Abstract: A method is provided for making a food product from a substantially solid, generally boneless muscle portion, the portion having top and bottom surfaces, first and second opposite ends and first and second lateral sides. The method comprises the steps of: making a plurality of spaced apart first cuts extending through the portion from the top surface toward but not completely to the bottom surface to establish an uncut area having a predetermined thickness proximate to the bottom surface; and making at least one second cut extending completely through the portion from the top surface to the bottom surface and generally perpendicular to at least some of the first cuts to sever from the portion at least one food product, the product including a first generally continuous edge and a plurality of strips extending outwardly from the first edge.

Abstract: A method of cutting a whole bird to form bird meat products comprises: removing a portion of each of the wings of the bird including the wing tip sections and the center, two bone sections; removing both of the breasts and the drumettes of the wings from the remainder of the bird leaving the drumettes attached to the removed breasts; and cutting through each of the removed breasts along cut lines extending approximately one third of the distance along the length of each of the removed breasts and generally parallel to the bones of the removed drumettes to create two breast products and two breast/drumette products. In one embodiment the breast products are cut in half lengthwise to form smaller breast products.

Abstract: A method of making a braided meat product from a generally elongated, boneless cut of meat includes the steps of: cutting the elongated boneless meat cut lengthwise into at least two and preferably three generally equal sized elongated boneless meat strips; and braiding the meat strips with each other to establish an elongated braided meat product. In one embodiment the boneless meat cut is first trimmed to remove any fat, membranes or the like prior to cutting the strips. At least one of the ends of the braided meat product is secured, for example with a cord, to prevent the meat product from becoming unbraided.

Abstract: A method of cutting the back of a bird provides two boneless meat products. The back includes a backbone, a tail at the rear end of the backbone and an area of meat on each side of the backbone. The method includes cutting the back along a first cut line extending generally perpendicular to the backbone and proximate to the rear end of the backbone to remove the tail. The back is also cut along a second cut line extending at a first angle with respect to the backbone and proximate to the rear end of a first side of the backbone to remove a first generally triangularly shaped boneless meat product. The back is further cut along a third cut line extending at a second angle with respect to the backbone and proximate to the rear end of a second side of the backbone to remove a second generally triangularly shaped boneless meat product.

Abstract: A method of cutting the thigh of a bird forms a boneless thigh meat product. The thigh has a bone, first and second lateral sides, top and bottom surfaces, a thin muscle proximate the first lateral side and a thick muscle proximate the second lateral side. The method comprises removing the bone and any other inedible components from the thigh to provide a boneless thigh. The boneless thigh is cut from the top surface to the bottom surface along a first cut line to remove the thin muscle. The thick muscle is cut along a second cut line extending generally parallel to the top surface to remove a small top (red) muscle. The thick muscle is then cut along a third cut line extending generally parallel to the top and bottom surfaces and generally half way between the top and bottom surfaces to create two generally equal sized thigh meat pieces.

Abstract: A method of cutting a piece of meat which is initially generally in the shape of a parallelepiped to produce at least one steak portion includes cutting the meat along four generally curved first cut lines extending generally parallel to the grain of the meat to remove four corners of the meat and create a meat portion which is cylindrically shaped. The cylindrically shaped meat portion is cut along each of a plurality of parallel second cut lines each generally perpendicular to the grain of the meat and spaced from each other by a first predetermined distance to create a plurality of disk-like generally cylindrical meat portions each having a thickness corresponding to the first predetermined distance and each having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the cylindrically shaped meat portion.

Abstract: An apparatus for flattening and tenderizing meat comprises a pair of generally cylindrical macerating rollers each having a generally smooth circumferential outer surface with a plurality of generally parallel, generally equally circumferentially spaced apart ridges extending outwardly from the circumferential surface along the axial length of the roller. The rollers are generally parallel to each other and spaced apart and are supported in a frame in an offset manner for rotation in opposite directions such that during rotation of the rollers the ridges of the first roller fall between the ridges of the second roller with a predetermined distance therebetween and the ridges of the second roller fall within the ridges of the first roller with the predetermined distance therebetween. When meat is fed into the space between the rotating rollers the meat is gripped by the ridges and is pulled between the rollers where the meat is flattened and tenderized by the rollers.

Abstract: A method for preparing a whole bird for grilling comprises removing the tips from each of the wings of the bird and cutting a notch into each of the joints of each of the wings of the bird. The backbone and attached neck are removed from the bird by cutting along both sides of the backbone where the backbone meets the ribs of the bird. Excess skin and fat are removed from the bird proximate the thighs and the skin is removed from the bird around the breasts so that the whole bird is separated into two relatively flat halves. A notch is cut into the knee joint between each of the drumsticks and thighs of the bird and each of the thighs is partially separated from the rest of the body of the bird at the hip joint.

Abstract: A method of cutting a primal cut of meat having a width, a thickness and an elongated length with the grain of the meat extending generally parallel to the length to form a meat product simulating the appearance of a tenderloin comprises cutting the primal cut along a first cut line. The first cut line extends through the thickness and along the length of the primal cut to separate a first meat portion from the remainder of the primal cut. The first cut line is spaced from a lateral side of the primal cut by a predetermined distance generally corresponding to the thickness of the primal cut so that the first meat portion is elongated and generally square shaped in end view. The first meat portion is then cut along four generally curved second cut lines along the entire length of the first meat portion for removing the four corner pieces of the first meat portion when seen in end view.