c/butchers

Shoutout to the old-timer who called my rib trim 'wasteful'

He said I was leaving too much meat on the bone cap, and after watching him trim one down in about 30 seconds, I started saving nearly a pound per primal. Anyone else have a specific cut they used to butcher differently?

Honestly, just read a USDA report that said nearly 30% of foodborne illness outbreaks linked to meat are tied to improper storage temps at retail. Found it while looking up something else.

My dad told me to keep the sawdust from the bandsaw for stuffing sausage

He said it was an old trick from his time at the shop in Spokane, that it helped bind the meat and gave it a better texture. I tried it for about six months, using a cup of fine sawdust per 25 pounds of pork shoulder mix. Honestly, it just made everything feel a bit gritty, and a couple regulars asked if I'd changed my recipe because the mouthfeel was off. I stopped using it last fall and went back to just ice water and my normal spices. The texture is smoother now and I haven't had a single complaint. Has anyone else tried something similar, or was this just a very specific quirk from his era?

Rant: A 20-minute pork shoulder trim turned into a 2-hour fight with silver skin

I had a 12-pound pork shoulder come in yesterday that looked fine at first. Started trimming the silver skin off the fat cap, but it was fused to the muscle in a weird way I hadn't seen before. I kept going slow with my 6-inch boning knife, trying not to waste meat, and what should have been a quick job took me over two hours. Has anyone else run into pork with silver skin that just won't let go without a fight?

Showerthought: A customer from my old shop in Boise called our ground chuck 'too lean' for burgers.

He said 'fat is flavor, not a flaw' and insisted on 80/20, which honestly made me rethink my whole grind. Anyone else get pushback on standard lean mixes?

Been using a 10-inch scimitar for breaking ribs, but a 6-inch boning knife changed the game

For years, I used the big scimitar on beef ribs, thinking the weight and length helped. Last month, I tried a 6-inch stiff boning knife on a full case of short ribs. The control was way better, I got cleaner cuts along the bone, and my hand didn't ache after three racks. It's not about power, it's about getting in close. Anyone else find a smaller tool works better for a specific cut?

Warning: I sharpened my breaking knife with a 6000-grit stone for a month straight and it started to roll the edge on pork shoulders.

Switched back to a 1000-grit finish and the edge holds up way better for the heavy work, so what's your go-to grit for a boning knife versus a breaking knife?

Had a customer ask for a 'bone-in' ribeye at the shop last week...

I was working the counter at my place in Spokane and a guy came in asking for a bone-in ribeye. I started to explain we usually cut them boneless, but he insisted. So I went back, cut one to order, and he was thrilled. It made me realize I've been pushing the standard cuts without asking what people really want. How often do you all get special requests like that, and do you charge extra for them?

Tried a new way to break down a whole hog and it went sideways

I was working on a 180-pound Berkshire last Thursday and decided to try a different seam method I saw online, starting from the belly instead of the shoulder. The fat cap tore in two places and I lost about 3 pounds of good belly meat trying to fix it. Has anyone else had trouble with that specific approach and found a better starting point?

An old-timer at the shop insisted I hang a side of beef for 28 days, not 21.

He said the extra week makes all the difference in tenderness, and after trying it on a local grass-fed steer, the ribeyes were noticeably more tender. How do you all decide on your dry-aging times?

Remember when every shop had a proper band saw for breaking down primals?

Three years ago at Miller's Meats in Toledo, we broke down a whole side of beef every morning with a 14-inch band saw that never quit. Last month at the new place, I watched a kid try to do the same job with a hand saw and a dull knife for over an hour. How many shops have just gotten rid of their big saws to save on space and cost?

A customer in Portland said my sausage links looked like sad little slugs

He wasn't wrong, they were kind of lumpy and uneven. I realized I was rushing the stuffing process on my old LEM grinder. Now I go way slower and keep the meat colder, and my links look a hundred times better. Anyone else get a piece of feedback that made you totally change a simple step?

My new band saw blade snapped on a frozen quarter last month

Everyone says to buy the expensive carbide tipped ones, but this was a brand new one from a big name supplier. It just gave out on a normal cut, no binding or anything. Has anyone else had this happen with a fresh blade on a standard cut?

Tried a 24-hour dry brine on a pork shoulder before smoking it

I saw a post from a guy in Kansas City about leaving a pork butt uncovered in the fridge with just salt for a full day before smoking. The bark it formed on my Traeger was insane, way darker and crispier than my usual 4-hour prep. I learned that extra time really pulls moisture from the surface, which is key for that texture. Anyone else mess with extended dry brines on different cuts?

Pro tip: A quick vinegar soak saved a tough brisket trim for me last week.

I was working on a 14-pound packer that felt like trimming a tire, and my knife was just skating off the fat cap. My boss in the Kansas City shop told me to mix a 50/50 water and white vinegar solution and let the brisket sit in it for 10 minutes. The fat firmed up perfectly and I got the cleanest trim I've done in months. Has anyone else tried this, or got a different method for a stubborn fat cap?

Choosing between a band saw and a cleaver for a big beef order

Had a catering company order 200 pounds of short ribs for an event next month. They wanted them cut flanken style, across the bone. I had to pick between using my old band saw or just going at it with a heavy cleaver and a mallet. Went with the cleaver because the saw blade was getting dull and I didn't want to risk a jagged cut. Took me about 3 hours total, but the cuts were super clean and the client was happy. Anyone else ever skip the power tools for a big job like that?

Tried a cheap boning knife from a hardware store versus my Victorinox, the difference in breaking down a side of pork was huge.

I was in a pinch and grabbed a $15 knife from the local hardware place because my main blade was getting sharpened. Used it on a 180 lb side of Berkshire last Friday. It was a nightmare. The steel was too soft, lost its edge halfway through the shoulder, and the handle was slick. Went back to my Victorinox fibrox this morning and it was like cutting warm butter. The weight and the grip just make everything smoother. Anyone have a go-to brand for boning knives they swear by, or is Victorinox just the standard for a reason?

Always thought those fancy Japanese whetstones were overpriced hype for sharpening knives.

Grabbed a Shapton 1000 grit stone on a whim after a bad day with my old oilstone. The edge it puts on my boning knife is so clean and holds so much longer, I feel like an idiot for fighting it. Anyone else have a tool they swore was a gimmick that actually changed their game?

Reading an old meat science book and the fat trim numbers shocked me

I picked up a used copy of 'Meat Cutting and Processing for Food Service' from 1985 at a library sale. It said a standard beef ribeye roast should have the fat cap trimmed to exactly a quarter inch thick. My shop has always aimed for an eighth inch, which is what most customers want now. That old book made me think about how much leaner cuts have gotten over time. Do you still see places keeping that much fat on retail cuts?

Dropped $500 on a commercial-grade meat saw last year and it's the best money I ever spent, hands down.

Just lost a whole side of beef to a bad cooler unit

Our backup walk-in at the shop in Springfield had a temp spike last night (it hit 48 degrees, I guess the compressor gave out). That's about $1200 worth of prime rib and short plate just gone. I'm so mad I didn't check the alarm battery last week. Anyone have a good cooler repair guy they trust in the area?

Vent: Had a real tough time with a dry-aged ribeye last week

I was breaking down a 45-day dry-aged ribeye for a special order, and the crust was so hard it was chipping my blade. My boss told me to just power through, but I tried something different. I took a stiff bristle brush, the kind for cleaning grills, and brushed the whole crust off before I even started cutting. It took off all the hard, inedible stuff and left the good meat clean and easy to work with. Has anyone else found a better way to handle that super hard pellicle?

Finally figured out why my pork shoulder cuts were always a bit off

I was watching a guy break one down at the Iowa State Fair last month, and he kept the knife at a much lower angle than I did. I'd been going in too steep for years, which was tearing the muscle fibers instead of slicing clean. Anyone else have a specific technique they had to unlearn?

I keep seeing folks overtrim their briskets before smoking

They're taking off way too much fat, sometimes leaving less than a quarter inch. That fat cap is crucial for keeping the meat moist during a long cook. How do you all decide how much to leave on?

PSA: A broken band saw in a busy week taught me to always check the blade tension before a big job

Last Tuesday at my shop in Tacoma, I was breaking down three whole lambs for a catering order. Halfway through the second one, the band saw blade snapped clean. I lost almost an hour fixing it and checking for damage. The blade was sharp, but the tension was way too loose, something I hadn't checked in a couple weeks. Now I give the tension knob a quick turn before any big cutting session. It's saved me twice already. Anyone else have a simple pre-shift check they do to avoid a mess?