Processing equipment for game and beef

[Terri9630]

Anyone have a good source? Hubby wants to build our own processing room so I need to start putting a list of equipment together. The largest animals will be elk and steers. I already have a bird saw coming from a friend who doesn't use it anymore.

 

[LadyLocust]

Anyone have a good source? Hubby wants to build our own processing room so I need to start putting a list of equipment together. The largest animals will be elk and steers. I already have a bird saw coming from a friend who doesn't use it anymore.

Are you talking like rails with pull trollies? Or just the table top equipment?

 

[Amish Heart]

That's my question, too. I helped with a pig in an amazing butcher room once at the Whittington Center. Had tables, saws, running water, ceiling hook, floor drain.
And then again I've seen things butchered hanging off a tractor bucket.
All I do right now is small, so I have a fold out kit with surgical type blades, rib spreader, hatchet, skinning knife.

 

[Terri9630]

Are you talking like rails with pull trollies? Or just the table top equipment?

The table top equipment. Hubby is going to build a hanging rail system.

 

[LadyLocust]

I'm just about shot - ready for bed. There is a place I think called "Restaurant Supply" but will double check as whatever it is has more than restaurant stuff. I was considering it when we got out Lem slicer. I will check back in tomorrow.

 

[Terri9630]

That's my question, too. I helped with a pig in an amazing butcher room once at the Whittington Center. Had tables, saws, running water, ceiling hook, floor drain.
And then again I've seen things butchered hanging off a tractor bucket.
All I do right now is small, so I have a fold out kit with surgical type blades, rib spreader, hatchet, skinning knife.

I haven't done anything bigger than a goat. Just used the recripicating saw to get through the bones with that. I didn't know they had a processing room at the Whittington Center. I would have loved to have seen it. Doubt I'll be that far north again for quite some time.

 

[Terri9630]

I'm just about shot - ready for bed. There is a place I think called "Restaurant Supply" but will double check as whatever it is has more than restaurant stuff. I was considering it when we got out Lem slicer. I will check back in tomorrow.

Thank you.

 

[Amish Heart]

Yep they do! It looks like a concrete small shed type building out by the big classroom. Nothing terribly fancy, but wishing I had something like that. Also useful were charts on the wall that showed for instance, a pig body with all the cuts and where they are located. Had them for deer, goat, and cow, too. I took the butchering class there three years in a row when they had the women's 3 day weekends there. Twice we did goats, once a pig. I made our three daughters go, too. Our oldest was puking in the weeds (in her yoga pants of course) after we gutted the goat. Poor thing, but I wish I had video. I opened my car trunk and set up a first aid area and told her she was in charge of that. The other two did pretty well. Butchering something with family is always a hoot.

 

[Camalot]

I'm in the market for a stainless steel commercial table 6-8 ft. long. I have a band saw but I need a larger one. *Helpful hint. Quarter the beast, put in freezer overnight, and the next day it runs through the bandsaw very nicely as the meat is much easier to handle.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

I bought a commercial meat saw at an auction many years ago.

I would like to build a cold room for hanging and butchering. One of the biggest hold ups buying beef, is getting it butchered and I believe many butchers are skimming.

Even if you mess up some cuts while learning, it's still edible.

 

[Caribou]

Mom has an old meat block that came out of a small Mom and Pop store but larger meat blocks are more readily available. Try a store that specialises in used restaurant supplies. Meat markets and restaurants go out of business all the time. I prefer wood.

I prefer a Sawsall and a dedicated blade but bone saws are easy enough to find. Hunting and camping suppliers have smaller collapsable saws. A good cleaver could come from an antique store or restaurant supply.

You'll want a good boning knife with a flexible blade. I have boning knives but I've been happy with my fillet knife for fish.

An aluminium scabbard is nice. It comes apart for easy cleaning. This is similar to mine.

Forschner Aluminum Scabbard | knifemerchant.com

The Victorinox Aluminum Scabbard is perfect for the butcher that needs essential knives withing arm's distance at all times. This scabbard holds knife blades up to 10 inches in length, and accommodates 4 knives.

www.knifemerchant.com

 

[Spikedriver]

Personally, I'd just get a hatchet. If I tried to do a nicely cut job of processing, it would come out looking like I used a hatchet anyway, so why not just cut out the middleman, right?

In all seriousness, how much are you going to process in a year? If it's not that much, I'd just run over to a Cabela's store and get some equipment from them. If you're gonna do a lot, then the professional grade stuff is probably worthwhile...

 

[LadyLocust]

Thank you.

This is the site Terri https://www.webstaurantstore.com/

When I'm looking for a specific piece, I look here then compare and contrast, figure out what I need/want & don't want, how much $$$, etc. That said, we've had good luck with LEM products and can source them locally. One tidbit of advice if I may: don't skimp on the meat grinder. Bigger than you think you need is nice and at least to us worth it when butcher time comes around and we are up late trying to get it all processed.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

I agree, do not skimp on the meat grinder. I started with a 1.5 HP and ended up stripping the gears. Turned out the heavy duty grinder had plastic gears.

I replaced the gears and got rid if it. I had my BIL ship me a 2 HP metal geared grinder from China. I will never get ahead of its capacity to grind. The sucker weighs 70 lbs though.

The 1.5 HP grinder will be fine for most people, but make sure you have lots of spare gear sets as well.

 

[Magus]

Add a quality cleaver (16 Oz or better and a rubber mallet, and you're good to go.

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