Detailed Explanation of the Processing Techniques and Methods for Deer Sinew

(1) Removal of Deer Sinew

Deer sinew refers to the muscle tendons of the deer's four limbs and back. The removal method is as follows: ① For the forelimbs, use a knife to slit open between the back of the metacarpal bone and the muscle tendon, cutting down to the hoof heel below the accessory hoof, leaving the accessory hoof and sesamoid bone on the sinew, then continue slitting upward along the sinew groove to the termination of the fascia at the upper end of the carpal bone and cut it off. The tendon on the front side is also slit open between the front of the metacarpal tendon and the bone, cutting downward to the coronary band with a piece of skin about 5 cm long, then cutting it off, and trimming upward to the upper end of the carpal bone, cutting at the termination of the fascia. ② For the hind limbs, slit open from between the tibia bone and the sinew cavity down to the accessory hoof, cut off at the hoof heel, leaving the accessory hoof and sesamoid bone on the sinew, then continue upward along the sinew groove through the calcaneus to the termination of the tibial muscle tendon and cut it off. The removal of the tendon on the front side of the hind limb is done by slitting open from between the front of the metatarsal bone and the tendon down to above the coronary band, leaving a piece of skin 5 cm long and cutting it off, then trimming upward to the upper end of the metatarsal bone to above the hock joint, cutting open the thick muscle group, and cutting at the termination of the fascia. ③ The muscle tendon of the back refers to the lateral fascia of the longissimus dorsi, which is used to wrap and attach the tendons. First remove the longissimus dorsi, lay it flat on a table with the inner side facing up, then use a knife to remove the intact fascia.

(2) Scraping, Washing and Soaking

Place the removed tendons on a table, peel off the fascia with large pieces of muscle layer by layer, scrape away residual meat, and temporarily leave the scattered muscle attached to the long tendons. After washing the cleaned deer sinew 2-3 times with clean cold water, place it in a water basin in a cool place and soak for 1-2 days, changing the water once in the morning and once in the evening each day, until the tendons have no blood color, then scrape, wash and process. The scraping, washing and processing needs to be done 2-3 times, with cold water soaking for 1-2 days between each time, until the muscle on the tendons is completely scraped clean.

(3) Hanging, Attaching and Air-Drying

After the deer sinew legs have undergone the above processing, pierce a small hole in the accessory hoof and the place where skin is left, thread a wooden stick through and hang it up. Divide the scattered small pieces of tendon into 8 portions, attach them respectively to the 8 long tendons of the four limbs, and divide the longissimus dorsi fascia into 4 strips, wrapping them around the outside of the 4 long tendons without accessory hooves. After attachment, the 8 deer tendons should be basically consistent in length and thickness, making them neat and attractive. Air-dry in the shade for about 30 minutes, then hang up to air-dry. If necessary, dry them in an oven at 50-90°C until dry, then tie the dried deer sinew into small bundles and store them in the warehouse.