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AnthonyC comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, March 2015, chapter 118 - Less Wrong
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There is nonzero finite surface energy involved in cleaving an object in two, which you need to impart (minimum applied force). But for a living thing the minimum would be low. And you can prevent falling over by using a circular wire that shrinks (or 2 or more wires arranged symmetrically) to counter any pushing non-cutting forces
How low are we talking?
The Wikipedia page on surface energy gives values in the hundreds to thousands of mJ/m^2 for solids. I haven't a clue where meat and bone would fall in that table, and I haven't been able to find out with five minutes of Google, but even if we assume they're on the high side we're not talking particularly high total energies.
(Tangentially, "surface energy of meat" is one of the better phrases I've Googled lately.)