Ten Easy Steps to Debone a Rhea

1. With a sharp knife slice down on one side from the centre top.

2. Remove the Oyster.

3. Separate the two halves at the hip joint and set one half aside.

4. Turn over and remove the Inside Strip.

5. Remove the Outside Thigh and most of the Top Strip as one unit.

6. Remove the fan.

7. Remove the Outside Strip, Back tender and the rest of the meat from the bone
as one unit.

8. Remove the Tip.

9. Working around but not next to the bone remove most of the drum meat as one unit.

10. Repeat for the other half.

Silver Skin removal:
For those cuts with silverskin IE... Outside Thigh, turn the meat silverskin side down and run a sharp knife between the silverskin and the meat by pressing down and pushing ahead.

Portioning:
At this time the rhea may be portioned, approximate time 20 minutes. Simply slice the meat cross grain at 1/2 - 1" intervals. Cover with saran and delicate with a mallet for an even cooking surface. Delicating is not necessary for tenderizing.

Bones:
Approximately one pound of meat will be left on the bones. This can be used as ground or as part of the stock. Bones should be roasted at 350F for 45 minutes to one hour. Remove bones from oven and place in a large pot with 30L of water. Bring to a near boil, turn down and simmer for 24 hours. Strain the stock, remove bones and reduce the clear broth to 2 - 4 litres.

Sauce:
The bones from the rhea will yield enough sauce to serve with all the portions.