Venison shanks are delicious to eat, but tough to cut, unless you know a trick or two.
The meat on a deer shank is stuck together so much that it’s not worth the trouble to try to separate it. It would be interesting to see a study on the amount of meat to connective tissue on a shank. It would be one of those useless pieces of information I’d carry around in my brain. Useless, because it won’t change the way I prep or cook with them.
I leave the shanks whole when I kill my deer, as I’ve talked about before (here on Venison Osso Buco). I usually package them two shanks to a package.
When I’m ready to cook them, I cut them up while they are still frozen, let them thaw, and then slow cook them in some way. You saw a few different ways I cut them in the Osso Buco recipe. But I’ve been using a new method that I thought you might like to know about too.
The difference is how I hold them still. This has always been the frustrating part. If you can’t hold them rock solid still while you are cutting them, they take forever to cut.
What I do now, is simply lock them down in my shop vice. I put a silicone baking mat in the vice first to keep the shank and the vice from getting dirty. The silicone mat makes a nice barrier, it’s very durable, and easy to clean.
I like to put the shank end that is wrapped in the mat on the thin end in the vice and tighten it up all the way. Then I can start cutting.
With my 12″ bone saw, I cut through the thick sections in about 10 to 15 seconds.
I don’t use a sawzall because it’s just another tool to clean and wouldn’t do the job as well.
Next time you pull some shanks out, save some frustration, and lock ’em down with your vice!
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Venison shanks are an underappreciated cut of meat from deer legs that can be transformed into delicious dishes when prepared properly. While they contain a lot of connective tissue, slow cooking allows the tough collagen to break down into succulent flavorful meat that falls off the bone. When learning how to cut venison shanks yourself, following some simple techniques will yield the perfect pieces for braising.
Anatomy of a Deer Leg
The shank refers to the lower leg below the knee/hock joint. Deer have two shanks – the foreshank which is the front leg, and the hindshank which is the back leg. The foreshank is leaner while the hindshank has more fat and collagen.
Both shanks contain bones ligaments, tendons and silverskin. When cutting them from the rest of the leg, it’s important to find the natural seams between the muscle groups. Properly removing the shanks preserves the larger leg muscles for other uses like steaks or roasts.
Equipment Needed
Cutting venison shanks requires just a few tools
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Sharp boning knife – A thin, flexible blade allows precision cutting around joints and bones.
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Handsaw or reciprocating saw – For cutting across shank bones to make cross-cut osso buco style pieces.
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Cutting board – Provide a stable surface to trim on.
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Twine or toothpicks – Keep pieces intact while braising.
Removing the Foreshank
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Bend the elbow to find the joint separating the shank from the foreleg above it.
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Make a cut above this joint down to the bone.
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Carefully use the knife tip to free the foreleg muscles from the shank.
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Expose the joint by cutting connective tissue around it.
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Twist and push the shank against the joint to pop it off.
Removing the Hindshank
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Cut through the fascia separating the shank from the hamstring.
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Follow the hamstring inward and detach it from the shank meat.
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Free tendons around the knee joint and score fascia around it.
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Twist and push the shank against the joint, cutting tendons to remove it.
Cutting Osso Buco Style Shank Pieces
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Use a knife to slice shanks into 1 1⁄2 – 2 inch sections, cutting through meat but not bone.
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Nestle a saw into cuts and gently cut across bone. Don’t let shank move while sawing.
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Remove any bone fragments and dust from meat. Keep pieces intact.
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Tie cooking twine around each piece to secure them for braising.
Tips for Cutting Shanks
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Work slowly and carefully around joints and bones.
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Create tension on tendons before cutting them.
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Save “drumstick” ends for stock rather than osso buco.
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Leave silver skin on for texture. It softens during cooking.
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Cut bone sections evenly for uniform cooking.
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Clean saw thoroughly after use to avoid contamination.
Properly fabricated venison shanks allow you to transform a tough cut into a mouthwatering braise. With some finesse and the right tools, you can trim shanks off both hind and forelegs. Cutting across the bone produces perfect pieces for dishes like osso buco. Slow cooking then helps break down connective tissues into rich, fall-apart meat that does not go to waste.
How to Remove Deer & Elk Shanks | MeatEater Butchering Ep. 5
FAQ
What is a shank cut of venison?
How do you clean a venison shank?
To clean a venison shank, wrap one end of it in a silicone mat and secure it in a vice. Then, saw away at the bone. This process takes only 10 to 15 seconds. On Venison Thursday, you can also make Venison Chili and Cornbread.
How do you cut venison?
A broken-down hindquarter. The cuts are, from bottom left to right: Bottom round, eye of round, top round, and the sirloin. Top left to right: Shank, femur, and scraps for grinding. Jamie Carlson One of the most frequent questions hunters ask me is how to cook venison, cut by cut.
Can you cook venison Shanks in a crockpot?
These easy steps yield venison shanks perfectly sized for most crockpots. You’ll impress people with this somewhat unusual presentation and the slow cooking will make your house smell great. There’s absolutely no reason to ever discard or leave them in the field.
What happens if you overcook venison?
If you overcook ground venison in a burger or meatballs, it dries out terribly and produces an off-putting grainy texture. Venison shanks are one of the most underrated cuts. Deer shanks have become my favorite part of the animal. Unfortunately, many people grind the shanks or—even worse—throw them out because they don’t know how to cook them.