Part 4

Remove the cheek meat from each side of the jawbone by cutting close to the bone and down to the rise of the bone just over each eye (fig. 28). Wash thoroughly in clean water and put it in ice or ice water.

Opening the Brisket

Beginning at the cut made for bleeding, split the muscles along the midline of the neck up to the end of the brisket. Cut only as deep as the windpipe. Cut lengthwise along the center of the brisket from the neck to its rear edge (figs. 29 and 30). Be careful not to cut beyond the tip of the brisket because the viscera may be punctured. Split the neck open along the midline and loosen the windpipe and esophagus. Saw completely through the brisket as shown in figure 31. Tie the windpipe and esophagus with string to avoid spilling paunch materials when the carcass is hoisted (fig. 32).

Hoisting and Rumping

Insert the spreader or single-tree between the large tendons on the hindlegs (fig. 33). For safety, the hocks should be tied securely to the spreader. After the spreader is firmly in place, hoist the carcass to a convenient working height, usually waist high, for skinning the rounds. Skin along the outside of the rounds leaving the fell, the thin membrane that lies between the meat and skin, on the round (fig. 34). This membrane protects the meat from rapid drying. After skinning around the anus, loosen it by cutting around it deep into the pelvic canal (fig. 35). Pull the large intestine about 6 inches from the pelvic cavity (fig. 36) and tie it with a string near the opening as shown in figure 37. To facilitate later hide removal from the tail, remove a thin strip of hide from its top side (fig. 38).

Skin the outside of the round, leaving the fell membrane on the round (fig. 39). You can usually pull off the hide in this region by hand, leaving the fell intact. At the bottom of the round, the fell is severed as shown by the arrows in figure 40. If a steer or bull is being slaughtered, remove the penis by cutting under it and severing its connection at the anus. Remove the hide from around the anus.

Evisceration

Split the pelvic bone by first locating the seam between the rounds, then following this seam to the bone and cutting through the bone with a knife or saw (figs. 41 and 42).

Hoist the carcass until the front shanks clear the ground by about a foot. Cut down the midline by inserting the knife handle inside the body cavity with the knife blade extended outward as shown in figure 43. This procedure ensures that the paunch and intestines are not cut. Continue cutting down the midline to the cut made when opening the brisket (figs. 44 and 45). Loosen the large intestines as shown in figure 46, making sure that the pelvic and kidney fat, as well as the kidneys, are left attached to the carcass. Pull down on the paunch and intestines and allow them to fall into a container or onto the ground. As the paunch falls, a small cut with a knife will free the liver from the connections to the intestines and paunch (fig. 47). Do not cut the esophagus, which extends through the diaphragm. The esophagus will be left attached until the lungs are removed.

Remove the liver by reaching behind it and pulling while cutting the connective tissue (fig. 48). During removal, check for any abscesses (yellow or white pus pockets) or scar tissue, which are indications of infections. If these are present, the entire carcass should be checked thoroughly for other signs of infection or disease (discussed later in the section on examining the carcass). Once the liver is removed, separate the gall bladder by cutting under it (fig. 49). Wash the liver thoroughly and put it in ice or ice water.

To remove the lungs and heart, cut through the diaphragm, the thin sheet of muscle, and the white connective tissue that separates the lungs and heart from the stomach and intestines. This cut is made at the edge of the thin muscle as shown by the arrows in figure 50. Cut beneath the hanging muscle and the large blood vessels just below the kidneys to the backbone. Remove the heart, lungs, and windpipe as one unit by pulling them down while cutting between them and the backbone (fig. 51). Be sure to note any adhesion of the lungs to the body wall because this is a sign of infectious diseases.

The heart is removed from the lungs by cutting across the top of the heart (fig. 52). Wash it thoroughly and put it in ice or ice water for rapid chilling. If the tripe, or stomach, is to be saved, empty the stomach as quickly as possible and rinse it. Thorough cleaning can be done later.

Dropping the Hide

Split and remove the hide remaining on the front shanks (fig. 53). Skin down each side of the shanks and neck, meeting at the backbone (figs. 54 and 55). Skin around the loin and under the tail. The remaining hide on the tail can be pulled or cut off at this time (fig. 56). Remove the tail at its base (fig. 57), wash it thoroughly, and put it in ice or ice water. Skin over the poll of the head and down the face, removing the hide at the muzzle (figs. 58 and 59). The head can be removed at this point; however, if it is left touching the ground, it will give support during splitting.

Splitting the Carcass

Split the warm, dressed carcass into halves. This allows for free circulation of air around the halves, to get a quicker chill. Also, a dressed beef carcass is heavier and harder to handle if it is not split.

To split the carcass, first saw through the sacral vertebrae or tail region from the inside (fig. 60). As soon as you have made the cut to the rise of the pelvic arch, saw from the outside. To make sawing through the center of the vertebrae easier, mark the correct line you wish to take down the backbone with a knife. Mark over the top of the bony spinal processes, which can be easily located with the fingers (fig. 61). Make the split through the loin and rib. In the chuck region, lower the handle of the saw to make sawing easier (fig. 62). If the split gets off center, continue through to the next vertebra and realign the saw.

If brain removal is desired, continue the split through the poll and down the center of the face. After sawing half way down the face, pull the halves of the head apart and remove the brains (fig. 63). Wash the brains thoroughly, checking for bone fragments. If the animal has been shot the brain will contain metal fragments and should not be saved.

Remove the head at the first joint next to the poll. Head removal is much easier after splitting (fig. 64). Then remove the kidney and kidney fat (fig. 65).

Wash the carcass with clean water, especially down the split backbone where bone dust accumulates. With a knife, remove any contamination which cannot be washed off. Pumping the front legs up and down a few times helps drain the blood from the forequarters.

Examining the Carcass

All the internal organs and the dressed carcass should be examined carefully for any abnormalities or conditions that might affect the fitness of the meat for food. Usually, a meat inspector or graduate veterinarian is the only person qualified to do this, but under farm conditions it becomes necessary for you to look for the obvious signs of disease or damage. If any part of the viscera or carcass is questionable, you should obtain expert advice.

Bruises, minor injuries, parasites in the organs and enclosed abscesses, and single tumors are frequently local conditions that can be easily removed. However, the presence of congestion or inflammation of the lungs, intestines, kidneys, inner surface of chest or abdominal cavity, and numerous yellowish or pearl-like growths scattered throughout the organs should be viewed seriously. Carcasses and viscera having such abnormalities should be examined by a graduate veterinarian and his opinion obtained as to the wholesomeness of the meat. You should check with a cooperating veterinarian before slaughtering the animal to be certain he will be available if you should seek his advice.

Loading the Carcass

Separate the halves into quarters by cutting between the last two ribs, leaving one rib on the hindquarter (fig. 66). Leave a 4-inch section uncut on the flank side and saw through the backbone (fig. 67). Make small handholds between the first two and the last two ribs of the forequarter to make loading of the forequarter easier (fig. 68).

When ready to load, place a clean cloth (old sheets work fine) or plastic in the vehicle. With someone holding each forequarter, cut the attachment left on the flank side (fig. 69). If alone, be sure to hoist the carcass so that the opposite side does not fall to the ground. Lower hinds until they can be reached and removed from the spreader (fig. 70). Place the forequarter in the vehicle with the bone side down and the hindquarter on top with the bone side up (fig. 71). Cover the meat to prevent contamination during transportation.

CHILLING THE CARCASS

The surfaces of freshly slaughtered beef carcasses are contaminated with bacteria that can spoil the meat unless their growth is promptly checked. Bacterial growth can be slowed by prompt chilling and keeping the carcass at low temperatures. If the weather is suitable (28° to 35° F), the carcass or quarters can be wrapped in a sheet and hung to chill in a well-ventilated shed. Wrapping with a clean cloth will partially protect the carcass from contamination and help smooth out the fat on the outer surface.