Is there a known trick to cutting large pieces of frozen food? For
example, a turkey breast in half? Or am I too often guilty of not
planning ahead? I know I'm not supposed to thaw or partially thaw, cut,
and refreeze remainder. Probably hopeless but some here are rather
ingenious - any way to do it? Besides a hacksaw?

TIA.


--
Untie the two knots to email me

Every silver lining has a cloud.

"Ken Knecht" > wrote in message
...
> Is there a known trick to cutting large pieces of frozen food? For
> example, a turkey breast in half? Or am I too often guilty of not
> planning ahead? I know I'm not supposed to thaw or partially thaw, cut,
> and refreeze remainder. Probably hopeless but some here are rather
> ingenious - any way to do it? Besides a hacksaw?
>
> TIA.


Assuming you can keep the meat from sliding around, you can use a meat
cleaver. Rest the cleaver on top of the victim, and whack it with a wooden
mallet or a small piece of 2x4. A good cleaver isn't cheap. Unless you can
foresee needing one often, you're probably better off defrosting the whole
piece of meat this time, cooking it, and freezing the leftovers.

On Feb 19, 8:53?am, "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote:
> "Ken Knecht" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > Is there a known trick to cutting large pieces of frozen food? For
> > example, a turkey breast in half? Or am I too often guilty of not
> > planning ahead? I know I'm not supposed to thaw or partially thaw, cut,
> > and refreeze remainder. Probably hopeless but some here are rather
> > ingenious - any way to do it? Besides a hacksaw?
>
> > TIA.
>
> Assuming you can keep the meat from sliding around, you can use a meat
> cleaver. Rest the cleaver on top of the victim, and whack it with a wooden
> mallet or a small piece of 2x4. A good cleaver isn't cheap. Unless you can
> foresee needing one often, you're probably better off defrosting the whole
> piece of meat this time, cooking it, and freezing the leftovers.

You've obviously never actually done this other than in your dreams.

"Sheldon" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> On Feb 19, 8:53?am, "JoeSpareBedroom" > wrote:
>> "Ken Knecht" > wrote in message
>>
>> ...
>>
>> > Is there a known trick to cutting large pieces of frozen food? For
>> > example, a turkey breast in half? Or am I too often guilty of not
>> > planning ahead? I know I'm not supposed to thaw or partially thaw, cut,
>> > and refreeze remainder. Probably hopeless but some here are rather
>> > ingenious - any way to do it? Besides a hacksaw?
>>
>> > TIA.
>>
>> Assuming you can keep the meat from sliding around, you can use a meat
>> cleaver. Rest the cleaver on top of the victim, and whack it with a
>> wooden
>> mallet or a small piece of 2x4. A good cleaver isn't cheap. Unless you
>> can
>> foresee needing one often, you're probably better off defrosting the
>> whole
>> piece of meat this time, cooking it, and freezing the leftovers.
>
> You've obviously never actually done this other than in your dreams.
>


"Never" must be another word for "Friday", because I did this last Never,
Sheldon. It worked fine. Thanks for asking.

"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
> "Sheldon" wrote
> >"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
> >> "Ken Knecht" wrote:
>
> >> > Is there a known trick to cutting large pieces of frozen food? For
> >> > example, a turkey breast in half? Or am I too often guilty of not
> >> > planning ahead? I know I'm not supposed to thaw or partially thaw, cut,
> >> > and refreeze remainder. Probably hopeless but some here are rather
> >> > ingenious - any way to do it? Besides a hacksaw?
>
> >> > TIA.
>
> >> Assuming you can keep the meat from sliding around, you can use a meat
> >> cleaver. Rest the cleaver on top of the victim, and whack it with a
> >> wooden
> >> mallet or a small piece of 2x4. A good cleaver isn't cheap. Unless you
> >> can
> >> foresee needing one often, you're probably better off defrosting the
> >> whole
> >> piece of meat this time, cooking it, and freezing the leftovers.
>
> > You've obviously never actually done this other than in your dreams.
>
> "Never" must be another word for "Friday", because I did this last Never.

Were that true you'd have said so in your post, Bedroom LIAR!

"Sheldon" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
>> "Sheldon" wrote
>> >"JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
>> >> "Ken Knecht" wrote:
>>
>> >> > Is there a known trick to cutting large pieces of frozen food? For
>> >> > example, a turkey breast in half? Or am I too often guilty of not
>> >> > planning ahead? I know I'm not supposed to thaw or partially thaw,
>> >> > cut,
>> >> > and refreeze remainder. Probably hopeless but some here are rather
>> >> > ingenious - any way to do it? Besides a hacksaw?
>>
>> >> > TIA.
>>
>> >> Assuming you can keep the meat from sliding around, you can use a meat
>> >> cleaver. Rest the cleaver on top of the victim, and whack it with a
>> >> wooden
>> >> mallet or a small piece of 2x4. A good cleaver isn't cheap. Unless you
>> >> can
>> >> foresee needing one often, you're probably better off defrosting the
>> >> whole
>> >> piece of meat this time, cooking it, and freezing the leftovers.
>>
>> > You've obviously never actually done this other than in your dreams.
>>
>> "Never" must be another word for "Friday", because I did this last Never.
>
> Were that true you'd have said so in your post, Bedroom LIAR!
>


hahahahahaha! Who told you to say that? Did you adopt David Berkowitz's dog
after he went to prison?

In article >,
says...
> A good cleaver isn't cheap.
>

In Chinatown it is. I got a heavy, wooden-handled, carbon steel cleaver
for $4 in Toronto's Chinatown - and that's $4 Canadian!

--
Peter Aitken

"Peter A" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> says...
>> A good cleaver isn't cheap.
>>
>
> In Chinatown it is. I got a heavy, wooden-handled, carbon steel cleaver
> for $4 in Toronto's Chinatown - and that's $4 Canadian!
>
> --
> Peter Aitken


I really need to get back to that city, just for the Chinese food.
Rochester's got nothing close.

On Feb 19, 8:48?am, Ken Knecht > wrote:
> Is there a known trick to cutting large pieces of frozen food? For
> example, a turkey breast in half? Or am I too often guilty of not
> planning ahead? I know I'm not supposed to thaw or partially thaw, cut,
> and refreeze remainder. Probably hopeless but some here are rather
> ingenious - any way to do it? Besides a hacksaw?

You'll need to bring it to a friendly butcher shop and ask if they'll
band saw your turkey, a hand hacksaw just ain't gonna do it... but
regardless you'll end up with a lot of embedded bone chips... which is
why poultry is typically cleavered before freezing. Anyway, why do
you want to cut a turkey breast in two, it'll only tend to dry out
even more than usual when cooked. And if you think a whole turkey
titty is too much cooked poultry freezes well.

On Feb 19, 9:05 am, "Sheldon" > wrote:
> On Feb 19, 8:48?am, Ken Knecht > wrote:
>
> > Is there a known trick to cutting large pieces of frozen food? For
> > example, a turkey breast in half? Or am I too often guilty of not
> > planning ahead? I know I'm not supposed to thaw or partially thaw, cut,
> > and refreeze remainder. Probably hopeless but some here are rather
> > ingenious - any way to do it? Besides a hacksaw?
>
> You'll need to bring it to a friendly butcher shop and ask if they'll
> band saw your turkey, a hand hacksaw just ain't gonna do it...

I was wondering about a skill saw or perhaps a grinder? Not that I'm
about to go out and buy either just to try them.

Otherwise I agree. The OP needs a bandsaw or a friendly butcher/
neigbourhood woodworker with one.

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

Our family really liked turkey and cooked it year round, and since my
mother had a large deep-freeze she bought frozen turkeys when they
were on a very good sale and asked the butcher to cut them in half so
she could cook a half turkey on the grill. The only time she ever
cooked whole turkeys was for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"Virgin/Newbie Mary" wrote:
> Our family really liked turkey and cooked it year round, and since my
> mother had a large deep-freeze she bought frozen turkeys when they
> were on a very good sale and asked the butcher to cut them in half.

Yes, that will work because the butcher can use a band saw... but then
the plastic bag of giblets gets a bit mangled and a lot bone fragments
are created and lodged into the turkey meat... it's far better to just
buy two small turkeys instead of bifurcating one large. And the
butcher won't want to contaminate his bandsaw with poultry so it's
something far easier said than done, iffn yoose know what I mean...
you're not related to constantly prevaricating Bedroom Boy... And
halved turkeys cook up kind of dry. Plus they don't make for a very
attractive presentation... even whole roast turkey breast looks too
much like an amputation. And before I'd attempt to pare down a turkey
I'd buy a chicken. Of course you can always subscribe to Bedroom
Boy's oral defecating. Mary, Mary, quite contrary, I don't believe
you either... people who post about what somebody else did are
generally merely attempting a lie, that they're one step removed makes
it a lie never the less. I know with no doubt whatsoever from reading
his posts that Bedroom Boy has never cooked anything more than nuking
left over take out... and you're starting off exactly as he did,
Mary... LYING!

In article >,
Ken Knecht > wrote:

> Is there a known trick to cutting large pieces of frozen food? For
> example, a turkey breast in half? Or am I too often guilty of not
> planning ahead? I know I'm not supposed to thaw or partially thaw, cut,
> and refreeze remainder. Probably hopeless but some here are rather
> ingenious - any way to do it? Besides a hacksaw?
>
> TIA.

Partial thaw and re-freeze?
I do that all the time and it's never hurt the meat...
I _do_ try to freeze portions initially but it does not always work out
that way.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

On Mon, 19 Feb 2007 13:48:25 GMT, Ken Knecht >
wrote:

>Is there a known trick to cutting large pieces of frozen food? For
>example, a turkey breast in half? Or am I too often guilty of not
>planning ahead? I know I'm not supposed to thaw or partially thaw, cut,
>and refreeze remainder. Probably hopeless but some here are rather
>ingenious - any way to do it? Besides a hacksaw?
>
>TIA.
I have the butcher do it and he uses a band saw.


--
See return address to reply by email

> Is there a known trick to cutting large pieces of frozen food? For
> example, a turkey breast in half? Or am I too often guilty of not
> planning ahead? I know I'm not supposed to thaw or partially thaw, cut,
> and refreeze remainder. Probably hopeless but some here are rather
> ingenious - any way to do it? Besides a hacksaw?

That's what chainsaws are for...

~xy~ wrote on Thu, 22 Mar 2007 20:00:56 GMT:

??>> Is there a known trick to cutting large pieces of frozen
??>> food? For example, a turkey breast in half? Or am I too
??>> often guilty of not planning ahead? I know I'm not
??>> supposed to thaw or partially thaw, cut, and refreeze
??>> remainder. Probably hopeless but some here are
??>> rather ingenious - any way to do it? Besides a hacksaw?

x> That's what chainsaws are for...

I've never dared but I have been tempted!

If you nuke the food a little but don't defrost it completely,
it will cut more easily. In fact that's a recommended way to
thinly slice chicken breast for Chinese food.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

> x> That's what chainsaws are for...
>
> I've never dared but I have been tempted!

Take the chain oil out, and it works like a hot damn for cows...
Turkey should be a piece of cake...

On Feb 19, 5:48 am, Ken Knecht > wrote:
> Is there a known trick to cutting large pieces of frozen food? For
> example, a turkey breast in half?


Why do I have visions of the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" rattling around
in my head;-)

Myrl

On Feb 19, 10:17�am, Steve Wertz > wrote:
> On Mon, 19 Feb 2007 13:48:25 GMT, Ken Knecht wrote:
> > Is there a known trick to cutting large pieces of frozen food? For
> > example, a turkey breast in half? Or am I too often guilty of not
> > planning ahead? I know I'm not supposed to thaw or partially thaw, cut,
> > and refreeze remainder.
>
> Why not? *Even the USDA says is OK to thaw and refreeze.

You may but I don't recommend it. There are too many "ifs"... there
is no way to know how poultry was handled prior to your buying it...
most poultry has been partially frozen, thawed, frozen, thawed, and
frozen again before the consumer buys it, nor can you say with
certainty under what conditions time frame wise. Plus most homemakers
can't or haven't the facilities to thaw and refreeze in an expeditious
manner.

http://www.health.state.mn.us/foodsa...ds/turkey.html

Again, I wouldn't. It's far safer to freeze excess poultry after it's
been cooked... and cooked poultry freezes extremely well, and for just
that reason alone I'd not consider separating frozen raw poultry.
Only an utter moron will buy a frozen 24 pound turkey and have it sawn
in half when right there in the freezer case are plenty of 12
pounders. duh And anyyone want's say 5-6 pounds most butcher
departments these days sell fresh turkey parts, breast halves/legs...
or simply buy a friggin' chicken. Butchers are just not in the
business of sawing frozen poultry... when was the last time you looked
in the meat case and saw a frozen roaster chicken sawn in half, or a
duck... not gonna happen.

Asking the butcher staff to band saw a frozen turkey sounds good in
theory but they are not going to do it, they are not going to
contaminate a machine (including surronding area) that will then need
to wait for the night crew to steam clean it before it can be used for
anything else. And per chance any of yoose liars swear that your
butcher does please let me know their location so I'll know never to
buy any fresh meat there.

When folks relate stories that are not logical they are lies.

Sheldon

In article .com>,
"Sheldon" > wrote:

> and cooked poultry freezes extremely well

I'd like to agree with this, but I've not found it to be so... Sorry
babe. Whenever dad freezes cooked chicken breast, I generally end up
feeding it to the dog.

She's not as picky. ;-)

I've found that the texture tends to really suffer. It dries it out even
more.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

On Feb 19, 11:19�am, Omelet > wrote:
> In article .com>,
>
> *"Sheldon" > wrote:
> > and cooked poultry freezes extremely well
>
> I'd like to agree with this, but I've not found it to be so... Sorry
> babe. Whenever dad freezes cooked chicken breast, I generally end up
> feeding it to the dog.
>
> She's not as picky. ;-)
>
> I've found that the texture tends to really suffer. It dries it out even
> more.

Then you've over cooked it to begin with (very common with poultry
breast meat), and you're not supposed to leave it in the freezer for
two years either. I don't have that problem because I don't *process*
to death. And cooked chicken, especially the white meat, is best
sliced before freezing drizzled with a bit of gravy/stock... that's
how it's been done since before you were born, in frozen dinners. The
food emporiums are chock loaded with cooked frozen chicken dinners...
you going to tell us no one sucessfully freezes chicken soup, and gots
to be a zillion frozen chick-pot pies... you just can't cook... I know
that you can't have success with your over processed boneless skinless
chicken frozen in a zip-loc, they weren't worth eating before you
froze them. But those are already in portions, why are you processing
more than you can eat anyway... DUH

In article .com>,
"Sheldon" > wrote:

> On Feb 19, 11:19�am, Omelet <omp > wrote:
> > In article .com>,
> >
> > *"Sheldon" > wrote:
> > > and cooked poultry freezes extremely well
> >
> > I'd like to agree with this, but I've not found it to be so... Sorry
> > babe. Whenever dad freezes cooked chicken breast, I generally end up
> > feeding it to the dog.
> >
> > She's not as picky. ;-)
> >
> > I've found that the texture tends to really suffer. It dries it out even
> > more.
>
> Then you've over cooked it to begin with (very common with poultry
> breast meat), and you're not supposed to leave it in the freezer for
> two years either. I don't have that problem because I don't *process*
> to death. And cooked chicken, especially the white meat, is best
> sliced before freezing drizzled with a bit of gravy/stock... that's
> how it's been done since before you were born, in frozen dinners. The
> food emporiums are chock loaded with cooked frozen chicken dinners...
> you going to tell us no one sucessfully freezes chicken soup, and gots
> to be a zillion frozen chick-pot pies... you just can't cook... I know
> that you can't have success with your over processed boneless skinless
> chicken frozen in a zip-loc, they weren't worth eating before you
> froze them. But those are already in portions, why are you processing
> more than you can eat anyway... DUH

Well, I generally don't cook more than we can eat in a couple of days...
The chicken breasts that are ending up as dog food are those damned
rotisserie chickens dad insists on buying from the store all the time. I
_HATE_ those things! If I don't make salad out of the breast meat within
a day or so, he puts it in the freezer.

Then the Border Collie gets a treat when I find it. ;-)
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

Omelet wrote:
> In article .com>,
> "Sheldon" > wrote:
>
>> and cooked poultry freezes extremely well
>
> I'd like to agree with this, but I've not found it to be so... Sorry
> babe. Whenever dad freezes cooked chicken breast, I generally end up
> feeding it to the dog.
>
> She's not as picky. ;-)
>
> I've found that the texture tends to really suffer. It dries it out even
> more.


You can partially thaw a frozen turkey, then cut it up like a frying
chicken, and refreeze the pieces in 3 or 4 packages. When I do that, I
leave the breast in one piece.

I usually just cook the whole turkey though and freeze the excess cooked
meat. It doesn't get dry if you cook in in a covered roaster.

Bob

In article >,
zxcvbob > wrote:

> Omelet wrote:
> > In article .com>,
> > "Sheldon" > wrote:
> >
> >> and cooked poultry freezes extremely well
> >
> > I'd like to agree with this, but I've not found it to be so... Sorry
> > babe. Whenever dad freezes cooked chicken breast, I generally end up
> > feeding it to the dog.
> >
> > She's not as picky. ;-)
> >
> > I've found that the texture tends to really suffer. It dries it out even
> > more.
>
>
> You can partially thaw a frozen turkey, then cut it up like a frying
> chicken, and refreeze the pieces in 3 or 4 packages. When I do that, I
> leave the breast in one piece.
>
> I usually just cook the whole turkey though and freeze the excess cooked
> meat. It doesn't get dry if you cook in in a covered roaster.
>
> Bob

I ended up getting 6 extra turkeys over the holidays due to the price. I
thawed them all, parted them out like a frying chicken (like you just
said), re-froze the parts...

and turned ALL of the breast meat into sausage. I mixed it 50/50 with
ground pork.

That worked. :-)
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson