Goat, Lamb, and Poultry Retail Cuts

Overview

• Lamb/Goat Skeletal System
• Common Lamb/Goat Retail Cuts
• How to Breakdown a Lamb/Goat Carcass
• Poultry Skeletal System
• Common Poultry Retail Cuts
• How to Breakdown a Chicken

Primal Vs. Sub- Primal vs. Retail Cuts

Primal: Large “main” section or area of a carcass

• They can vary in names per specie

Sub-Primal: One step smaller than a primal

• Small portion taken from a specific primal

Boxed Meat/ Boxed Beef/ Boxed Pork:

• Packaged primals or sub-primals from packers that are boxed for shipping

Individual Muscle Cuts (IM): Individual whole muscles taken from a primal

• Tenderloin- Psoas Major
• Flat Iron- Infraspinatus

Case Ready:

• Retail cuts that are prepackaged ready for consumers

Retail Cuts: Primals, Sub-Primals, or IM Cuts cut into individual portions

• Tenderloin Steaks
• Flat Iron Steaks

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Lamb/Goat Primals

Why is Knowing the Skeletal System Important?

• Carcass Breakdown
• Retail Cut Breakdown
• Retail Cut Identification
• Carcass Aging

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Why are Lamb and Goat Bones Important for Consumers?

• Bones in Retail Cuts
• Marrow Bones/ Soup Bones
• Dog Bones
• Sold for Animal Feed 🡪 Bone Meal

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Lamb Skeletal Anatomy

WHAT BONES SHOULD YOU KNOW AND RECOGNIZE?

• Femur 🡪 Leg Bone
• Tibia 🡪 Hindshank/Hock
• Ischium 🡪 Aitch Bone/ Hip Bone
• Illium 🡪 Pin Bone/ Pelvic Bone
• Vertebrae Column 🡪 Spine
• Spinous Process 🡪 Feather Bones

FRONT HALF OF A LAMB CARCASS

• Ribs
• Scapula🡪 Shoulder Blade
• Humerus 🡪 Arm Bone
• Sternum 🡪 Breastbone/Brisket
• Radius 🡪 Foreshank

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BACK HALF OF A LAMB CARCASS

Lamb Skeletal Anatomy

Sternum

Lamb/Goat Primals

Lamb Primal Break Up

Shoulder/ Breast:

• Shoulder and Breast is separated between the 4^th and 5^th Rib using a saw to cut through the vertebrae.
• Breast is separated 1-2” above the breast plate using a saw make a diagonal cut towards down to the cut side

Rib:

• Rib is separated between the 12^th and 13^th rib like a beef carcass using a saw you will cut through the vertebrae all the way through the carcass

Loin/Leg:

• Loin is separated from the leg by a straight cut using a saw at the anterior side of the hip bone/aitch bone

Common Retail Cuts- Lamb

• Loin Chop
• Rib Chop
• Rack of Lamb
• Leg Roast
• Sirloin Roast
• Arm Roast

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Rack of Lamb

Primal: Rib

Rack of Lamb Characteristics:

• Can be Frenched (Rib Bone Showing) or Not Frenched
• Lamb Version of Beef Bone in Rib Roast

Main Muscle(s) in Rack of Lamb:

• Longissimus Dorsi- Loineye (Black)
• Spinalis Dorsi (Orange)

Rib Chop

Primal: Rib

Rib Chop Characteristics:

• Can be Frenched or Non-Frenched
• Contains Rib Bone- Blue
• Contains 1 Main Muscle

Main Muscle(s) in Rib Chop

• Longissimus Dorsi (LD)- Loineye

Longissimus Dorsi

Loin Chop

Primal: Loin

Loin Chop Characteristics:

• Transverse Process/ Backbone (Blue)
• Contains 2 Main Muscles

Main Muscle(s) in Loin Chops:

• Longissimus Dorsi (LD)- Loineye
• Psoas Major- Tenderloin

Longissimus Dorsi

Psoas Major

Lamb Breakdown

1. CONDUCT A YIELD TEST
2. BREAKDOWN

Poultry Skeletal System

Poultry Carcass �to �Primals

Common Retail Cuts- Poultry

Thigh:

• 2 Thighs per Bird
• Typically has Skin on
• Dark Meat of Bird
• Dislocate at the Hip and at the Knee

Leg/Drumstick:

• 2 Legs per Bird
• Typically has skin on
• Dislocate and Remove at Knee from Thigh

Leg Quarter:

• Combines both Legs and Thighs
• Dislocate at the hip joint of a bird

Breast:

• 2 Breast per Bird- Boneless and Skinless
• Make initial cuts along the breastbone on both sides of bone
• Let your knife follow along the bone/cartilage of the breast

Wing:

• 2 Wings per Bird- Skin on
• Dislocate Humerus from Scapula
• Can be split into the Drumette (Humerus) wing (Humerus, Ulna, and Radius) and wing tip (Phalanges)

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Poultry Breakdown

1. CONDUCT A YIELD TEST
2. BREAKDOWN A WHOLE BIRD