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How To

How to Debone a Deer

Contributor
By G. K. Bayne
eHow Contributing Writer

Removing deer meat from the bone is accomplished by sectioning the deer carcass. By removing the fore and hindquarters from the body, you will have sections of meat that are easy to handle and debone. This can be done on a counter, tabletop or cutting board.

Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Chef’s knife
  • Fillet knife
  • Large stockpot
  1. Step 1

    Take one of the hind or forequarters and lay it on the counter. Look at the quarter to see where the natural sections of the meat are. Above the knee is where you will cut steaks and roasts. The lower section is where you will cut meat for stews or hamburger.

  2. Step 2

    Take the fillet knife and make a cut from the top of the shoulder bone down to the leg bone. Follow the leg bone with the knife until you reach the knee bones. Cut the meat away from the bone by making a second cut straight down from the top of the knee bone to the existing cut. You should pull away a sizable chunk of meat. Set this aside for later processing.

  3. Step 3

    Cut any remaining meat from the upper section of the quarter in the same way. Set this aside.

  4. Step 4

    Repeat the process on the meat below the knees. This meat will come apart in sections as you cut. Be sure to remove any tough tendon connections from the meat.

  5. Step 5

    Do these steps with all sections of the deer. You should have at least four large pieces of meat when done, along with smaller pieces. Cut the smaller pieces into cubes for stew or grinding. Determine which of the larger pieces you want for roasts or cut them all into steaks by simply using the chef’s knife to slice through the boneless meat.

  6. Step 6

    Toss the bones into a stockpot filled with water and cook over medium heat until all remaining meat falls from the bones. This meat can be strained out and used for taco or fajita meat and other quick meals with just a bit seasoning. Save the broth for soup stock.

Tips & Warnings
  • If a fillet knife isn’t available, any sharp knife that will flex will work equally as well.
  • The rib sections of deer are usually cooked on the bone and need no further cutting other than to separate the two sides and cut the ribs into manageable sized pieces.
  • The neck, which has a surprising amount of meat, is usually cooked as a bone-in roast.
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eHow Article: How to Debone a Deer

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