Yesterday was spent with two hairy beasts and Ray Smith, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's butcher on River Cottage. I had joined one of the School's short courses. The deer, a white Fallow and a Roe buck hung from a steel frame in the butchery downstairs as Ray introduced himself. Seven of us eagerly watched in anticipation as Ray flayed the soft, white hide, and began to break down the carcass of the larger deceased deer.
The haunches were carefully jointed into silverside and topside, using an almost forgotten technique know as seam butchery. Almost forgotten in the UK but actually still common place on the Continent, seam butchery follows the lines of silverskin in meat which separate each muscle of the animal and gives smaller cuts of meat with far more superior cooking qualities. For lunch the topside was wrapped in Pancetta and roasted, and the Striploin seared, giving an almost burnt outside, with a deep ruby centre. Easily the very best Vension I've eaten.
During the afternoon the pluck (lungs, liver, heart and spleen) was blended with oatmeal, stock and spices, stuffed into casings and poached to create an aromatic haggis.
That was the Fallow deer seen to, but now the little Roe buck needed skinning. I took Rays knife and under his instruction started working the knife between the hide and the leg muscles. Between the seven of us the deer was eventually skinned, and revealed a much leaner animal than the Fallow.
I cycled home with the hide from the Roe buck and a bag full of sausages for supper.
My plan is to salt and dry the skin. I think I need some chemicals to stop the hairs falling out, although I'm not too sure. Prehistoric people dried animal skins without chemicals. But they probably also smelt pretty awful.
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