cutting shanks for osso bucco....

[Tod osier]

I love cooking with shanks, but I've never crosscut shanks with the bone in and would like to.

Obviously a meat cutting band saw is the tool for the job, but I'm not buying one (I do have a very nice large wood cutting bandsaw, tho). Can it be done with a sawsall (have one) or other woodworking tool? I have tried it with the sawsall and it didn't go as planned, but I was tired and crabby already.

I was thinking frozen meat and sawing through with a sharp fine toothed blade. I'm pretty picky, so I'd want them pretty perfect looking.

Anyone have tips or suggestions???

 

[sram9102]

I've had good luck pre-tying everything to hold the meat in place then cut as much meat as possible with a knife then sawing the bone with whatever saw you choose. Keeps the saw from tearing at the meat. Works way better than freezing and sawing with a sawzall.

 

[Superdoo]

Use a hack saw and do it when the meat is frozen. It's not "easy" but not hard either. I haven't tried the sawsall but it could work. It might get a little sloppy though and be tough to hold on to.

 

[Superdoo]

I've had good luck pre-tying everything to hold the meat in place then cut as much meat as possible with a knife then sawing the bone with whatever saw you choose. Keeps the saw from tearing at the meat. Works way better than freezing and sawing with a sawzall.

LOL. I had the opposite experience.
Funny how two people can do the same thing and come come away with opposite experiences.

 

[Tod osier]

I've had good luck pre-tying everything to hold the meat in place then cut as much meat as possible with a knife then sawing the bone with whatever saw you choose. Keeps the saw from tearing at the meat. Works way better than freezing and sawing with a sawzall.

Bone in a vice or similar?

 

[Tod osier]

LOL. I had the opposite experience.
Funny how two people can do the same thing and come come away with opposite experiences.

That was my experience, a lot of jiggling and mess. I'd like to get something to work without buying something new. I can't think of a single need for a bandsaw other than shanks.

 

[sram9102]

Bone in a vice or similar?

Just holding it. Using an oscillating saw and pushing straight down on it has worked.

 

[Tod osier]

Just holding it. Using an oscillating saw and pushing straight down on it has worked.

I'll try it again. Metal-type blade?

 

[sram9102]

I'll try it again. Metal-type blade?

I have used both wood and metal blades not much of a difference.

 

[Kobuk]

For our moose and caribou we found that you need two people, cut through the meat with a knife and saw using a bone saw. A bone saw is basically a large hack saw. Very affordable and works great. We use it to cut our ribs down too. We just have the qtr laying on the table, hold on and saw through. Goes pretty quick, even on moose! Osso Bucco has to be my favorite meal from a moose!

 

[Tod osier]

For our moose and caribou we found that you need two people, cut through the meat with a knife and saw using a bone saw. A bone saw is basically a large hack saw. Very affordable and works great. We use it to cut our ribs down too. We just have the qtr laying on the table, hold on and saw through. Goes pretty quick, even on moose! Osso Bucco has to be my favorite meal from a moose!

I have my grandfather's bone saw, probably could use a new blade. I'll add that to the list of things to try. THANKS!

 

[Superdoo]

As far as saws go... I bought one of these:

16" Hand Meat Saw | MEAT

16" Meat Saw

www.meatyourmaker.com

I absolutely hate it and now only use my $5 hacksaw.

 

[Tod osier]

As far as saws go... I bought one of these:

16" Hand Meat Saw | MEAT

16" Meat Saw

www.meatyourmaker.com

I absolutely hate it and now only use my $5 hacksaw.

Could probably put a finer blade in your meat brand if you wanted to have a dedicated saw...

I tend towards power tools, but happy to use a hand tool if I that gives me the ability to slow down and get the quality I want.

 

[DawnPatrol]

I’ve used a hack saw, sawzall, and little drywall saw with a fine blade. I’ve tried it raw and frozen. In a vice and not. It’s always kinda been a messy, imperfect process. My best luck has been cutting down to the bone with a knife and then cutting through it with a sawzall.

Maybe just get a different blade for your nice bandsaw and wipe everything down with vinegar before and after? Always wanted to try that on my dad’s bandsaw

 

[bsnedeker]

I’ve used a hack saw, sawzall, and little drywall saw with a fine blade. I’ve tried it raw and frozen. In a vice and not. It’s always kinda been a messy, imperfect process. My best luck has been cutting down to the bone with a knife and then cutting through it with a sawzall.

Maybe just get a different blade for your nice bandsaw and wipe everything down with vinegar before and after? Always wanted to try that on my dad’s bandsaw

Band saw makes a mess. I used mine to cut up some bones for my dogs. Took forever to clean all the gunk out of the saw when I was done.

 

[DawnPatrol]

ha. Good to know. I’ll do it when my dad’s not home.

 

[Wrench]

I cut through the legs of my last bull with my silky 180 that I normally use for my backpacking stove ....it SMOKED my large Wyoming saw for time.

 

[Read1t48]

The Silky 180... such a good saw especially for climbing and arborist work.
Did the bone dull the blade?

I think the point of the right saw is to get a good cut and minimize bone dust.

 

[sickles107]

My go to method now is after breaking down quarters, throw the shanks in a bag and freeze them for a day, then cut into disks with a saw zaw with a fine tooth blade.

I keep a separate blade just for this. If you use a new blade the paint can rub off onto the frozen meat and bone.

Also, make sure to clean off any and all bone and meat dust. The bigger tooth blades can leave bigger chunks of bone, but even with a fine tooth blade I have bit into little chunks of bone in the end dish that I missed.

 

[Tod osier]

I love cooking with shanks, but I've never crosscut shanks with the bone in and would like to.

Obviously a meat cutting band saw is the tool for the job, but I'm not buying one (I do have a very nice large wood cutting bandsaw, tho). Can it be done with a sawsall (have one) or other woodworking tool? I have tried it with the sawsall and it didn't go as planned, but I was tired and crabby already.

I was thinking frozen meat and sawing through with a sharp fine toothed blade. I'm pretty picky, so I'd want them pretty perfect looking.

Anyone have tips or suggestions???

THANKS guys, I ordered some fine tooth stainless blades for the sawsall to try that are supposed to be good for bone and frozen meat, so I can try both ways.

Definitely not going to go at it with the 14" decoy carving bandsaw!!! . That thing has so many nooks and crannies, I'd never get it clean.