Boning does not enter very largely into the preparation of Entrées. A loin of veal or lamb, with flank removed, is sometimes boned and then cut into medallions. Chickens, birds, smelts and brook trout are about the only whole objects that are boned. In general the whole procedure consists in cutting and, principally, pushing the flesh from the bones. No other directions, save that the work should be done as neatly as possible, is necessary for boning a loin of meat or chops.

Boning Chicken And Birds

Both chicken and birds for boning should be left undrawn. Cut off the ends of the wing bones and the feet, first drawing the tendons from the legs of chickens. A slit cut lengthwise in the unfeathered part of the leg will lay bare the tendons and with a skewer they can be easily drawn out, one or two at a time.

Run a pointed knife in between the end of the leg bones and the skin and flesh to loosen the latter completely from the bone as far up as possible. Cut through the skin on the back from the neck to the middle of the back. Beginning on one side, scrape the flesh with the skin from the backbone to the free end of the shoulder blade, push the flesh from this, and then follow the bone through the wing; free the flesh from the other shoulder-blade and wing in the same way, then push the flesh from each collar-bone down to the breast-bone, separating the crop from the flesh. Separate the flesh from the ribs on one side, push the flesh from the second joint, then from the leg, pulling the flesh down over the ends of the leg bones, where it was loosened before the boning was begun. Repeat on the other side. Push the skin from the back-bone until the rump is reached; cut through the bone, leaving part of it in the rump. Separate the skin below the breast from the lining membrane and the work is completed.

Boning For A Galantine

Prepare the chicken or birds as above, but cut the skin down the entire length of the back-bone, and proceed as above, except that the skin need not be so carefully freed from the wing and leg bones, as it is only necessary to have a rectangular piece of skin.

Boning Brook Trout And Smelts

The head may be removed or not as is desired. Unless the fish are to be used as a garnish (cooked in a ring, the tail skewered through the mouth), it is best to discard the head. Slit the fish on the under side, take hold of the inner gills and empty with one motion of the hand; everything to be removed is attached to the inner gills. Then with a sharp-pointed, thin knife loosen the back-bone from the flesh just below the head, then take hold of the bone in the left hand and gradually push the flesh from the bones with the knife in the right hand. All the bones from head to tail are attached to the back-bone and may be easily removed, all together, in less than ten seconds.