# Beef Carpenter



## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

A friend that breeds rotties gave me some coarse ground raw beef that she feeds her dogs. Now I have two 15 inch long, 3 inch wide tubes of cow in my freezer (like plastic wrap sausages). I want to cut off like 1 inch slices and defrost them a couple at a time and make small pieces for treats. Using a power tool would be nice. I dont have a band saw but I do have circular saw and table saw. Can I use one of these with a new blade? I'd have to wash the blade after each use and the beef "dust" (I dunno, never sawed frozen beef) would make a mess of the saw. The table saw might be a better choice, I'd just have to clean out the housing under the table. Lame idea?

I also have a sawzall. Hmmm. I dont know if the vice will open wide enough...


----------



## SaharaNight Boxers (Jun 28, 2011)

I put mine in a bowl and let defrost them scoop into meal sizes. I made patties once just for the heck of it and it worked. I've also cut through it with just a kitchen knife. I just let it defrost a little on the outside in the sink and it cuts pretty well.


----------



## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

I'd like not to keep defrosting and refreezing it, just slice off what I want and put it back.


----------



## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

If you just defrost them for a little while (not all the way through) you can cut them with a plain kitchen knife. They will still be hard (won't fall apart) and freeze them back. You would only have to do that part once. You just want to check it as its defrosting to get it at the right consistency. 


I have cut through a lot of partially frozen meat. The outside might be a tad crumbly if you wait too long. And don't use the good knives. I have bent my steak knives (now they curve to the right since I am a right handed person).


----------



## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

wolfsnaps88 said:


> If you just defrost them for a little while (not all the way through) you can cut them with a plain kitchen knife. They will still be hard (won't fall apart) and freeze them back. You would only have to do that part once. You just want to check it as its defrosting to get it at the right consistency.
> 
> 
> I have cut through a lot of partially frozen meat. The outside might be a tad crumbly if you wait too long. And don't use the good knives. I have bent my steak knives (now they curve to the right since I am a right handed person).


that's how we do it...even huge bulk packages of spleen...which is not great to work with once defrosted.

for me, i like breaking it down into manageable sized portions, so i can just take a bag out when i need one and the rest is in the freezer, rather than try to cut through frozen whatever when i want it.


----------



## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

I have often toyed with the idea of using my small, yet precise Japanese band-saw to cut through portions of large chubs (i.e. 5 pounds of tripe), but the idea of cleaning the blade (or ruining it) and housing has always dissuaded me. Usually, I defrost the whole thing. Or partially defrost, then cut in half with a knife and re-freeze.

Seems like you could defrost a bit and then cut and slice...


----------



## tem_sat (Jun 20, 2010)

You may also try starting with a warm or hotish knife blade and wipe it with a little olive oil.


----------



## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I'd get the sawzall with a new blade, put that sucker down on a lump of wood and go to town. May not be the exact precise cuts you want, but it will do the job. Or a circular saw. As long as the meat is frozen solid, there shouldn't be much of a mess.
I like power tools though!


----------



## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I've defrosted the chubs all the way and made meatballs then refroze it all in one session. It doesn't hurt it to be defrosted and refrozen once. I've tried cutting through it half frozen but the outside gets mushy while the inside is still rock hard and I end up with meat gush all over my hands and a total mess. This is with the chubs of venison and duck that I've gotten.


----------



## Chocx2 (Nov 16, 2009)

We use sawzaw to separate our cases lol works fine..Cheek meat is so hard to get apart.


----------



## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

MollyWoppy said:


> I'd get the sawzall with a new blade, put that sucker down on a lump of wood and go to town. May not be the exact precise cuts you want, but it will do the job. Or a circular saw. As long as the meat is frozen solid, there shouldn't be much of a mess.
> I like power tools though!


Call me a raw feed sissyboy, but all that thawing and refreezing and the bloody drippy mess is what I want to avoid. Fast and clean. Power tools are always the way to go for anything if you can. I wasnt serious about the sawzall but that actually might work well. Less to clean up afterwards, probably a metal cutting blade. Not sure how well that will work with just one hand, gotta hold it with the other. Thats why I mentioned the vice. 





tem_sat said:


> You may also try starting with a warm or hotish knife blade and wipe it with a little olive oil.


Now we're talkin - I'll take a propane torch to the sawzall blade :heh:


----------



## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

We use the sawzall on whole deer we get during deer season. Works like a charm!


----------



## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

naturalfeddogs said:


> We use the sawzall on whole deer we get during deer season. Works like a charm!



OK, now thats gettin a little creepy :behindsofa:


----------



## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

thegoodstuff said:


> Call me a raw feed sissyboy, but all that thawing and refreezing and the bloody drippy mess is what I want to avoid. Fast and clean. Power tools are always the way to go for anything if you can. I wasnt serious about the sawzall but that actually might work well. Less to clean up afterwards, probably a metal cutting blade. Not sure how well that will work with just one hand, gotta hold it with the other. Thats why I mentioned the vice.
> 
> Now we're talkin - I'll take a propane torch to the sawzall blade :heh:


I've been know to put the meat on an old board on the floor, hold it down with one foot and then cut with the sawzall. It's fine, it goes through it like butter.


----------



## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Every time I see the title of this thread it just makes me laugh :lol:


----------



## tuckersmom20 (Dec 12, 2010)

So.... What type of blade would you need for the sawzall to cut through meat?

I hate defrosting also.... Power tools are mighty tempting....


----------



## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

Im going with a metal cutting blade. Tiny teeth.


----------



## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I've done both, metal cutting blades make a slightly neater cut.


----------



## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

I bought this 9" metal cutting blade. ($2.99) I started to steel wool the paint off of it (the half from the pointy end back to the bar code) so it would look like the good silver. No, I figured paint in the food probably wasnt a great idea. But its on there pretty good. And no, Im not takin the grinder out. As the steel becomes exposed it will rust so make sure you towel it dry after you wash it. Gonna try it tomorrow.













The real reason I chose this one is Im into rapid demolition. :rockon:


----------



## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Ridgy Didgy, you'll love it. I do!


----------



## bully4life (Aug 9, 2010)

thegoodstuff said:


> A friend that breeds rotties gave me some coarse ground raw beef that she feeds her dogs. Now I have two 15 inch long, 3 inch wide tubes of cow in my freezer (like plastic wrap sausages). I want to cut off like 1 inch slices and defrost them a couple at a time and make small pieces for treats. Using a power tool would be nice. I dont have a band saw but I do have circular saw and table saw. Can I use one of these with a new blade? I'd have to wash the blade after each use and the beef "dust" (I dunno, never sawed frozen beef) would make a mess of the saw. The table saw might be a better choice, I'd just have to clean out the housing under the table. Lame idea?
> I also have a sawzall. Hmmm. I dont know if the vice will open wide enough...


 This has " Darwin Award " written all over it .....lol


----------



## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

Here are some early production stills from the movie. "The Beef Carpenter" is just a working title, it may be released as "This Old Shank".


I put the beef pod on a 2x4 on the top step of the deck, against the railing post. It overhangs the step by a few inches.
This way, when the blade starts cutting air after cutting beef, it wont damage the deck.










With foot pinning it against the post, it aint goin anywhere. Keep in mind that if the foot is not placed directly in line with the post, being frozen and covered with condensation in the 90° heat, it will go _everywhere_ like a bar of soap. When the tube steak is secured in place with your weight against it, turn to your nurse and say "sawzall". It does the job almost effortlessly. 












Cut off the rounded end, then you can size your slices to order. These 2 cuts produced a small amount of hamburger spray. Before I hosed it off, I used a little soap - no coyotes served here. 










Fast, clean and safe. I left the party with all the parts I came with. This slice is about 1 inch wide. Remove plastic before serving. Bone appetite arty:









Post op paint loss








Next week: chainsaw dog treats





Now if you wanna talk Darwin Awards...


----------



## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

Well. I, for one, was captivated... on the edge of my seat just from the "stills"-- can't wait for the upcoming movie. 

Actually, I was worried about the "slippery soap" aspect, but I also noticed you were wearing the correct gear (i.e. heavy-treaded boots.) Flip flops would not be a good choice here... ha!

Well done.


----------



## thegoodstuff (May 12, 2010)

I took a 1 inch slice and using a hammer and chisel (whats with all the tools?) I chopped it up into roughly thumb sized pieces and put them back in the freezer, the idea being raw beef 'ice cubes'. I havent fed any yet. The only potential problem I can see is if a piece is small enough to swallow without chewing. It probably doesnt melt as fast as water ice does. Nicky eats ice cubes but he chews them first, they are bigger than the chunks I made.


----------

