Appreciation post: Old timer at the wholesale shop showed me why I should chill beef for 48 hours before breaking it down.

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?

3 comments

3 Comments

david56222d ago

Took me four years and a lot of bad sausage to learn that chilling pork shoulder overnight makes grinding it a million times easier. The fat stays firm instead of smearing all over the blade and turning everything into a greasy paste. Felt like a real genius the first time I did it right and the texture actually looked like ground pork instead of baby food. We all have those moments where we ignore the simple stuff for way too long.

the_anthony22d ago

A buddy of mine wasted a whole brisket before learning the same lesson from an older butcher.

logan23616d ago

That bit about the fat smearing brought back memories of my first attempt at grinding my own burger blend. I had the bright idea to grind a mix of brisket and short rib straight out of the fridge, and ended up with a greasy paste that looked like something from a horror movie. My dogs loved it though, so at least I didn't totally waste the meat, just my dignity.