Skinning from the head end - MUCH quicker!

[Tim.243]

I find it a lot quicker to skin with it hung from the front legs even cold muntjac bucks are easy done hung by the front legs.

How do you hang it in the chiller?

 

[Pete6.5]

How do you hang it in the chiller?

Rear legs

 

[Pete6.5]

How do you hang it in the chiller?

When it comes out on the rail it's hung by the rear legs. I make two cuts down the front of the front legs and skin them. It then goes on the electric winch. A gambrel goes in the front legs. The front gambrel goes on a double hook on the rail and the winch lets the rear down. Then using the winch pull the skin off with the rear legs being like a pair of trousers. It takes a few minutes each.

 

[Pete6.5]

I find the less cuts you make the less hair you have to deal with.

 

[Wmjas]

After watching that I do it that way. Less mess with hair. Only thing is the tendon snaps a lot easier when you’re pulling down on it!

Leave the lower front leg on and remove last and it helps stop the tendon from breaking as easily. You just need to start skinning from anywhere between the foot and knee.

 

[Tim.243]

When it comes out on the rail it's hung by the rear legs. I make two cuts down the front of the front legs and skin them. It then goes on the electric winch. A gambrel goes in the front legs. The front gambrel goes on a double hook on the rail and the winch lets the rear down. Then using the winch pull the skin off with the rear legs being like a pair of trousers. It takes a few minutes each.

Same with a 100kg Red?

 

[Andy - Fish]

Leave the lower front leg on and remove last and it helps stop the tendon from breaking as easily. You just need to start skinning from anywhere between the foot and knee.

+1

 

[Pete6.5]

Same with a 100kg Red?

I done it with 80kg fallow so I don't see why not but I sell my red because I don't rate the taste as much as sika and fallow

 

[Tim.243]

I done it with 80kg fallow so I don't see why not but I sell my red because I don't rate the taste as much as sika and fallow

Fair play, I cut up the odd red with people enjoying the meat as they like the 40mm wide steaks!

 

[VSS]

If you watch cattle sheep pigs on the line they are hung by their back legs then worked on, this seems to be the norm all over the world. They are not hung by the front legs.
Why as they are cleaned out that way, you don't see people hanging deer in a chiller from the front legs

Lambs are hung by the front legs to be skinned in all the abattoirs that I've ever visited. They're turned up the other way afterwards.

 

[Jagged77]

I’ve just tried it, to be honest it was much the same, maybe a little easier. Still got hair on the meat unfortunately.

 

[Tim.243]

Lambs are hung by the front legs to be skinned in all the abattoirs that I've ever visited. They're turned up the other way afterwards.

How do you do you deer Tim?

 

[VSS]

How do you do you deer Tim?

I hang them by the back legs, because that's the way I taught myself to do it nearly 40 years ago, following instructions in John Seymour's book of self-sufficiency. I hadn't visited any abattoirs by that stage, so didn't know there was any other way.
However, I do now do as much of the skinning as possible with the animal lying on its back in a cradle, which I never used to do.

It's a bit like aitch bone hanging, really. Most people hang their deer by the hocks, but some people are strong advocates of aitch bone hanging. No right or wrong, just whatever works best for you.

 

[Merlyn]

Brilliant butchery vid. Probably the best that I have ever watched.

 

[Jagged77]

I’ve got the Frost skinning knife that he uses in the video and it’s a great bit of kit. Zipped down the front legs with ease.

 

[pazmino]

Leave the lower front leg on and remove last and it helps stop the tendon from breaking as easily. You just need to start skinning from anywhere between the foot and knee.

Going to try that next time as the tendons just snapped on a roebuck I was skinning!

 

[Wmjas]

Going to try that next time as the tendons just snapped on a roebuck I was skinning!

The more skin you leave on the lower leg the stronger it is, I have a gutting tool that I use for the legs which makes it so easy I happily leave more on and start skinning above the knee.