Today's the day. The day we take the lambs to the abattoir. Also the day that I have to give the Processing Instructions. This is custom butchering, which means we decide how we want the various parts of the animal cut up. This makes me nervous, as my experience with such things is limited.
For those of you who have never brought a whole animal in for processing (and I'm assuming this is almost all of you, because really, who does that? Oh, right. Us.) , let me explain how this works.
We bring the lambs to the processing place. This is basically a sheet metal warehouse building in the middle of nowhere. We go into the warehouse. There is no neat, organized office or customer service area at these places. We walk right into the processing area to talk to the butcher, which means that we're likely to see a whole cow glide by on hooks suspended from the ceiling while we're giving our instructions. It's very pleasant.
Anyway, we stand there while the butcher gets out his checklist/order form based on what kind of animal we've brought. And then he starts asking questions. One after the other, no pauses. Roasts, steaks or chops? How do you want the chops cut up? How thick? How many to a package? How much sausage? How much stew meat? Do you want the kidneys/brains/liver? These dudes are not exactly friendly. They're not exactly unfriendly either, but they're busy, and really, they kill animals for a living. How cheery could they be?
It's intimidating, is what I'm saying. There's a lot to be decided and they expect you to know what you want. I have trouble with this in the best of times, much less when a dead cow is swinging 10 feet from me and a butcher covered in blood is staring at me impatiently, waiting for my answer.
Last time we did this, for a pig we had bought, I did a lot of standing there with my mouth open saying, "Um . . ." and "What do you recommend?" I'm pretty sure I looked like a complete ass.
This time, I'm prepared. Because I begged for help from an expert in lambs, who very kindly sent me the list her own customers use for processing specifications, as well as what she herself usually requests and even how each cut can be cooked. Thank God for REAL farmgirls.
Thanks to Susan, I'm hoping I won't look like an ass this time. Well, at least not as big of an ass. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.
4 comments:
Do u watch the butchering or leave and come back when its done?
No, we don't watch the butchering. They'll do it sometime today, and then we'll pick the meat up later this week, all nicely packaged and labeled. Some people kill their animals at home, so the animal won't be as stressed out, but the lambs were perfectly calm and jumped willingly down from the truck at the slaughterhouse. Poor stupid bastards.
And now we see the origin of the phrase, "Like lambs to slaughter."
Processing time was always very difficult for me as a child. We'd take the animals to my dad's best friend's house and they'd to it there together. I remember accidentally hearing/seeing some pigs slaughtered. It was pretty traumatizing. I still think about it when I eat meat sometimes. But all I can think about now is...
Damn that's a lot of tasty lamb! I looooove lamb. And it's so expensive to buy. You go girl!
I do not think that cutting up a whole fryer counts, so no, I can't imagine this.
The cow swinging by would certainly distract me.
Good call reaching out to Farmgirl Susan - if anyone would know, you know...
Looking forward to hearing how you were an expert all the live long day and are celebrating with some grilled chops or something.
Bye bye sheeps!
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