Emu Meat Cuts

The six major carcass cuts are:

  • Neck (about 1 1/2 pounds of meat) which is cut into sections like oxtail or deboned for ground.
  • Rib Cage – 3 pounds trimmed for ground.  This includes the strip running along the backbone.
  • 2 Thighs (see cuts 1 through 7 on the chart below)
  • 2 Drums (see cuts 8, 9 & 10 on chart below)

Emu Hindquarter, Meat Cuts and Muscle Names

 Meat Cut International #’s of muscles in cut
Muscle(s)
with prefix M omitted
Weight Before Desilvering Tenderness
rating*
1. Fan EM 1046 Iliofibularis 1 lb. 4 oz (567 g)  1
2. Top Loin EM 1047 Iliotibialis cranialis 1 lb. (454 g)  1
3. Outside Strip EM 1036 Flexor Cruris lateralis 10 oz (238 g)  2
4. Round EM 1035 Iliotibialis lateralis 1 lb 9 oz (709 g)  2-3
5. Inside strip EM 1050
EM 1037
EM 1038
(Caudo-)iliofemoralis;
flexor cruris medialis
pubo-ischio-femoralis
7 oz (198 g)6 oz (170g) 1-3
6. Tip EM 1041
EM 1042
EM 1043
EM 1059a
EM 1059b
Femorotibialis complex:
Femorotibialis Medius,
Femorotibialis Externus,
Femorotibialis Internus,
Femorotibialis Accessories, pectineus
1 lb + (454 g+)  2-3
7. Oyster EM 1045
EM 1073b
EM 1073d
EM 1059c
Liofemoralis internus:
Iliotrochantericus cranialis,
Caudalis;
Ambiens (part of)
12 oz (340g)  1-4
8. Inside Drum EM 1011 Gastrocnemius, pars interna 1 lb 7 oz  3-8
9. Outside Drum EM 1012 Gastrocnemius, pars externa 1 lb (454 g)  3-5
10. Mid-Drum EM 1013 Fibularis longus 1 lb. (454 g) 3-5

 

Information provided by the Emu Farmers Handbook, Vol 2 by Maria Minnaar (ISBN 0-9643741-4-5)
* Tenderness rating is from 1 to 5, with 1 being the most tender.

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1 Comment

  1. Becky on February 1, 2023 at 2:23 pm

    I am looking to get emus butchered and processed in or around Ohio . I can’t seem to find a USDA processing plant who can do this for me . Do you know of anyone that still processes ratites ?
    Any help would be appreciated !
    Becky

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Founded in 1989, The American Emu Association is a non-profit trade association representing breeders, producers and marketers of emu meat, oil and other emu co-products. The emu industry is an alternative agricultural industry, dominated by the small farmer, who is devoted to humane and environmentally positive practices that will produce beneficial products for society. For more information about the American Emu Association (AEA) or the emu industry visit https://aea-emu.org