MISSOULA — From birds to big game, knowing how to safely and properly process meat is an important practice.
That's why the Missoula Urban Demonstration Project (MUD) hosted a hands-on, beginner-friendly workshop Saturday on the fundamentals of butchering.
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"Even if you're really bad at it, you will get a bigger yield than if you were to send it to a commercial place. And you'll always be giving more care to your animal yourself," workshop instructor Heather Graham told MTN.
With sharp knifes and a generously donated deer, MUD's class helped attendees learn to reduce waste while gaining a new skill.
"If you're out in the woods getting your own animal and you wanna know how to process it yourself, that education should be available to you within your means in your community," Graham said.
"We offer the tools and skills you need to feel that empowerment to be sustainable," MUD workshops and events coordinator Kathleen O'Brien said.
Graham and her brother are lifelong processors. They led the class in everything from quartering to de-boning and cleaning.
"Understanding the muscle structures on an animal, so that they can intuitively break it down and just kind of confidence that it's not that hard. It's actually really approachable and very fun," Graham detailed.
Learning a new trade got participants up close and personal while holding tension and cutting connections.
"Knowing where my food comes from and not having to buy like protein red meat from the store is big part of this for me. I'll have skills that I can like offer people in return, you know, if they go out and hunt," attendee Dan Gagner shared.
All parts of the deer were used or saved, emphasizing sustainability and respect for the animal.
"We could be tossing out all the fat or we could be tossing out the bones, but we are using them for, you know, as many different ways as we can because we really treasure the animal that gave its life for this workshop," O'Brien noted.
Next, MUD will use the fat to make soap in a workshop coming soon.
The organization hopes to add more butchering classes next hunting season. For more information click here.
