leg meat - which bit where?

[weblyish]

Something i feel i should know better but I'm sure someone on here can help

Does anyone have a breakdown of which muscle groups of the seamed out leg are best for what? particulalrly what should go for steak and what for stew

I've a few muntjac back halves to butcher this week and want to top up both the stir fry steak pile and the stew pile (anything salvageable from the fronts is probably going to mince already)

I've noticed in the past the stew mix can be a bit of a mix of different toughness and some of it is ready long before other bits so i guess I should probably take out the better bits for stir fry etc

I already take the shank off and the loins obvs

I assume the rugby ball sirloin tip to stir fry steak and the rest to stew but maybe that's not the best use

a nice simple diagram would be useful

 

[VSS]

Thick flank = roasting joint, or can be sliced into steaks.
D rump = depending on species, if big enough can make a little roast or steaks, otherwise best quality dice.
Silverside = mini roast, or leave the salmon cut in situ to make a larger roast
Salmon cut = as above, or thinly sliced for stir-fry strips.
Topside = mini roast or sliced into medallions.
"Bullet" = best dice, or medallions if off a very big deer.
Everything else = mince.

 

[wytonpjs]

https://bestpracticeguides.scot/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/carcass_butcheringThree.pdf

 

[weblyish]

Thick flank = roasting joint, or can be sliced into steaks.
D rump = depending on species, if big enough can make a little roast or steaks, otherwise best quality dice.
Silverside = mini roast, or leave the salmon cut in situ to make a larger roast
Salmon cut = as above, or thinly sliced for stir-fry strips.
Topside = mini roast or sliced into medallions.
"Bullet" = best dice, or medallions if off a very big deer.
Everything else = mince.

Thank you

I believe this will be the butchery challenge this year - so maybe I'll get to see you do the live demo?


is bullet = tender heel from the diagram below?

I've had mixed results with using salmon cut as steak - off a small deer it seems so small it's all fascia and ends up tough - will try leaving it in place for a few roasting joints

 

[VSS]

Thank you

I believe this will be the butchery challenge this year - so maybe I'll get to see you do the live demo?

I'm not intending to compete this year.

is bullet = tender heel from the diagram below?

I don't think so. The "bullet" is a tender piece of meat from right in the middle of the haunch. Bullet shaped.

I've had mixed results with using salmon cut as steak - off a small deer it seems so small it's all fascia and ends up tough - will try leaving it in place for a few roasting joints

It doesn't cook well as a steak unless you marinade it and tenderise it.

 

[Sol]

I'm more Americanised in terms of cuts, I've always liked this diagram.
Edit: read the post a little wrong.

Sirloin, Top round, Bottom round, and eye of round are good for steaks in my opinion

Rump (unless Its a red, then its steaks) tri-tip and shank I use for stew, shoulder feels like Its better too utilize as your slow cooked/roasts

 

[wytonpjs]

I'm not intending to compete this year.

 

[VSS]

I did a video of butchering down a haunch.
If I knew how to post vids on here, I'd share it.

 

[Camdig]

I did a video of butchering down a haunch.
If I knew how to post vids on here, I'd share it.

Upload it to YouTube then share from there, would be good to see it.

 

[weblyish]

I'm not intending to compete this year.

so I'm in with a chance

 

[VSS]

Upload it to YouTube then share from there, would be good to see it.

I will have to speak to my IT technician.

 

[VSS]

so I'm in with a chance

Go for it!
I would have entered if it had been something different, such as boning and rolling a shoulder, but the haunch is the same as year before last.
(I came 3rd that year).

 

[weblyish]

I did a video of butchering down a haunch.
If I knew how to post vids on here, I'd share it.

i can generally do a half decent job of getting the right bits out looking neat just dont always put them in the right piles i guess - we use a lot more stew, stir fry and pie filling rather than mini roasts so its more making sure i keep the right bits for the right jobs

 

[VSS]

Upload it to YouTube then share from there, would be good to see it.

Ok, so I now have a YouTube channel, apparently!
Hopefully this will work:

@weblyish, the "bullet" is the last piece of meat I set aside, right at the end of the video.

 

[.25-06]

At some point with the smaller muscles they get too small to slice as a steak. 'Butterflying' them can help reduce the mince pile.

 

[Henns]

With leg steaks, I find its more about the age of the animal. On a younger animal, they all tend to be fine, but on order bucks, better to be stewed or minced.

 

[Trigger260]

I Separate the thick flank and and string it for the slow cooker. The topside and silverside i roll together as one and oven roast.

 

[VSS]

. The topside and silverside i roll together as one and oven roast.

A variation on that theme is to put the two topsides (one off each hind leg) back to back and roll and tie them as one. That way, you get a consistent eating quality throughout the roast.
If you've got a spare bit of flank fat you can beat it out into a thin sheet and wrap it around the pair of topsides before tying.

 

[SikaSeeker]

This is a very good break down of a haunch of venison.

 

[r6demon]

This is a very good break down of a haunch of venison.

That is one of the best I have seen, I’m very new to butchery, but would love to know more about the competition at the show! Off to google thank you!