Synopses & Reviews
Winner, James Beard Foundation Media Award in the Reference or Scholarship category, 2015
Winner, IACP Food Writing/Cookbooks Award in the Beverage/ Reference/ Technical category, 2015
Using detailed, step-by-step photography of every stage of the process, Adam Danforth shows you exactly how to humanely slaughter and butcher chickens and other poultry, rabbits, sheep, pigs, and goats. From creating the right pre-slaughter conditions to killing, skinning, keeping cold, breaking the meat down, and creating cuts of meat you’ll recognize from the market, Danforth walks you through every step, leaving nothing to chance. He also covers food safety, freezing and packaging, and tools and equipment. This comprehensive reference is the only guide you need to successfully, safely, and humanely slaughter and butcher your own animals.
Review
"This is the intelligent and comprehensive butchery book inquisitive cooks have been waiting for."
Review
"An incredible resource for every farmer, hunter, sustainable butcher and professional cook. It is filled with the kind of information that is so hard to come by but so absolutely necessary--from the clear and detailed photos to the precise descriptions of butchery this is a book that should be part of the library of anyone who is interested in where their meat comes from." Joshua and Jessica Applestone, owners, Fleisher's Grass-fed - & - Organic Meats
Review
"As consumers become more and more detached from their food, books like this share how it is possible to take another path, to grab hold of where your food comes from and confront it with compassion and expertise." Daniel Klein, chef, film producer, and founder of The Perennial Plate
Review
"Adam Danforth's two new books about butchering feature tasteful photographs and a thorough explanation of each step of the process. ... [They]make you feel like you can raise and process your own livestock, and do it thoughtfully and skillfully ... [and] provide new insights for all of us about butchering and its impact on the quality of meat."
Kitchen Arts - & - Letters
Review
"These are not mere how-to guides: they are the equivalent of in-depth college courses. ... What's more, this is not just academic data: there are practical applications, and not only for homestead butchers. Anyone who cooks or eats meat would benefit from much of this information. ... On a scale of 1-10, these easily rank 12, minimum." HobbyFarms.com
Review
"[A] breathtaking guide through the paradoxical process of killing animals with compassion. ... For those who have embraced the farm to table movement and are ready to take matters into their own hands, this is required reading. For those whose consideration of meat and poultry begins and ends at the supermarket, it is a transformative wake-up call." The Shepherd
Review
"There's an entire industry of professionals who humanely raise and slaughter animals for a living, in an intensely personal and responsible way that's to be admired. One of those professionals is Adam Danforth, the author of a new book series that sets out to educate those interested in humanely slaughtering their own food."
Review
"If you're interested in self-sustainability and raising livestock for meat consumption, this book is the next step in your process. It's informative, it's comprehensive, and above all else, it's reverent and respectful of the animals giving their lives so we can live ours."
Review
"These books were written by a man who loves livestock, and loves meat - with reverence."
Review
"These are not mere how-to guides: they are the equivalent of in-depth college courses."
— Countryside & Small Stock Journal
“These books were written by a man who loves livestock, and loves meat – with reverence.”
— The Shepherd
"Breathtaking guide through the paradoxical process of killing animals with compassion. ... a transformative wake-up call."
— Publishers Weekly
"It’s informative, it’s comprehensive, and above all else, it’s reverent and respectful of the animals giving their lives so we can live ours.”
— Hobby Farms
Synopsis
Slaughter and butcher your own animals safely and humanely with this award-winning guide. Providing detailed photography of every step of the process, Adam Danforth shows you everything you need to know to butcher poultry, rabbit, lamb, goat, and pork. Learn how to create the proper slaughtering conditions, break the meat down, and produce flavorful cuts of meat. Stressing proper food safety at all times, Danforth provides expert advice on necessary tools and helpful tips on freezing and packaging. Enjoy the delicious satisfaction that comes with butchering your own meat.
Synopsis
Quality Meat from Poultry, Rabbits, Sheep, Goats, and Pigs
Locally raised animals, humanely slaughtered and expertly butchered. This is the best meat we can eat and, with Adam Danforth's comprehensive manual, you can learn the skills necessary to take an animal calmly and efficiently from pasture to freezer.
Every step of the slaughtering process
Synopsis
Quality Meat from Poultry, Rabbits, Sheep, Goats, and Pigs
Locally raised animals, humanely slaughtered and expertly butchered. This is the best meat we can eat and, with Adam Danforth's comprehensive manual, you can learn the skills necessary to take an animal calmly and efficiently from pasture to freezer.
Every step of the slaughtering process
About the Author
Adam Danforth trained at the professional meat processing program at SUNY Cobleskill, one of the only such programs in the United States, before going to work at Marlow and Daughters in New York City. He’s also worked as a butcher at Blue Hill and teaches home butchering workshops at the Stone Barns Center for Agriculture. Adam also works with individual farmers who are slaughtering animals for themselves, and because of that, he has a keen awareness of the needs of farmers, especially those who may be killing an animal for the first time. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Joel Salatin is a farmer at the forefront of the trend toward local food and grass-fed meat. His Polyface Farm has been featured in Smithsonian magazine, National Geographic, Gourmet, and countless other radio, television, and print outlets. When he was profiled on the “Lives of the 21st Century” series with Peter Jennings on ABC World News, his after-broadcast chat room fielded more hits than any other segment to date. Polyface Farm achieved iconic status when it was featured in theNew York Times bestseller The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan and the award-winning film documentary, Food, Inc. Salatin is also the author of eight books, including Everything I Want to Do is Illegal, Holy Cows and Hog Heaven, and Folks, This Ain’t Normal.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Joel Salatin
Introduction
Chapter 1
From Muscle to Meat
Chapter 2
Food Safety
Chapter 3
Tools & Equipment
Chapter 4
Butchering Methods
Chapter 5
Pre-slaughter Conditions & General Slaughter Techniques
Chapter 6
Chicken Slaughtering
Chapter 7
Chicken Butchering
Chapter 8
Rabbit Slaughtering
Chapter 9
Rabbit Butchering
Chapter 10
Sheep & Goat Slaughtering
Chapter 11
Sheep & Goat Butchering
Chapter 12
Pig Slaughtering
Chapter 13
Pork Butchering
Chapter 14
Packaging & Freezing
Bibliography
Glossary
Resources