# This is insane!



## anetaze (May 10, 2009)

Ok, I went to my local grocery store because there was a sale on pork shoulder w/bone for $0.88/pound. Each package was about 17 pounds. I bought 6 of them. It took me over 4 hours to separate it all into 2 pound portions for freezing. I was exhausted, my back, feet, and hands were aching from all the standing and cutting into.

So is there any easier, faster, and less painful way of getting all this cut, separated, and done with?

Is the shoulder bone ok for a pup to eat? Some pieces of the bone felt sharp to my finger.

Thank you everyone for any information you can share to help me out.

Best,
Aneta
[email protected]


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

The local grocery store here sometimes have whole pork shoulders on sale for 99cents a pound too. What I do is cut the meat up into chunks and smaller one or two inch cubes and freeze them in small and medium sized freezer bags. I separte the bone into the the two or three parts - take it apart at the joint. 

The bagged meat is MM to add to more boney parts of their meals, like chicken backs, turkey necks, and now a bonanza of buffalo and deer bones that someone gave me. 

The bones I freeze and keep them as recreational bones - though my dogs eat the carthelageous ends, and very little bone is left over that does not get eaten, but I still use it as a treat bone, not part of their regular meals. 

Yes, it takes me about an hour to do one shoulder. If I have more than one, I may freeze the whole thing and thaw it out for cutting up at a later date when I'm not so tired.


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## anetaze (May 10, 2009)

Wow, I didn't realize how much labor is involved with this. You know they say ignorance is bliss. With my other GSD I fed her kibble and canned and she was fine. Somewhere I saw something about raw and started researching. Now here I am hooked on the notion of raw feeding when I was a happy ignorant person going to my local pet store, buying a bag of junk, and enjoying life. Now I'm scouring sale sections at grocery stores, bringing huge slabs of meat and blood home, killing myself cutting it all up, and smelling like the meat I just cut up. Why am I doing this again? 

Thank you Lucia for your input.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

Why is raw considered so much better?


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

I usually get about 400-500lbs of meat in a weekend about once every few months.. It takes 2-3 people all day to seperate, weigh, package and store. 

But then I can rest for the next few months until I run low again.

It's a lot more work but so worth it!


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: codmaster
> Why is raw considered so much better?


Please read the threads in this section, there is a lot of great information and resources that can answer your question.


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

> Quote:
> It took me over 4 hours to separate it all into 2 pound portions for freezing. I was exhausted, my back, feet, and hands were aching from all the standing and cutting into.


Here's a small tip.

Next time, you may consider larger portions for freezing. I portion out either 5 or 7.5 pounds per container or bag. My dog eats 2.5 lbs of meat per day. So I defrost one bag, and that lasts me 2-3 days. If you freeze RMB separately (like I often do), then you would get approx 4-5 (or so) days worth of food from two 5-7.5 lbs bags, depending on your ratios. 

I get my meat super fresh (I never buy then freeze meat near its expiration date) and I freeze it immediately. So meat that's sitting/ defrosting in my refrigerator for 4-5 days is still perfectly fresh. (The meat on the edge of the bag defrosts first, so I use that first. The core defrosts slowly. I use meat as it defrosts.) 

The best thing is that I'm not using a ton of containers, so it doesn't take so long to bag and get it into the freezer. 

And I just work from one or two containers in my refrigerator. I don't have a bunch of little baggies to deal with.. plus, I almost never forget to defrost food, because I'm dealing in larger quantities at a time.


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## anetaze (May 10, 2009)

Thank you 3K9Mom,

This makes sense. I cut it into 2 pound portions also because it will be approx daily portion size and/or I can use that portion to make several mix in with other meats.


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## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

An electric knife can do wonders to get the MEAT off the bone. I don't recommend using it to try to cut the bone. Ever seen an electric knife burn a motor.... tiny little wisps of smoke coming out of the back and the knife just kinda stops.... Not that I am speaking from experience or anything and it was only a turkey that I am not speaking of experience from.


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## anetaze (May 10, 2009)

Yeah, I have to buy an electric knife and try it out.

Thank you for your suggestion.

Aneta


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: Amaruq Not that I am speaking from experience or anything and it was only a turkey that I am not speaking of experience from.


If you have a reciprocating saw (saw-zawl) ... or have a s/o that's really into tools and willing to buy one... this most certainly WILL cut through a turkey... Even a partially defrosted turkey and frozen solid duck? Why yes. 

I recommend covering the floor with towels. And be prepared to wipe down your kitchen cabinets in case of (the absolute certainty of) flying bits of turkey flesh. 

But if you're looking for something to do the day after Thanksgiving, if you've picked up several frozen turkeys for 39 cents per lb and you're thinking "oh gosh, now what?", if you have a garage full of tools (including a couple brand new blades that you clean well ahead of time) and if you have a partner that's a good sport... it's a pretty darn entertaining way to spend an afternoon.

No burned out motors either. 

At least, not so far.









If we do, I"ll be sure to let you know how the chain saw works.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I just got a whole turkey and some chickens that I had to cut up yesterday...I have cutco knives and it worked great! 
I cut my finger in the very beginning which totally sucked.
They were still a bit frozen so easier, IMO to cut up. 
Cutco is expensive, but the lifetime warranty is nice.


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## AK GSD (Feb 27, 2008)

> Quote: If you have a reciprocating saw (saw-zawl) ... or have a s/o that's really into tools and willing to buy one... this most certainly WILL cut through a turkey... Even a partially defrosted turkey and frozen solid duck? Why yes.
> 
> I recommend covering the floor with towels. And be prepared to wipe down your kitchen cabinets in case of (the absolute certainty of) flying bits of turkey flesh.
> 
> ...


My DH has used his band saw to cut large frozen solid pieces of meat into smaller portions. Works great!


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## anetaze (May 10, 2009)

"... it's a pretty darn entertaining way to spend an afternoon"

Well I could find more entertaining ways to spend my day.

The saw is a good idea. I could probably do it outside in the back yard.

Thank you.


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