Necks

LostArra

WKR
Joined
May 9, 2013
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3,435
Location
Oklahoma
One of my favorite deer recipes is a braised bone-in neck roast using Hank Shaw's barbacoa recipe. It's outstanding and I would like to figure out some way to do elk. Does anyone take out a bone-in neck from the field? I'm sure it would be multiple roasts. Most bucks around here are two big ones. By the time I've bagged everything up on an elk I'm usually just removing meat from the neck for the grind bag. Do I need to carry a battery powered Sawzall?

(no lectures on CWD please)
 

mtnkid85

WKR
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Jul 31, 2012
Messages
917
Location
Beartooth Mtns, MT
Ive never done bone in. But I take the neck meat in two big slabs, one from either side of the spine. Then at home Ill trim them into about 4 nice sized roasts. Still one of our favorite slow roast cuts.
 
Joined
Apr 21, 2015
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970
Due to CWD and state to state transport regulations I don't remove spinal tissue from the field.
Having said that, I'm all for a guy utilizing as much as possible of a critter, and enjoying it. Hard to beat bone in cooking for the most utilization of meat.

I've done the saw thing and don't do it any more. I can break down an elk with just a knife. But....... separating the neck from just above the last rib (first rib?) and at the base of the skull is always a real pain for me. I'm probably doing it wrong.
#1 most easy way for me is a small hatchet. Just a few whacks and your good.

If I'm going to carry a saw I carry the Gerber one that that blade slides into the hollow plastic handle. Its light and compact, and protected. Unfortunately years ago they stopped offering it in a bone blade and only offer it in a wood blade. The wood blade still works ok though.
 
OP
L

LostArra

WKR
Joined
May 9, 2013
Messages
3,435
Location
Oklahoma
Ive never done bone in. But I take the neck meat in two big slabs, one from either side of the spine. Then at home Ill trim them into about 4 nice sized roasts. Still one of our favorite slow roast cuts.
I've done this too but the connective tissue around the bone really adds something.

Due to CWD and state to state transport regulations I don't remove spinal tissue from the field.
Having said that, I'm all for a guy utilizing as much as possible of a critter, and enjoying it. Hard to beat bone in cooking for the most utilization of meat.

I've done the saw thing and don't do it any more. I can break down an elk with just a knife. But....... separating the neck from just above the last rib (first rib?) and at the base of the skull is always a real pain for me. I'm probably doing it wrong.
#1 most easy way for me is a small hatchet. Just a few whacks and your good.

If I'm going to carry a saw I carry the Gerber one that that blade slides into the hollow plastic handle. Its light and compact, and protected. Unfortunately years ago they stopped offering it in a bone blade and only offer it in a wood blade. The wood blade still works ok though.

I like the hatchet idea. And I'm thinking of possibly splitting the neck and pulling the spinal cord out to leave in the field.
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
2,243
I don't leave the bone in mine but I do something similar.

Take a whole slab of neck and marinate to your tastes. Char it up on the grill. Then braise it down until it pulls apart. A large cast iron with lid or dutch oven is my preferred vessel.

I make and freeze bone stock for adding it to stews or using as braising liquid. That and a little red wine makes for a pretty damn good pot of meat.
 

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