Obtaining lamb carcass and skin requires adherence to a certain technology. The slaughter of sheep and rams requires certain preparation of the animal itself. About a day before slaughter, they stop feeding him, since the carcass of a hungry animal bleeds faster. However, it is recommended to give water throughout the entire time, so the quality of the meat will be much higher.
How to cut a sheep correctly, butcher its carcass and preserve the skin? You will learn the answers to these questions from this article. It contains detailed instructions for slaughter, and detailed photos and videos will help you complete the process correctly.
How to slaughter a sheep
Sheep and goats are slaughtered in a hanging position. The animal's hind leg is tied in a loop of rope and lifted up over the crossbar, and the head should be at the height of the person's knees (Figure 1).
Note: If it is not possible to hang a sheep or goat, the animal is placed in a horizontal position with its limbs tied on a bench made in the form of a tray.
Holding a tied or suspended animal by the head, an injection is made with a sharp knife in the ear area, near the corner of the lower jaw. The back of the knife rests against the vertebrae, thereby cutting the blood vessels and bleeding the animal carcass. The best way to bleed the carcass is in a suspended state. Blood begins to clot on the blood vessels and must be immediately cleaned off so that a new portion of blood can flow out uninterruptedly. Bleeding in sheep and goats lasts on average 5-6 minutes. All collected blood is stirred throughout to prevent it from clotting, after which it is filtered for further purification. From the video you will learn how to properly slaughter sheep and goats.
Since sheep are fairly calm animals, their slaughter is easy. Sheep do not run away from the slaughterer, so they are easy to prepare for the procedure.
There are several ways to slaughter sheep, and any of them can be used at home:
- In a supine position: The sheep is tied up and placed on a table or any other horizontal surface. An artery in the neck is cut with a sharp knife and a container is placed under the blood flow. The bleeding process lasts only 5 minutes, after which you can begin cutting.
- In a suspended position: the animal is also tied up, but not laid down, but hung upside down (on poles or hooks). After this, the cervical artery is cut.
Figure 1. Basic slaughter technologies The second method of slaughter is considered the best, since during the slaughtering process the skin and meat of the animal are not stained with blood, and it is easier to cut up the carcass while hanging.
Tools
Specialists who know how to cut a ram have everything in their arsenal necessary tools. If this is your first time doing this procedure, you will have to buy a few necessary things (Figure 2).
As tools for slaughter you need to prepare:
- Several sharp knives for cutting arteries and cutting up carcasses;
- Special knives for separating the skin from the carcass and cleaning it;
- Clean basins or any other containers for draining blood and transferring internal organs;
- Clean cloth or film for transferring the skin;
- A rag with which you can wipe the inside of the carcass.
It is also necessary to prepare in advance a sufficient amount of salt for preserving the skin.
How to prepare for slaughter
To know how to slaughter a ram, you need to take into account that this process requires preparation of the animal. First of all, you need to select a suitable individual and separate it from the rest of the herd one day before slaughter.
Note: If there is no separate room for keeping the selected sheep or ram, a mark is placed on its wool so as not to confuse the animal with others.
The sheep or ram is not fed for 24 hours so that there are no feed residues in the intestines that could contaminate the meat during the cutting process. Water can be given in unlimited quantities, as it will help improve the quality of meat. In addition, about a month before slaughter, the sheep must be shorn in order to use the skinned skin for sale. The animal must be examined by a veterinarian and given permission to slaughter for health reasons.
Figure 2. Basic tools for slaughtering It is also necessary to prepare the place for slaughter in advance by installing poles and hooks for hanging the skin. In addition, sharp knives are prepared for slaughter, skinning and cutting up the carcass, as well as clean containers for draining blood, internal organs and meat.
How long does a sheep grow before slaughter?
The profitability of breeding sheep and rams is explained not only by the high cost of meat and skins, but also by the precocity of the animals.
Regardless of the breed, sheep and rams grow quite quickly. A four-month-old lamb weighs as much as half an adult ram, and by one year its weight reaches the required level for slaughter. In addition, there are highly productive meat breeds sheep (for example, Gorky), which already at the age of 9-10 months have sufficient weight for slaughter.
Cutting a sheep carcass - video
After removing the skin, the abdominal cavity is opened very carefully, and the internal organs are removed so as not to tear the intestines. The gallbladder is disconnected from the liver, and then the carcass is processed using the usual method. The removed skin of the animal is laid on the table for further cleaning with a knife from the remaining fat and meat. Then it is turned over with the wool down and remains in this position for about one hour, until it cools completely.
Note: Canning must be done within two hours after its removal, and then thoroughly clean it again: remove any remaining fat and meat, feces, and remove the tail appendage. It is very difficult to remove manure contamination (heap) from the skins of sheep and goats.
To make the work easier, it is necessary to moisten the dirty parts of the carcass with cold water from a watering can, while folding the skin inside out and folding the flaps, lay it on a clean floor for 30-40 minutes. Sometimes the procedure needs to be repeated twice. The procedure for cutting the carcass is shown in Figure 3.
The author of the video will tell you everything about cutting the carcass and further storing lamb.
Preserving the skin
Once the carcass has been bled, the skin is removed. An incision is made around the head behind the ears with a knife and the body is separated from the head - between the occipital bone and the first cervical vertebra. To prevent the contents of the esophagus from leaking out, the organ must be tied up with twine in advance. Next, a transverse incision is made along the bottom of the neck and chest in the center of the abdomen to the anus. Then, circular incisions are made in the forelimbs along the carpal joints and a skin incision is made along the inside of the legs through the armpits, at a right angle, to the middle transverse incision of the chest.
Note: Once the skinning of the front legs, chest and lower part of the neck is completed, they begin to remove it from the hind legs. To do this, make circular incisions on the hock joints, from them with straight incisions on the inside of the legs to the groin, and then in the direction of the anus to the central transverse incision of the abdomen. Parts of the lower hind legs at the hock joint are separated with the skin. An incision is then made around the anus, however, in females, incisions are made around the external genitalia.
The skin is removed from the remaining part of the hind legs with a knife (carefully so as not to spoil the tendons), from the stomach, groin, about 5-10 cm from the cut. The procedure is then continued using a fist or the handle of a knife, from the center of the carcass to the shoulder blades, and then towards the thigh. If the carcass is lying down, it must be lifted. The skin is separated from the thigh part of the carcass with the handle of a knife or a fist, after making an incision in advance and removing it from the tail, it is torn off from the neck and back by hand. During this, you need to be careful and make sure that no lard or meat remains on the skin.
Figure 3. Recommendations for cutting lamb carcass After cooling, they immediately move on to preserving the skin, since it is damaged by rotting bacteria, which, if not removed in a timely manner, begin to become slimy after 6 hours (a sign of the initial stage of rotting). The most common method of canning is dry pickling. For this method of canning, ordinary salt is used, without foreign additives. Fine salt is best used for small skins. They are laid with the wool down, spread on a clean floor sprinkled with an even layer of salt, carefully straightened and sprinkled with salt on top (proportion of 300 grams of salt per 1 kg of weight). Upon completion of thorough rubbing of salt, the skin is rolled up in the form of a bag with the wool inward. The folded edges are also sprinkled with salt.
The diagram shows what main parts are obtained when cutting the carcass of a young lamb. The connection between the main diagram and the rest of the drawings is carried out using numbers that number the parts of the carcass.
Tender meat from grass-fed lamb, approximately between 3 and 12 months old, should be a clear, soft pink color. Gradually, as the animal matures, the color of its meat darkens accordingly, and an adult ram at the age of two years has crimson-red meat. Dirty shades of meat from both young and adult animals are a sign of low quality. The bones of a young lamb have a slight pinkish-blue tint and are slightly porous; The bones of an adult ram are hard and white. Fat that is hard and dry to the touch must have white. The suckling lamb has only tasted milk in its life. Its meat is light pink in color. Dairy lambs are usually sold whole, ungutted or cut into quarters.
1 - Cervix
An inexpensive cut with a rich flavor, the neck is sold whole, cut into pieces or slices, also known as neck rings or neck circles. Neck dishes require a long cooking time to soften the meat. Therefore, it is most often stewed.
2 - Cervical-dorsal piece
It's best to stew it. This cut can be purchased whole or cut into several small chops. The neck and cervical-dorsal pieces are sometimes not separated and are sold whole. In this case, it can be deboned and you will get either two pieces of neck fillet, or - if you leave the fillet unseparated - a double neck fillet. Neck fillet can be boiled or stewed; double neck fillet can be stuffed before cooking
3 - Loin (front)
This tender cut with ribs is sold whole or cut into patties. The cutlets can be pan-fried, grilled or baked. The loin makes an elegant roast. For special occasions, two pieces of loin can be folded so that the ends of the ribs cross to create a dish called "Guard of Honor." This is the same thing, but with closed ribs, it is called: “Corona” roast.
4 - Loin (back)
This part is usually cut into chops for frying either on the grill or in a frying pan. Taking it whole, you can cook it into a small roast in the oven. The back of the loin consists of fillet, the most tender meat of a young lamb, and a loop, also a tender, completely lean piece. Connected by the spine, this part can be chopped transversely; These cuts are called "double fillets" or "butterfly" chops. The entire piece forms a magnificent piece known as a "short" saddle. The “long” saddle consists of the uncut rear part of the loin and the kidney part.
5 - Renal part
Just like the loin, the kidney can be cut into chops for grilling or pan-frying. You can cook a roast from a whole piece, or you can also stew it.
6 - Hind leg (ham)
The most popular part for roasting a young lamb carcass. The hind leg has a lot of tender, lean meat and few bones. Sometimes the leg is divided into loin and shank; The loin can be cut into several small pieces, often called ham chops and often used ham chops and used for frying in a pan or on the grill. A “long” leg, or hind quarter, is a piece consisting of the kidney part of the back and its own leg.
7 - Brisket 8 - Shoulder part
The shoulder blade is sold whole or divided into two pieces: the shoulder part and the shank. The meat of the shoulder blade is tougher than the meat of the hind leg, but still quite tender; it is suitable for grilling, baking, boiling and stewing. Part of it is separated from the bones.
To properly slaughter and dress a sheep, you will need to know certain rules, since incorrect actions can lead to loss of blood, spoilage of meat, and destruction of the sheepskin. Due to incorrect actions, not only the taste of the meat will be lost, but also the presentation of the product. Often a sheep is killed in the courtyard of a personal plot. As a rule, this leads to violations of sanitation and veterinary conditions. In order to properly slaughter a sheep, you will first need to carefully prepare the slaughter area. At the same time, you should know the important basics of the process and preserve the product as much as possible.
Slaughter stages
It is worth noting from the outset that industrial slaughter differs significantly from domestic slaughter. Firstly, sanitary standards are not observed, and secondly, the pace of work in the yard drags on for a long time. Of course, it is possible to slaughter an animal yourself, but if you do not comply sanitary requirements, then the meat may be contaminated and various diseases may spread to it.
If you keep several sheep on your farmstead, then in principle you can slaughter them yourself. But if there is a whole mini-farm on the site, then it is better to use the services of special workshops, thanks to which it will be possible to reduce the cost of the entire process of obtaining products from a ram.
To prepare everything for slaughter, you will need to keep the animals 12 hours before slaughter without food. This rule is very important, since in the future, bowel emptying will be easier. And also the meat will not get dirty with feces. If giving food before slaughter is not recommended, then water can be given in unlimited quantities. If watering is limited, eating the skin may be difficult.
If the animal is transported to a slaughterhouse, it should either be transported on foot or loaded onto a car, but the distance should not be more than 50 km. Before slaughter, it is recommended to show the sheep to a veterinarian. He, in turn, will be able to perform thermometry and study the lymph nodes, as well as the general condition of the animal.
Approximately 2-2.5 months before slaughter, the animal should be shorn. If the skin will be used in the future for fur products. This procedure is necessary so that the fur has time to grow to the required length. On the day of slaughter, the livestock should be washed. To do this, you can use a regular hose with water. Washing the animal allows you to get excellent quality wool.
When everything is prepared, the ram should be immobilized. In industrial workshops, as a rule, they use the stunning method. This method makes it easier to bleed, and the animal does not injure itself or people. Thanks to stunning, you can achieve a quick kill. If you look at it from the point of view of humanity, the animal does not suffer. They stun him, and while he is disabled, they kill him. This method can also be used at home.
You can also use an electric discharge or gas attack to immobilize.
If electricity is used, the following procedure should be followed:
- Secure the ram in the box;
- The ram must be on contact;
- Next, the chain should be closed by placing the rod on the back of the animal’s head;
- Thanks to the discharge, the muscles will stop, and the conductivity of the nerve tissue will also be disrupted.
If carbon dioxide is used, a sealed chamber will be required. Achieving such neutralization at home is not easy.
After neutralization, the ram should be killed and slaughtered. This will require cutting the neck vessels and releasing all the blood. It is recommended that while the ram is immobilized, place it on clean ground and bandage its legs. It is better to carry out slaughter by two or more people. Next, using a highly sharpened knife, you need to cut the neck immediately behind the corners of the lower jaw.
Of course, you can stab a sheep in the heart with a knife, but this method slaughter is rarely used, since the skin deteriorates, and this method may not be safe for humans.
Slaughter at home requires the preparation of tools and slaughter methods. You should clear the area and bury a couple of poles with a crossbar to hang the carcass.
You should also prepare bowls to put food in. Knives should be perfectly sharpened, then the work will be comfortable and the animal will not suffer. To process and preserve the skin you will need salt. Because after removing it there will be about 2 hours to process it. The video shows how to properly slaughter a sheep.
Cutting
After the ram is slaughtered, it should be butchered, but this will require removing the skin and removing the entrails. To do this, the carcass is placed on its back. It is recommended to work on a table, as it will be much more convenient. If there is no table, then you can use a floor cutting, but it is important that the area is clean. Having laid the carcass, you need to make a cut near the hind knee, about 3 cm long. Then you should insert a tube into the cut, which is located between the skin and the meat, thus separating the two components.
The next step is to pinch the notch near the base of the tube and, using the hole in it, blow inward to get air in. As a result, an air bubble should appear.
After the air has passed under the skin, the incision should be continued to the genitals. You need to cut the other side in the same way.
The skin is removed using a knife. Thus, you will need to reach the knee through the animal's front paws. You can leave the ankles along with the skin. Thus, the skin remains exclusively on the back of the ram. For final removal, an incision should be made on the knee, then a rope should be passed there and secured to the ankles.
With the help of an assistant, hang the animal on the crossbar and pull the rest of the skin down. After pulling, you should prepare it for storage. But before that, you need to cut it while the body is still fresh.
To understand how to cut a carcass, you can use a picture or watch a video.
The cutting itself occurs as follows:
- A puncture should be made at the bottom of the navel with a knife and, spreading the part, the carcass should be cut to the top, this will open access to the intestines.
- A bowl should be provided for waste. It is necessary to untie the rectum and quickly bandage it so that it does not leak. Next, clamping the esophagus, you should remove it and throw it away. After this, the trachea with the heart and lungs is removed. Next, the gallbladder is carefully removed, from which the liver is cut. The kidneys remain under the fat layer of the carcass. At this point the cleaning is completed and the animal can be butchered.
- For cutting, the carcass should be divided into 2 parts along the vertebrae. Next, the ribs are separated, then the paws and neck.
- Now you can cut off the loin, breastbone and kidney part.
- Now you should start cutting the back of the leg and all other parts according to the picture above.
You need to remember that larger pieces last longer. There is no need to try to immediately cut the meat into portions. The video shows how to separate the bones from a carcass in a matter of minutes and get only meat at the end.
Cutting a sheep at home is a rather painstaking and complex process, so many beginning farmers often have all sorts of difficulties. And, unfortunately, sometimes they lead to damage to priceless products - meat and skins.
To avoid unpleasant situations during slaughter and cleaning, you need to follow some rules. Otherwise, it may spoil the taste and marketability of the meat.
Therefore, if you are going to engage in sheep farming, be sure to study all the features of the topic “how to properly butcher a sheep with your own hands.”
Requirements for slaughtering tools
Experienced specialists in the field of sheep slaughter have all the tools necessary for this action. Therefore, their advice to a beginning carver will be very useful. With the help of special knives, the process of slaughter and further cutting is greatly simplified.
To successfully slaughter a ram, it is enough to use the following tools:
- Sharp knives for cutting the artery and subsequent cutting;
- Curved blade for skinning.
It is important that the knives are sharp, so they are sharpened first. It is very difficult to process tough skin and meat with a blunt instrument.
Slaughter at home differs significantly from the industrial slaughter of sheep. In the first case, all sanitary standards and accelerated rates were observed. But at home, the process becomes significantly more complicated, and the risk of contamination of meat products grows rapidly. Therefore, it is important to clarify in advance how to properly cut a ram in order to prevent the occurrence of unpleasant odor from meat and get rid of other possible troubles.
Slaughter stages
It is possible by sequentially performing the following activities:
As for all cutting operations, they are carried out directly with a knife, without an ax, which is often used when slaughtering a cow, horse or goat. However, in some cases an ax is still acceptable. If you are going to cut a carcass, then follow the following procedure.
The first step is to remove the skin from the carcass, separating the drumsticks at the joints. Then you can move on to the skin, trimming it along the chest and abdomen.
It is important to be careful at this stage to avoid damaging the meat. In a similar way, the skin is separated from the main carcass. Start with your legs and then gradually move to your torso. The productivity of cutting directly depends on caution and thoroughness. Try to do everything carefully, otherwise valuable pieces of meat and fat will remain on the carcass. The skin is removed from the back and rump by hand, assisted by the action of a knife. Skinned used as an effective bedding for further cutting of the carcass.
The next step is to clean the sheep carcass from internal organs and other entrails. The abdominal cavity is cut lengthwise to such a depth that the internal organs are visible but not damaged. It is important to be careful, otherwise you may damage your gallbladder. Otherwise, the meat will become unfit for consumption. The peritoneum is carefully trimmed and pulled apart with both hands in different directions.
When removing internal organs, you should start with the rectum, which is trimmed and bandaged. Next, the esophagus is pulled out and the trachea is incised.
The lungs and heart are removed from the carcass, and after that they continue to work with the liver, from which the gall bladder is separated as carefully as possible. The stomach and intestines are covered with an omentum, which is carefully removed.
The intestines and internal organs are placed in a clean basin, and the insides are dried with rags.
Carcass cutting
The sheep carcass is divided into two equal parts - front and back, making an incision from the stomach to the back on both sides. If the knife touches the spine, the carcass is pulled out sharply and an incision is made between the vertebrae. If you cannot cut the ridge with a knife, use a heavier tool - an ax. However, remember to be careful, otherwise you can seriously damage and crush the bones of the spine.
In the future, you need to approach from the back. First of all, the fat of the tail is trimmed, and then the legs are separated from the carcass at the joints. The femur is separated from the hindquarters along the acetabulum, and the joint is loosened and cut off along the tendons. The bones from the pelvic part should be cut in two or three. You can also leave the sacrum.
During further cutting, taste preferences are taken into account. If you need to prepare lean meat, then remove the entire layer of fat from the selected piece. If you prefer fatty lamb, then this step is optional.
It is no secret that a lamb carcass contains a lot of internal fat, so it is stored separately from the upper fat.
Sheep slaughter
It is known that Sheep are relatively calm animals, so hammering them in is not as difficult as it might seem initially. They humbly go to the slaughter and are not afraid of the slaughterer, so preparation for the procedure, in most cases, occurs without problems. As already mentioned, there are two main methods of slaughtering sheep currently used:
- In a lying position, when the animal is securely tied and fixed on a table or any other surface. Using a sharp knife, you need to cut the artery in the neck and drain all the blood. As a rule, this action takes 5 minutes, after which you can begin to cut and clean the carcass.
- In limbo. The animal also needs to be tied up, but not laid down, but hung upside down (on special poles or hooks). Then you need to cut the cervical artery and continue processing.
The second method is particularly effective and is very popular, which is due to the minimal likelihood of contamination of the animal’s skin and meat with blood. Yes, and butchering an animal in limbo is much easier.
Carcass preservation
If you have successfully bled the carcass following the above diagram and instructions, all that remains is to properly skin it. An incision is made around the head with a knife, during which the torso is separated from the head - between the occipital bone and the first cervical vertebra. To prevent the contents of the esophagus from leaking out, the organ should be carefully bandaged with twine. Then you need to make a transverse incision along the bottom of the neck and chest, through the center of the abdomen and all the way to the anus. After this, circular incisions are made in the forelimbs along the carpal joints and a skin incision is made along the inside of the legs through the depressions under the armpits, maintaining a right angle.
Important feature: after successfully skinning the front legs, chest and lower neck, you should start skinning the back legs. In this case, you will have to make circular incisions on the hocks, then straight incisions on the inside of the legs towards the groin, and then towards the anus and up to the central transverse incision. Not most the hind limbs at the hock joint are cut off along with the skin. After this, the farmer needs make an incision around the anus, where the ram's eggs are located. For sheep, incisions are made around the external genitalia.
The skin is cut off from the remaining part of the hind legs (do this as carefully as possible, otherwise you may damage the tendons), from the stomach and groin - about 5-10 centimeters from the cut. The next step is to remove the skin using a fist or the handle of a knife, from the center of the carcass to the shoulder blades, and then towards the hip part. If the carcass is in a lying position, it must be raised. It is important to be extremely careful and avoid situations where lard and meat remain on the skin.
After the carcass has cooled, it can be skin And preserve. If this is not done on time, the lamb meat may become covered with rotting bacteria, which 6 hours after cutting begin to rot and emit an unpleasant odor. The best way canning consists of dry salting. In this case, it is enough to use ordinary kitchen salt, without additional ingredients. Fine-grained salt will be indispensable for processing small skins. They are laid with the wool down and spread on a clean floor, which is sprinkled with an even layer of salt.
In some countries and cities, the unique Eid al-Adha holiday is still held, where the ritual slaughter of sheep is carried out. In contrast to the usual cutting, this ritual is performed with strict observance unique rules and features. In order for the meat to be “free”, it is necessary to study the intricacies of the Muslim slaughter of the animal.
A ram at the age of 12 months is used as a sacrifice. It is important that this individual has no physical defects that could spoil the meat or reduce its quantity. The only defect allowed is the absence of horns. They also sometimes use rams that are missing several teeth. True, if most of them are missing, then the procedure cannot be carried out.
Ritual slaughter of a sheep carried out taking into account the following rules:
- Only adult Muslims can slaughter an animal.
- The knife cannot be sharpened directly in front of the ram. It is also forbidden to slaughter it in front of other animals. To carry out the ritual, only an iron nose is used, since the Koran mentions a strict prohibition on slaughtering an animal with an instrument made of bones, teeth or claws.
- When cutting the throat, the name of Allah should be pronounced.
- Then the ram's three legs are tied and laid on its left side. In this case, the right hind leg remains unattached. The head is turned towards the qibla (Mecca).
- Immediately before the ritual, the carver reads a prayer.
- Then the ram's cervical artery and esophagus are sharply cut, doing this as quickly as possible so that the animal stops breathing instantly.
- In the place where the ritual takes place, a hole is first dug into which the blood of the ram is drained. It is known that with the first drops of this blood, exactly 100 sins are removed from the Muslim performing the action.
- If the blood has completely flowed out, the skin should be removed from the animal and given as a gift to the poor. Using the skin for commercial purposes and sale is strictly prohibited.
- The lamb meat is divided into exactly three parts: one will go to the festive table, the second will go to friends and acquaintances, and the third will go to the poor.
Only if such subtleties are observed the ritual can be considered successful.
In conclusion, it is worth saying the following: every farmer can slaughter and cut up a sheep at home. The same applies to the slaughter of chicken, goats and other animals. Even if you have not had to do this before, do not hesitate - when taking into account key features the upcoming slaughter and subsequent carcass processing procedures will be carried out in at its best.
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As a rule, we buy meat that has already been cut into pieces that are convenient to work with. But if a big holiday is coming up, where many guests will gather, you may have the idea of buying a whole lamb carcass. This is not only quite convenient, but also profitable, because buying in bulk, as you know, is always cheaper.
This is where you will be faced with a reasonable question about how to cut up a sheep. Of course, you can entrust this matter to a professional. Any lamb seller will probably agree to help you - of course, without thanks. As a rule, slaughterers and cutters take payment for their work not in money, but in meat. But if you are sorry to part with part of the carcass or just want to learn something new, do not give in to difficulties and take the whole carcass home. Believe me, cutting a lamb is possible not only for a strong man, but also for a fragile woman. Although this work is still considered a man's job. Using our illustrated guide, you will easily cope with the task.
Simple cutting scheme
If, when asked how to butcher a sheep, you hear from someone strict recommendations about the order of work and the number of parts, it is, of course, worth listening to the advice. But one version cannot be considered the only correct one. There are many ways, each of them is good in its own way. Your task is to understand the algorithm and act in a way that suits you.
In some countries of Central Asia, it is customary to divide a lamb carcass into exactly 22 pieces, making cuts at each joint. Of course, in those parts they know a lot about lamb, but from a practical point of view, this is more a tribute to tradition than rationalism.
Typically, cutting the carcass into the components shown in the diagram below is optimal.
Preparing the site, necessary tools
Before slaughtering and dressing a sheep, you need to make sure that everything you need is at hand. If you are also faced with the task of slaughtering an animal, you will need a very sharp knife, rope, a metal tube and basins. And for cutting you will need a small heavy hatchet, a knife and a small hacksaw. The last tool is more innovative than traditional, but it is very convenient to work with. With help you can easily cut the ribs into even and neat portions.
It is convenient to carry out cutting on a spacious table. Make sure you have enough cutting boards, dishes, rags. Place a container of water in which you can rinse your hands.
First step: cutting into main parts
Let's not argue about how to properly cut a sheep carcass, and first of all, let's separate the back from the front. Start with the stomach, and when you reach the spine, sharply arch the carcass, as if trying to break the backbone. Most likely, you will not succeed, but the integrity of the spinal column will be compromised, and this is exactly what we need. Now you can see between which vertebrae to insert a sharp knife to make the cut.
If you can’t do this manipulation with a knife, use a hatchet. Remember: you should use it only in cases of extreme necessity, the rest of the time giving preference to a knife. When cutting a bone, a hatchet crumbles its edge, and crushed bones are not the best seasoning for meat. The knife operates more delicately.
Which side of the carcass should I start working with? This is completely unimportant, but most professionals prefer to deal with the back legs first.
Working with the back of the carcass
Before cutting up a lamb, you probably noticed that its meat is covered with dense white fat. There is especially a lot of it in the fat tail. Separate it as carefully as possible and set it aside.
Now we separate the drumsticks. If you manage to carefully separate your leg at the joint, you won’t even have to make any special efforts. Otherwise you will have to tinker. Set the shanks aside.
Now move one hip to the side, trying to determine through the layer of muscles: where does the head of the femur enter the acetabulum? Loosen the joint, insert a knife into it, cut the connection of the bones. Now you can easily separate the thigh. Lamb ham is a real delicacy, containing a lot of meat. Separate both legs and set them aside. What remained was the spine with the pelvic bones. You can cut it into 2-3 parts at once.
Separation along the shoulder blade and cutting of the front part
When wondering how to cut up a lamb carcass, you probably already have an idea of what you will cook from it. Looking at the front part, anyone will even intuitively guess that the forelimbs need to be separated from it, and the ribs with meat should be cut off from the spine. This is what we do: we separate both shanks. We chop the neck separately.
Fat
You can trim off all the fat from the carcass if you don’t like too fatty meat. There is also a lot of internal fat in the sheep - it covers the internal organs. But these types of fat must be stored and used separately from each other. For example, interior can be easily melted, and fat tail can be salted like lard.
Ribs
How to cut a lamb into beautiful portioned pieces? This is where a hacksaw comes in handy. On average, the length of the rib bone should be 10-12 cm, then it will be convenient for you to prepare various dishes from this product, and it will also be convenient to eat.
Cut the ribs into slabs. You can separate it from the spine, or you can use it too.
Portioned pieces
You already understand how to properly cut a lamb. If you plan to use the entire carcass at once to prepare a holiday dish, you will have to continue cutting. Remember: for pilaf, lagman or stew, you must cut the meat into pieces of equal volume. In these cases, fillets are cut from the hams, and the bones are used to prepare broth.
You didn’t buy the carcass just to devour it in a day? then wider prospects open up before you. Package the meat depending on what you plan to cook. The thighs can be left whole, because when baked they are considered one of the most famous delicacies not only in Asian countries, but throughout the world.
Various uses in cooking
You know how to cut a sheep, now you can easily cope with the task. But this is only half the battle; the most important thing is ahead. Many wonderful dishes are prepared from lamb, be sure to master a few recipes too. Minced meat is used for samsa and other traditional baked goods; the meat is baked and fried. And the glory of lamb kebab resounds even far beyond the Caucasus Mountains. Even if you just fry the meat pieces in a frying pan, season with spices and garlic, and then let the meat simmer, you will get an excellent result, which will be a well-deserved reward after all the work.
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