The way I break down a pork shoulder completely changed after a trip to Kansas City

For years I just hacked through the seam with a cleaver, which left a lot of good meat on the bone and made a mess. Then I watched a guy at a packing plant there use just his hands and a boning knife, feeling for the joint and popping it apart clean. I tried it back at my shop and now I can get a shoulder apart in under three minutes with way less waste. Anyone have a different method for getting those clean separations?

3 comments

3 Comments

sullivan.finley1mo ago

Guess you just needed to watch a guy who knows where the bones are.

the_paul25d ago

Oh man, totally agree. I had the same thing happen with a classic car mechanic once, dude just poked around for two minutes and found the issue I'd been chasing for weeks. Makes you wonder what we're even doing sometimes, right?

the_andrew1mo ago

Sullivan, you think it's that deep? lmao