Cutting Pork Steaks with a Bone Saw: Teach me your ways

[Sven Svensson]

I love pork chops and especially BBQ pork steaks. I’d like to cut my own but will need a bone saw. I do have a Reciprocating saw and I see they make stainless blades for that but I would assume there would be a lot of bone dust.

Okay, I’ll stop typing and let you school me on how I can do this myself. Thanks.

 

[Nefarious]

Is this the same saw you use to cut fallen trees in your yard? I only ask because I will never get mine into the house. But I could get a.fresh one at harbor freight?

 

[one eyed jack]

Hey Sven,

First things first; I know next to nothing about cutting meat, (other than with knives) but I do know reciprocating saws and I think that cutting meat with one would create a nasty cleaning job, simply because the reciprocating saw cuts on the return stoke and so will pull bits of meat and bone into the front of the tool.

I did a quick google for butchers hand meat saw and found this,

https://store.butchersupply.net/hand-saw-frames-c35.aspx

Here's my google if you want more.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=butch...9923A6EFB831429&form=CONBDF&conlogo=CT3210127

Bit of a funny story; Years ago I worked for a chap in a boat shop, whose Grandaddy had started the business. Grandad felt like he had free use of the shop and tools and one day came in and cut a raw ham in half on the large shop band saw. several days later, it was summertime, we started noticing vast numbers of maggots flooding out of the band saw. Grandson wasn't overly happy with Grandaddy.

 

[Sven Svensson]

Hahahaha, I guess even a fly has to eat! That’s a great story one eyed jack

 

[Nefarious]

Hey Sven,

First things first; I know next to nothing about cutting meat, (other than with knives) but I do know reciprocating saws and I think that cutting meat with one would create a nasty cleaning job, simply because the reciprocating saw cuts on the return stoke and so will pull bits of meat and bone into the front of the tool.

I did a quick google for butchers hand meat saw and found this,

https://store.butchersupply.net/hand-saw-frames-c35.aspx

Here's my google if you want more.

https://www.bing.com/search?q=butchers hand meat saw&pc=cosp&ptag=C8N9923A6EFB831429&form=CONBDF&conlogo=CT3210127

Bit of a funny story; Years ago I worked for a chap in a boat shop, whose Grandaddy had started the business. Grandad felt like he had free use of the shop and tools and one day came in and cut a raw ham in half on the large shop band saw. several days later, it was summertime, we started noticing vast numbers of maggots flooding out of the band saw. Grandson wasn't overly happy with Grandaddy.

One eyed jack is probably right, I still like that you ask interesting questions.

 

[Sven Svensson]

N Nefarious Maybe I need to find a friend with a bandsaw and not let him know what I’m up to. Haha!

 

[Nefarious]

Or, just get a harbor freight saw, $25 and use it a few times then toss it. Or build a shield to catch the meat being thrown back

 

[Fueling Around]

Just get a hacksaw from HFT. Get a coarse blade.
I have my grandmother's bone saw and it is best described as an oversize hacksaw with a slightly different blade

 

[one eyed jack]

One thing that 50 + years of working with my hands has taught me is that you can make many tools work OK for a given task, but there is a reason that tools are designed for specific tasks.

I understand the pain of paying for a purpose built tool for a seldom done task, still the right tool for the job will make life much easier.

If you have an old handsaw that your not looking to hand down to your offspring, it will cut meat and bone. Although it will need resharpening after the bone. (If it makes it all the way through the job).

You will get very tired of trying to cut meat and bone with a hack saw.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I love pork chops and especially BBQ pork steaks. I’d like to cut my own but will need a bone saw. I do have a Reciprocating saw and I see they make stainless blades for that but I would assume there would be a lot of bone dust.

Okay, I’ll stop typing and let you school me on how I can do this myself. Thanks.

I have a meat bandsaw, that said, just to cut the rib primal into chops, get a sawsall type hand held as has been mentioned. Use a new fresh blade, cut the meat all the way to bone with a knife, all the way around, then use the saw to only cut through the bone. Bone dust can be scraped off with a bone duster, or just simply wash it under running water. Don’t make it complicated, it’s just meat.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Sven, if this is something that you'll do often, then I recommend getting a good hand saw like the one posted by one eyed jack . There are plenty of options available and with proper care, will last you forever. These things are designed for cutting meat and bone. The best way that I've found to cut a Boston butt into pork steaks or a bone-in pork loin into pork chops is for them to be mostly frozen. There's not that much bone dust and most meat departments don't remove it anymore except for the visible meat in the packs, but it can easily be scraped off with a plastic serving spoon or a spatula if you desire. I have done all of this in the past. If you do decide to order one, go ahead and get a replacement blade at the same time.

Ultimately a powered saw of some kind such as a band saw would be ideal if you would use one enough. Band saws are expensive and take up room. A reciprocating saw generally requires 2 hands to operate so holding the meat still while cutting can be a challenge...

 

[smokerjim]

As gonnasmoke mentioned I would freeze it until almost solid especially pork butts, but personally I would just bone it out and slice with a knife then use the scraps for sausage or something.