Usually the butcher has already done all the work and removed the meat from the bone. But if you have the right knives, you can take care of this job yourself.
Step 1
Lay the beef back out on your countertop with the fat on the bottom and then, cutting carefully, separate the tenderloin from the bottom part. Lay the tenderloin on the countertop with the cut side facing down and cut away the narrow, sinewy strip of meat on the side (the “chain”).
Step 2
Now lay the beef back down, with the side you cut the tenderloin from facing down. Taking a boning knife, cut the meat into uniform slices over the whole length, slicing vertically downwards to the rib.
Step 3
Now hold the meat you have already cut from the bone away from the backbone with one hand, and separate the remaining meat from the rib bone using short cutting strokes in a chevron pattern.
Step 4
With the back separated, remove the firm meat at the front (the “deckle”). You can now cut away the rib-eye steaks from the broader section of the back. The rear section can either be used as one piece and prepared as roast beef, or it can be cut into rump steaks.
The short, sharp boning knives made by Victorinox are perfect for separating meat from the bone. The narrow, pointed blades are slightly flexible for precise, careful cutting strokes all the way to the bone, to separate the meat without damaging it. This is important because it maintains the integrity of the surface of the meat so that it stays moist and juicy while cooking.
