Anyone see "The Butcher?"

shortwinger

shortwinger

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There is a new series on History called The Butcher. Yesterday they had to quarter a bison using a tomahawk for the initial breakdown. The tomahawks looked like they were from 2hawks, the Voyager model and they did a great job.

Using a tomahawk to break down large game isn't something I have done with my Warbeast but it is on the list for next year.
 
The thing is that there are many types of butchers just as there are many types of carpenters. Testing for a particular TV-show worthy butchery trait isn't necessarily the measure of a good butcher. Off the top of my head I can list at least these types of butchers:

Grocery store butchers
Butcher shop butchers
Slaughterhouse butchers
Game butchers
Mobile butchers

There are grocery store butchers who have been union-trained butchers for decades who have never used a beef splitter and likely never anything heavier than a lamb splitter. But they work wonders with a quarter beef that arrives from the slaughterhouse. If they lack skill with a tomahawk it's irrelevant to their trade. Many of these guys butcher game for their friends on the side. They are no stranger to a deer, an elk or even a bear. And they know how to work within Health Department guidelines.

Butcher shop butchers are similar to grocery store butchers but might deal with a greater variety of meats and are more likely to butcher game at work. They are more transient and in general have less years of experience than a good grocery store butcher. If you bring them your game or stock they may pilfer the prime cuts and substitute pounds of lesser meat from another animal.

Slaughterhouse butchers will be fast and dirty with a big piece of meat. The most skilled get on the finish lines. Those guys can rival a grocery store butcher when it comes to carving the perfect ribeye.

Game butchers are great at field dressing and may do a decent job of finishing. They won't produce the best cuts of meat that are possible from a given animal.

Mobile butchers are the most impressive to me. They will slaughter and butcher your stock at your farm or homestead. They'll do it to Health Department standards. And your meat is your meat - no hanky panky.

Now how do you design a TV show contest around that? What do you test for? Which kind of butcher are you testing for? And the producers will be focused on making good television not on finding good butchers.
 
Square_peg said:
It seems like a goofy premise for a show and I doubt it will be long lived. But I'll probably end up watching it - at least a few episodes.
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I agree. There are some things that can be worthwhile and entertaining and at the same time not have a long shelf life. I didn't know about this show, but I'll look it up. I don't like guts but taking apart meat I can handle.

I have never hunted because nobody in my family did while I was growing up but I wish I did. To this day I think that I could go into the woods with an experienced teacher, pull the trigger and love the whole experience except for field dressing something large. Same reason that I could never be a surgeon or paramedic (aside from lack of training...). 2 weeks ago some pour soul committed suicide by train 150 feet from the front door to my shop. As soon as I learned what happened I stopped walking towards the scene and turned around. That's a squeamishness that I would have overcome if I had grown up with it, it would have become normal. But the stalking, shooting, cooking and eating part...I'd be all over that.
 
jblyttle said:
I agree. There are some things that can be worthwhile and entertaining and at the same time not have a long shelf life. I didn't know about this show, but I'll look it up. I don't like guts but taking apart meat I can handle.

I have never hunted because nobody in my family did while I was growing up but I wish I did. To this day I think that I could go into the woods with an experienced teacher, pull the trigger and love the whole experience except for field dressing something large. Same reason that I could never be a surgeon or paramedic (aside from lack of training...). 2 weeks ago some pour soul committed suicide by train 150 feet from the front door to my shop. As soon as I learned what happened I stopped walking towards the scene and turned around. That's a squeamishness that I would have overcome if I had grown up with it, it would have become normal. But the stalking, shooting, cooking and eating part...I'd be all over that.
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Field dressing my first deer at 14, I think I threw up 3 times. Gradually got better through the years and now field dressing and cutting up a deer is just kinda boring. I still hate skinning the damn things though. A PIA .--KV
 
I have tremendous respect for the animals I deal with. But I have to kill a lot of animals every year. Goes with the turf for some biologists.

And I took forensic entomology in school, which means *nothing* bothers me anymore. After you're elbow deep getting a temp from the center of a maggot mass that's spilling out of the thoracic cavity of a dead pig, well.
 
Fmont said:
I have tremendous respect for the animals I deal with. But I have to kill a lot of animals every year. Goes with the turf for some biologists.

And I took forensic entomology in school, which means *nothing* bothers me anymore. After you're elbow deep getting a temp from the center of a maggot mass that's spilling out of the thoracic cavity of a dead pig, well.
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Thanks for that...
 
I’ve watched a couple episodes with my kids, comes on after Forged in Fire and they seemed legitimently interested. They are trying very hard catch FIF runoff. It would be nice if they would mention that the meat would be consumed/donated, also if FIF would do their cut tests on wild boar and mention that they are a feral species that are very problematic.
 
3fifty7 said:
.....also if FIF would do their cut tests on wild boar and mention that they are a feral species that are very problematic.
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About 15 years ago we had a problem with introduced wild boars at the southern end of the Olympic Mountains. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife wisely spread the word and put an open season on them - year round, any firearm. They were gone within a few years.
 
Cleaning birds bothers me some. We used butcher chickens once a year and after all the processing I didn't want to eat them for awhile, even today its not my favorite. But big game isn't a problem as long as they are not gut shot. I could eat a sandwich at the same time.
 
Small birds are easy :D You just step on the wings and pull up. Then just take the breasts off with your hands. Two minutes tops, no knife required. Geese though. Ugh. They're always loaded with bird lice.

I might be the only one, but I like coot. As jerky lol.

Eta: Garry I can totally understand what you mean, that pale colored flesh and the sheer amount when processing. I've never done up a chicken, but even doing a big batch of pulled pork leaves me not wanting to even smell it for a year. I think the amount of exposure plays a role. Four or six birds is not bad, but if you've got a lot to do... yuk.
 
Fmont said:
Small birds are easy :D You just step on the wings and pull up. Then just take the breasts off with your hands. Two minutes tops, no knife required. Geese though. Ugh. They're always loaded with bird lice.

I might be the only one, but I like coot. As jerky lol.
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I don't think you can shoot a coot in this state. Mud hens is what we always called them. I could be wrong I haven't duck hunted since I was a kid.
 
There limit here is ridiculous. 15 a day! Some people call them mud hens as well. If you don't brine them they taste like mud lol
 
3fifty7 said:
I’ve watched a couple episodes with my kids, comes on after Forged in Fire and they seemed legitimently interested. They are trying very hard catch FIF runoff. It would be nice if they would mention that the meat would be consumed/donated, also if FIF would do their cut tests on wild boar and mention that they are a feral species that are very problematic.
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I can’t quote is exactly but it is noted that all the meat is donated to the local humane society or something like that.
 
Nbrackett said:
I can’t quote is exactly but it is noted that all the meat is donated to the local humane society or something like that.
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I kind of figured as much, and may have missed it, but it would be nice to hear mentioned.
 
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