of the haunches into pavé steaks and diced the rest; minced the shoulders and other trim.
Packing into individual portions, cutting the roll of vacuum pack, vacuum packing with my Aldi vacuum packer, and labelling, took more than another two hours. Plus all the cleaning up at the end.
From that I got:
2 packs of 2 shanks each, 1.3kg: £10 each
3 packs of fillet portions, from 360g - 810g. From £19 - £43.
6 packs of pavé steaks, around £8 each
10 packs of mince 500g, £7 each
11 packs diced 500g, £7 each
Total £319.50

One thing I'll do immediately is upgrade my vacuum packer to a Buffalo CN414, which seems heavier duty. I'm also buying ready to use vacuum bags from now on, as cutting/ sealing each bag is a massive time waster, I now realise!

But any other tips for how to speed this whole process up, or to increase income from a carcass, will be gratefully received. I've attached my price list so you can see what I charge. My setup is very small and I only have one butchery table, so have to move stuff around quite a lot. I process an average of 2.5 carcasses a month, mostly roe, sometimes fallow.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you are on the right track. You will naturally get quicker the more you do.

I get quite OCD when processing so I end up taking longer than I probably should but that ensures my customers get the best product they can.

Out of interest, what what the larder weight of the fallow you processed? @VSS made a very good point at the Stalking show whilst on the "Setting up a food business" workshop in relation to budgeting per animal. Something that I had never really thought of before but seems to work out about bang on for what I am doing.
 
Sandy25 said:
for the skinning side, try splitting down the spine, then pulling off in two halves. Do it for all our deer and makes it a lot quicker, especially on muntjac. but basically what @VSS said, better to do a quality job than rush it. The speed will come over time. We had a young lad who we are helping into stalking come and do a MJ the other day - probably took him double the time but then was only the 2nd deer he'd ever butchered. for the Pave steaks, I will only normally use the topside and silverside as they are the quickest and easiest to trim and sort out - worth working out what is actually worth the effort of faffing around and trimming and has made a massive difference on how long it takes.

Sandy
Click to expand...
Ah, that's an interesting idea, thanks.
 
Sandy25 said:
for the skinning side, try splitting down the spine, then pulling off in two halves. Do it for all our deer and makes it a lot quicker, especially on muntjac. but basically what @VSS said, better to do a quality job than rush it. The speed will come over time. We had a young lad who we are helping into stalking come and do a MJ the other day - probably took him double the time but then was only the 2nd deer he'd ever butchered. for the Pave steaks, I will only normally use the topside and silverside as they are the quickest and easiest to trim and sort out - worth working out what is actually worth the effort of faffing around and trimming and has made a massive difference on how long it takes.

Sandy
Click to expand...
Yes, I agree - not too sure of the names of the muscles, but I think the topside was what I cut the steaks from. Everything else was diced.
 
Grand Slam said:
Sounds like you are on the right track. You will naturally get quicker the more you do.

I get quite OCD when processing so I end up taking longer than I probably should but that ensures my customers get the best product they can.

Out of interest, what what the larder weight of the fallow you processed? @VSS made a very good point at the Stalking show whilst on the "Setting up a food business" workshop in relation to budgeting per animal. Something that I had never really thought of before but seems to work out about bang on for what I am doing.
Click to expand...
I didn't weigh it, but I think it was a two year old pricket.
 
pazmino said:
Ah, that's an interesting idea, thanks.
Click to expand...
something like a roeing knife or tripe knife which has a ball on the tip so cant penetrate the muscle is the best tool for the job. Insert it at the back then cut outwards - plenty of videos on YouTube etc if you have any issues :)
 
Buy bags not rolls for vac wrapping - it'll save you hours :lol: I used rolls for years and now won't touch them - bags work out more expensive but it depends how much you value your time. You can be filling the next bag while the last one is still finishing vac'ing and sealing.
 
75 said:
Buy bags not rolls for vac wrapping - it'll save you hours :lol: I used rolls for years and now won't touch them - bags work out more expensive but it depends how much you value your time. You can be filling the next bag while the last one is still finishing vac'ing and sealing.
Click to expand...
Agreed and you get to learn which size bag works for your different cuts / portions, making the final product look a lot tidier also.
 
Sandy25 said:
something like a roeing knife or tripe knife which has a ball on the tip so cant penetrate the muscle is the best tool for the job. Insert it at the back then cut outwards - plenty of videos on YouTube etc if you have any issues :)
Click to expand...
I also use this method. Usually hang from the head, incision behind the neck just below base of skull and using ball tipped knife work down to tail, no other cuts required. (Assuming the chest has already been split with the cut following up to the throat area). Only used this method on roe and Munty but find that they skin much more easily and quickly from head to tail.
 
Practice practice.

Shot a Roe Buck couple of days ago early in the morning. Took me half an hour to get it back to the car. Beautiful morning in the woods so hung it on a tree. Skinned and into major joints ready for the fridge. Took me about 20 minutes.

Sharp knives help. I do most with a Mora, but also have Mora Roeing knife which is great for removing loins etc. i have several. All sharp. As one goes off, pick up another.

After washing them, a few strokes on steel and they are sharp again.
 
I may be wrong, but cannot see how an upgrade of tabletop type vacuum sealer will significantly speed up your processing?

If it is capable of vac/sealing 3 packs per cycle ( as a decent chamber unit is capable of, using bags which cost under £15 per thousand, btw) then you may be on to something, but given you’re doing a small quantity, it may not be worth your while. Other than that, it will indeed take time to cut an entire animal down into readily saleable cuts.

I did farmers markets in the Grampian area for nigh on twenty years, but was cutting up daily rather more than your present monthly output, and offering small game and ground game, none of which do any of it by themselves, as I’m sure you’ll appreciate.

Whilst it isn’t hard to cut up a carcass, the commercial selling of all or nearly all of each and every market day, and it to your advantage is not so readily explained.

Mince here £9/kg
Steaks £19/20/kg
Diced £12.50/kg
Loin (fully trimmed of Silverskin) £33/35/kg
Tenderloin “. “. “. £33/kg
 
Freeforester said:
I may be wrong, but cannot see how an upgrade of tabletop type vacuum sealer will significantly speed up your processing?

If it is capable of vac/sealing 3 packs per cycle ( as a decent chamber unit is capable of, using bags which cost under £15 per thousand, btw) then you may be on to something, but given you’re doing a small quantity, it may not be worth your while. Other than that, it will indeed take time to cut an entire animal down into readily saleable cuts.

I did farmers markets in the Grampian area for nigh on twenty years, but was cutting up daily rather more than your present monthly output, and offering small game and ground game, none of which do any of it by themselves, as I’m sure you’ll appreciate.

Whilst it isn’t hard to cut up a carcass, the commercial selling of all or nearly all of each and every market day, and it to your advantage is not so readily explained.

Mince here £9/kg
Steaks £19/20/kg
Diced £12.50/kg
Loin (fully trimmed of Silverskin) £33/35/kg
Tenderloin “. “. “. £33/kg
Click to expand...
Only thing I found with the "cheaper" vacuum machines was the tendency to overheat when trying to vac pack a load of cuts / sausages / burgers one after the other. An upgrade to a La.va one sorted that issue out as it wont overheat until at least 1000 seals one after the other, a figure which i very much doubt I will ever get close to in a day.
 
I too don't think that is bad for skinning to bagged.
To speed your butchery take repetition, like any other skill. The difference is knowing where to make the cut, knowing that the cut isn't wasting any meat and then using fewer cuts. It helps being able to keep an edge on the knife - but that's another skill.
An excellent, almost artistic, gentleman who taught me one said "He's doing OK, a bit surgical" meaning I was being too precise/fussy. A good surgeon will be like the butcher, as few cuts as possible.
 
HonestJohn said:
Skinned and quartered two roe yesterday, 35 mins start to finish
Click to expand...
Roe are particularly easy to skin IMHO, same as younger fallow. Muntjac just seem to be a b***ache no matter what, but fortunately I don't shoot too many of those.

All depends on whether you are trying to gain every gram of useable meat from the carcass or you just want the skin off regardless of what is left attached.

I try and present the best looking carcasses to my local butchers so they keep coming back to me.
 
Buchan said:
I too don't think that is bad for skinning to bagged.
To speed your butchery take repetition, like any other skill. The difference is knowing where to make the cut, knowing that the cut isn't wasting any meat and then using fewer cuts. It helps being able to keep an edge on the knife - but that's another skill.
An excellent, almost artistic, gentleman who taught me one said "He's doing OK, a bit surgical" meaning I was being too precise/fussy. A good surgeon will be like the butcher, as few cuts as possible.
Click to expand...
I now have one of these mounted next to my butchery table.

gamelarder.com

Professional Knife Sharpener - Game Larder

The ultimate professional tool for all blades. Perfect for evenly honing and polishing knife blades. All metal parts are made of stainless steel.
gamelarder.com gamelarder.com

Few swipes through that as and when I need it keeps my knives razor sharp. Much easier than a steel in my opinion but I do use them occasionally.
 
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