Counted up my logs from the past 3 years and that number surprised me, but what got me was finally watching an old timer at a BBQ competition show me how leaving a quarter inch of fat cap actually helps the bark set instead of fighting it, anyone else have a basic skill they did backwards for years?
Was at a local shop last Tuesday picking up some primal cuts and this guy in his 70s watches me test the edge on a store knife. He just shakes his head and says, ‘You’re pushing the steel, not pulling it right, kid.’ Took ten seconds to show me the correct angle and stroke, and my blades at home have been scary sharp for three weeks now. Anyone else picked up a random tip from a stranger that totally changed your routine?
I was breaking down a case of pork shoulders yesterday afternoon and my old 6-inch curved boning knife just snapped at the handle. It was a Forschner I'd had for about 7 years, the blade was worn down to almost nothing anyway. Had to finish the whole case with my chef knife and it took twice as long. Anyone got a recommendation for a replacement that won't break the bank?
I was working a Saturday morning shift at the shop back in October 2016, breaking down a side of beef for our weekend rush. My knife slipped off a piece of fat and went right into my left hand between the thumb and index finger. Blood everywhere, had to close my station and drive myself to urgent care for four stitches. It taught me that I was getting too comfortable with a dull blade and not paying attention to my grip. Has anyone else had a close call like that and changed how they hold their knife?
I was at a pork seminar last month and an old-timer named Earl watched me work a shoulder for about 5 minutes. He said I was fighting the natural seams and making extra work for myself. He showed me how he follows the connective tissue lines with just his knife tip and the whole thing practically falls apart. It hit me that I've been hacking through muscle groups instead of separating them cleanly for the last 12 years. Has anyone else had a moment where an older pro made you rethink something you thought you had down solid?
I swear back in April I was paying $4.50 a pound for chuck at the wholesaler here in Omaha. Now it's pushing $6.20 and the fat content is worse. My regular guy said it's because of drought hitting the feedlots out west. Has anyone else had their margins wrecked lately or is it just me?
Last Tuesday a customer asked me to trim a full packer brisket and I realized I'd been cutting out the deckle wrong for years. I always just hacked it out (you know, the big fat chunk between the point and flat) and wasted like a pound of good meat. A retired butcher named Frank who was waiting for his order showed me how to slide the knife along the natural seam instead. Has anyone else had one of those moments where a total stranger casually shows you a better way to do something you've done a thousand times?
I've been using a wet paper towel under my board like everyone else but it always dried out after 20 minutes. Last week I finally tried a silicone mat from the kitchen supply store and my board hasn't moved an inch since. How long did it take you to find a solution for a simple shop problem that drove you crazy?
I picked up a $12 Dexter knife from a restaurant supply place in Worcester two years ago, figured it'd be junk. After a good sharpening and a few weeks of breaking down chickens, it holds an edge way better than I expected. Still use my expensive Wusthof for big primals, but this little guy handles rib bones and trim work like a champ. Anyone else got a budget knife that surprised them?
Was breaking down a steer last Thursday and got thinking about how things used to be. 3 years ago my old mentor Frank showed me how to judge fat cover and marbling while the carcass was still hanging. Now everything comes in cryovac boxes and you dont even see the whole animal half the time. I feel like the younger guys in this shop dont know what theyre missing. Anyone else miss when you could pick your own primals instead of getting whatever the supplier sends?
I was breaking down a 180 pound Berkshire hog at my shop in Nashville and decided to try the curved blade for the shoulder and ham. The curved scimitar just followed the natural lines way smoother, less wasted meat and way less knife work on my end. Anyone else have a strong preference on blade shape for primal cuts?
John at the shop showed me how a handful of sawdust soaks up a fresh blood puddle in seconds - way better than those expensive mats I was buying. Has anyone else got a weird tip like that that saves you time on cleanup?
I bought a high-end German boning knife online thinking it would change everything. First week the tip snapped off while trimming a pork shoulder. I grabbed my old $20 Dexter from the drawer and finished the job in half the time. Anyone else find the expensive stuff just doesn't hold up like the workhorses?
Honestly I used to just run my knives through a pull through sharpener and call it a day. Last Tuesday I was breaking down a whole pork shoulder at the shop in Denver and my blade kept catching on the silver skin. I thought it was just me being rough but my coworker grabbed the knife and showed me the edge was actually rolled over from bad sharpening. He sat me down with a whetstone and had me reprofile the whole thing took like 45 minutes. Now I feel stupid for all those years thinking pull throughs were fine. Has anyone else had to unlearn a bad habit that you thought was normal? I'm still figuring out the angle consistency on stones.
I spent probably 6 hours over two weeks trying to hand chop pork shoulder for sausage, and my wrist was killing me. Kept telling myself I didn't need another piece of equipment cluttering up my shop. But after the third time my knife slipped on some sinew, I ordered a used Hobart off Craigslist for $175. Got it home, cleaned it up, and ground 20 pounds of trim in under 15 minutes flat. Has anyone else waited way too long to get a grinder and then wondered why they suffered so long?
After three years of fighting with soft meat and messy cuts, I tried his advice on a hindquarter last week and the difference in clean separation was so obvious I felt like an idiot for not asking sooner, anyone else have a mentor moment that made you rethink a basic step?
Gary, a retired butcher I met at a swap meet in Portland, kept hounding me about using a curved breaking knife instead of my electric one. He said the machine tears the meat fibers and ruins yield. I finally tried his method on a 150-pound beef primal last Tuesday, and I ended up with 5 more pounds of saleable trim than usual. The hand cut also left a cleaner surface on the steaks. Any of you guys swear by a specific brand of breaking knife for heavy work like that?
Two weeks ago we had a run on whole pigs for a local festival. I had 8 orders come in by Thursday morning and I only had 6 hanging in the cooler. Spent Friday afternoon driving 90 miles to a farm in Duncan to pick up two extras. By Saturday night my hands were so cramped I could barely hold a knife. Has anyone else had a weekend that just snowballed like that?
I wasted 3 hours trying to get it to work and it just gouged my blade teeth. Anyone else get burned by one of those cheap sharpeners on Amazon?
Some dad at the counter last Saturday told his boy that pork shoulder was for people who can't afford ribeyes. I just kept trimming and let it slide but it stuck with me all day. Pork shoulder takes work to get right, sure, but I've had $40 steaks that didn't compare to a slow-cooked Boston butt I did for 12 bucks. Anyone else get tired of people looking down on the tougher cuts that take real skill to break down?
I was trimming up a 400-pound side yesterday and decided to actually weigh the drip loss after it hung for 2 weeks. Came out to almost 8% of the total weight just from moisture hitting the floor. Am I the only one who thinks that number is way higher than what anybody admits to?
I used to get by with those cheap $20 sets from the restaurant supply store. Figured a knife is a knife right? Then I nicked myself three times in one day trying to trim silverskin off some top rounds. Buddy at the shop said to try a Victorinox Fibrox. Picked one up for 90 bucks at a local supplier over on Elm Street. First day using it I cut my trim time by almost half. No slipping, cleaner cuts, less waste. Has anyone else had a cheap knife fail on them at a bad moment?
I always thought trimming pork belly was just a waste of time for the first few years. Then I hit my 1,200 pound mark last month and something clicked. I started paying way more attention to the fat cap thickness and how it affected the final product. My customers actually noticed the difference and started asking for my bacon by name. Now I spend an extra 10 minutes per belly and charge 15% more. Has anyone else noticed a big change after a certain number of pounds processed?
Usually I wrap in butcher paper around 165, but last Sunday I decided to just let a 14 pound prime packer ride at 150 degrees unwrapped. It stalled for almost 5 hours at 172 and I thought I ruined it. It came out with this bark I have never got before, super crunchy but not burnt. Has anyone else played with unwrapped finishes and gotten that kind of texture or did I just get lucky with this one cut?