We cook cutlets from my large game harvests many different ways in our home and if you read “Changing The Game,” you know I put a few of my favorite cutlet recipes in Chapter 8: Marsala, Piccata, Parmigiana… did I mention Milanese? Oh! The Milanese with fresh tomatoes and arugula from the garden, freshly squeezed lemon juice and shaved parmesan, served with a nice glass of Merlot on a summer evening! This could be my favorite recipe from Chapter 8 even as simple as it is. So, I always strive to ensure I process enough cutlets from my harvests to get me into the summer and as close as to the next deer season as possible. And if I’ve gone out of state for Pronghorn or other large game, you can be sure some of that meat is coming back in the form of cutlets.
But, sometimes I struggle mentally during the butchering process, hemming and hawing as to whether I should make my “NJ Strip” steaks or cutlets out of the rough cuts from the hind quarters. I’m not kidding. I detail my decision logic for obtaining as many steaks as possible from each harvest in Chapter 2 of “Changing The Game” noting for the reader the portions of the harvest where you will be able to obtain the most tender steaks if you follow my processing guidance. Heck! I even have a table in Chapter 2 that suggest what cuts of meat should come from each portion of the harvest. Of course, the loins yield steaks or what I refer to as medallions on deer and Pronghorn, and the back half of that portion of the hind quarters between the hip and knee joints, where round steaks are usually cut from are the portions of the harvest where I recommend readers also obtain their steaks. This latter portion is more tender than the front portion and is from where I like to take both my “NJ Strip” steaks and cutlets.
Once the muscle groups on the rear legs are deboned, a few slices as described in “Changing The Game” will allow you to separate them into two major muscle groups that are somewhat long and flat, which can then be sliced across the grain of the muscle into the desired thickness. This is where I struggle… mentally. Steak or cutlet? Argh! My only solace is knowing I have plenty of medallions, small steaks already cut from the backstraps. Usually, I’ll also have an idea of what is already in my freezer from earlier harvests, per my earlier post on meat management, which further enables me to make a decision somewhere in the 50-50 or 60-40 range as to how I slice the meat. You know, after a little further deliberating.
As for the process of slicing cutlets, there are a couple of keys that will enable you to achieve the product you desire whether you are using a meat slicer or a knife. I have a meat slicer but rarely use it for butchering any longer since it is a pain in the ass to use and clean. A properly sharpened butcher knife as described in another one of my recent posts works just as well as long as the meat has been chilled sufficiently after the rough cuts. Chilling the meat prior to final cuts is one of my “keys to the game” for achieving tender cuts of meat. Another one of my “keys to the game” is making your final cut across the muscle fibers, not with them or in the same direction. Cutting across the muscle fibers is what you will be doing to ensure these cutlets are tender when cooked.
Another factor that ensures tenderness is removing the outer layer of soft tissue prior to final cuts on the muscle groups that will be sliced. This soft tissue definitely shrinks much more than the muscle when cooked and can ruin a meal. This outer layer can be a combination of muscle, and muscle and tendon sheaths commonly referred to as silver skin. This video demonstrates how I remove this soft tissue on that portion of the hind quarter that I am going to then cut into cutlets or my “NJ Strip” steaks.
When making cutlets, I aim for a thickness of approximately one-third of an inch. Press the meat firmly into the cutting board, keeping fingers a safe distance from the knife, line up the knife across the muscle fibers at the desired thickness and begin slicing with a backwards pull. Moving the sharp knife quickly will allow it to slice that thin portion of meat away from the muscle. Repeat and you’ll have a few pounds of cutlets in minutes.
I hope you have found this tip useful. More detailed information that covers how to process your harvests so your cuts of meat are tender and flavorful every time can be found in “Changing The Game” and I hope you’ll check out a copy for yourself or consider one as a gift for someone this Christmas.
