Butchering Beef: The Comprehensive Photographic Guide to Humane Slaughtering and Butchering

Butchering Beef: The Comprehensive Photographic Guide to Humane Slaughtering and Butchering by Adam Danforth is a book I’d been looking forward to reading since I learned of its existence – which hasn’t been that long, only a few months now. One of the big attractions of the farming life for me is to be able to grow my own food. And considering I am a human a large part of my diet comes from animal meat and fat. Sorry vegans I prefer feeding my body what nature has designed it to consume to function optimally. So along with growing my own vegetables this means raising my own meat and knowing how to harvest it in the most humane way possible, and of course process the meat with as little waste and efficiency as I can. In addition I am interested in the direct marketing of the animals I’ll be raising so if I’m standing at a farmer’s market selling meat from animals I raised I should be able to explain to my customers what part of the animal particular cuts of meat came from and be able to explain the processing of the animal. This book focuses on beef, and Danforth has another book (soon to be reviewed) that focuses on smaller animals such as pigs, sheep, and chickens. The book is loaded with information and beautiful photography giving step by step directions for the entire process from slaughter to wrapping of the individual steaks. It’s a fantastic reference guide for any farmer or anyone who simply wants to understand more about the meat they’re eating and how it’s processed.What’s in the Book?The book is organized into 8 chapters. Chapter 1 From Muscle to Meat gives a detailed walk through with illustrations covering muscle structure, collagen, fats, proper storage, aging, and more. Chapter 2 Food Safety breaks down the various types of pathogens and bacteria commonly found in or around meat, how to avoid contamination, and proper cleaning and hygienic practices when butchering. Chapter 3 Tools and Equipment gives the reader a detailed explanation of the tools needed and why they’re needed. It covers knives, tabletop equipment, clothing, and other optional equipment. Chapter 4 Butchering Methods covers topics like knife grip, bone sawing, honing rod usage, trimming, boning, tenderization, portioning, and making knots (with butcher twine). Chapter 5 Pre-Slaughter Conditions & General Slaughter Techniques details everything from the day before the slaughter to stunning options, exsanguination, hoisting, skinning, evisceration, edible offal, carcass cooling, cleanup and disposal, and tools and space. Chapter 6 Slaughtering Cattle goes into the specific detail of how to slaughter. It starts with set up, then goes on to cover the stun, bleeding, skinning, hanging, and removal of offal, all with great attention to detail. Chapter 7 Beef Butchering goes into great detail with beautiful photography how to break down a side of beef starting with the primals and going into subprimals. Chapter 8 Packaging and Freezing covers freezing options and best practices along with packaging and best practices.HighlightsIt’s hard to choose highlights in this book, but I think the photography and step by step primal and subprimal breakdowns sections in chapter 7 are really what make this such a fantastic reference book.Final Thoughts of a Wannabe FarmerAdam Danforth has done a fantastic job in creating a comprehensive guide to Beef butchering. There is no substitute for doing, but before one can do or should do it’s certainly wise to take a look at the blueprints. This book lays every step out in an a very accessible way, and the supplemental details about muscle structure, tools, cleaning, etc. round the book out to make a complete reference guide that should last a lifetime.

Once again, I have come 'late to the party.' Adam Danforth offers a series of books and I have looked at several of them, as well as having purchased this one on beef. These days, nobody does this kind of book better. First and foremost, the photography is excellent and the photographer deserves equal billing.Interested readers can follow the process of breaking down primals to sub-primals to the cuts that appear in meat cases near you. These meat cases can be in 'mega-marts' or they can be in artisanal butcher shops. Either way, you have the information to understand what you are seeing in the package because you not only see the process step-by-step, you see the finished product.I bought this book for several reasons: one of my grandfathers did his own slaughtering and butchering and he also had a restaurant. I cook and I have had an interest that goes back to food tv pioneer, Merle Ellis and 'Cutting Up In The Kitchen.' Merle's idea was that frugal persons could better feed their families by purchasing sub-primal cuts and doing a little of the high-priced butcher work at home. This book makes the same philosophy much more do-able with step-by-step photographs and 'new generation' text material.How does it all work? No matter the book, Adam Danforth includes very important material on humane slaughtering, food safety and hygiene, special knife/saw techniques for breaking large cuts into primal and sub-primal cuts and detailed directions for producing the professional items found in retail butcher cases. This book presents, ultimately, finished cuts and gives the several names customers might find them marketed under in different parts of the country. This is worthwhile information because the consumer can recognize each cut no matter where they live.Beyond this, we learn about aging and its bio-chemical processes and techniques, equipment for removing bone dust and gummy meat cutting residue, long-term storage and the like.As it happens, I have considerable experience in slaughtering and cutting up chicken and lamb and hogs. Those techniques are presented in other books. Once in a while I have processed a deer. Danforth's books will help anyone to do a pretty professional job on these items if you buy the right book. Some lessons carry over from one book to another but some techniques are specific to the animal being processed. I can see that I need at least one more book in this series to realize my interest in feeding my family by home-butchering.

These new books are a breathe of fresh air in the world of butchery and Slaughter. They are not only clear and well thought out, but provide a much needed guide for the rediscovery of a long lost art. Part of the problem in our country is the lack of quality small scale processors for local farms. it is impeding the growth of the real local food movement and preventing livestock farmers from fully realizing their potential and being able to provide their surrounding communities with their high quality products without incurring extra costs for transport to slaughter and butcher, thus allowing greater on farm profit margins and growth. These types of instruction manuals and reference materials will hopefully inspire a new younger generation of skilled culinarians and butchers to take up the reins and keep the art alive. I highly recommend these books daily to every culinary minded individual i know, be it professional chef, avid home cook, or young startup farmer. They have become an indispensible part of my educational library and have increased my knowledge of a subject i thought i knew quite a bit about. Adam has taken it to the next level with this undertaking. Bravo!

Great book to educate the beginner and the experts. We purchased the book as had two steer to go in the freezer and all the local processing places are booked up for a year of more.The color photos are helpful and with the easy to read/understand info our first time doing our own steer was made way easier.

This book is beautifully illustrated, and so much knowledge. A must buy if you are going to start butchering.

Outstanding manual. Great pictures! I am thankful for Adam's expertise. I needed a refresher course in butchering, and this was it!