c/butchers

Just cut my 10,000th steak and it felt weird

I keep a tally sheet on my block, mostly for fun, and I hit that round number yesterday on a 16 oz ribeye. Some guys say counting like that takes the craft out of it, but I think seeing the number makes you respect the work more. Where do you stand on tracking your output versus just focusing on each cut?

Serious question, has anyone else switched from a standard boning knife to a scimitar for breaking down whole lambs?

I mean, I was using my usual 6-inch boning knife for years, but my buddy let me try his 10-inch scimitar last week. The difference was crazy. The longer, curved blade just followed the contours of the carcass so much better, especially around the shoulder and ribs. I got through two whole lambs in about half the time because I wasn't fighting the knife as much. Idk, maybe it's just me, but I'm seriously thinking about buying one now. For those of you who use them, is there a specific brand or blade flex you'd recommend?

TIL the hard way that a dull boning knife is more dangerous than a sharp one after I needed three stitches last week.

I was rushing to break down a side of pork at the shop in Cincinnati and my blade slipped off some silver skin, cutting deep into my palm because I'd put off sharpening it for a month.

Just found out how much beef we actually waste in the US each year

I was reading a USDA report from last month and it said about 20% of all beef produced in the US gets wasted somewhere between the farm and the plate. That's a huge amount of product just gone. It made me think hard about how we handle trim and portion control in our own shops. What's one thing you do to cut down on waste in your cutting room?

TIL that hanging a dry aged ribeye for 28 days in my home fridge actually works, but you need way more airflow than you think.

I finally saw a guy try to cut a frozen brisket with a bandsaw at the county fair

The blade snapped and sent a chunk flying into a pie judging booth. Anyone have a better method for partially frozen primal cuts besides just waiting?

Had a whole pork shoulder slip off the hook in the cooler last Tuesday.

Was at the shop in Bellingham, just finished breaking down a 180 pound hog. The hook gave way and the shoulder hit the floor. Grabbed my boning knife, trimmed off the top layer right there. Saved about 85% of it. Anyone have a better hook brand they trust for heavy primals?

That one week where the walk-in cooler died

Our main fridge unit went out on a Tuesday in July, and we lost about $1500 worth of prime cuts before we could get a repair guy in from Springfield. Had to scramble to borrow space from the grocery down the street. Anyone ever have a backup plan for when your equipment just quits on you?

Heard a customer at the market say they always ask for the 'second cut' of brisket.

I was picking up some supplies at the local meat distributor and overheard a guy telling his friend he always asks for the second cut because it's more tender. It made me think about how we explain our cuts to people who don't know the trade. Do you have a simple way you describe the flat vs the point to customers?

My walk-in cooler's compressor gave out on a Friday night with a full side of beef inside.

It was about 8 PM, right after I'd broken down a 700-pound carcass from the local processor. Had to scramble and rent a mobile unit for $300 to save the whole lot. What's the most reliable brand you guys trust for a replacement, something that can handle the summer heat?

My main band saw blade snapped right in the middle of a beef rib primal last Friday.

I was working on a full side from a local farm, and the blade just gave out with a loud pop. I had to stop everything, put on a new blade, and finish the cut by hand, which took an extra twenty minutes. What's the longest you've had a good blade last before something like that happens?

Finally got my sausage recipe right after a year of tweaks

Last month in my shop in Spokane, a regular told me it was the best he's ever had. Anyone else have a recipe that took forever to dial in?

Pro tip: I used to hang beef quarters for 14 days, now I push it to 28.

My old boss in Omaha swore by two weeks max in the cooler. Said any longer was a waste of space and money. After reading some studies and talking to a guy who supplies high-end restaurants in Chicago, I tried a full month. The flavor difference is night and day. Anyone else experimenting with longer aging times these days?

Bought a new band saw blade that lasted less than a week on a beef quarter

I spent $85 on a 'premium' blade from a supplier at the state fair, and it went completely dull after breaking down just seven animals. It was a total waste of money and put me behind schedule. Has anyone found a brand that actually holds up to heavy bone work?

A customer's simple comment made me rethink my whole pork chop display

A regular at my shop in Springfield told me yesterday, 'Your chops look lonely, just sitting there plain.' I always just laid them out in rows on the white tray, thinking neat was best. So today, I put a few sprigs of fresh rosemary between the bone-in and boneless ones and grouped them by thickness. It looks way more inviting now, like a meal you want to cook. Anyone else tweak their case setup based on what folks say?

Had a customer last week ask if we could cut a brisket into 'little steak bites' for his dog's birthday party.

I mean, I did it, but watching him walk out with $80 worth of prime beef for a golden retriever named Kevin was something else. Anyone ever get a request that made you just stop and blink?

Pro tip: I was cutting pork shoulders wrong for years until a guy in Memphis showed me his method

He said my blade angle was off by maybe 15 degrees, which was tearing the meat instead of slicing it clean. Anyone else have a basic technique they were messing up for way too long?

A customer at my shop in Boise said my pork shoulder trim was 'too clean' for good sausage.

He explained that leaving a bit more fat and connective tissue on the trimmings adds flavor and moisture, which made me reconsider my usual precision. Anyone have a specific ratio or method they prefer for sausage trim?

Appreciation post: The guy who swore by a $40 boning knife from a hardware store

I thought he was nuts until I used his knife on a side of beef last week and it held an edge better than my old $150 blade. Has anyone else had a cheap tool completely change their mind?

The great chicken escape at my shop in Springfield

Last Tuesday, a whole case of live birds got loose in the back room. One rooster flew straight onto the scale and wouldn't move, just kept crowing. My apprentice, Jake, was chasing another one around the sausage grinder. We finally got them all back after about twenty minutes of pure chaos. Has anyone else had livestock cause a scene right before opening?

A sharp lesson in steel: cheap vs. proper boning knives

I've been using the same brand of budget boning knife for years, the kind you can grab for about twenty bucks. Last month, I finally splurged on a proper high-carbon steel knife from a real cutlery shop, and the difference is night and day. The cheap blade would go dull halfway through breaking down a side of beef, needing constant honing and leaving ragged cuts. This new one holds its edge through three times the work, and the thinner, stiffer blade lets me feel every seam and joint. It's not just about speed; it's about clean, precise cuts that respect the meat. I wasted more time and effort fighting that old knife than I realized. Has anyone else made a similar switch and found a specific brand or steel type that really works for them?

Heard a guy at the market say he throws out all his beef fat trimmings

I told him I render mine down for tallow and he was shocked, said he'd never thought of that. How many of you save your trimmings versus just tossing them?

Just hit 500 pounds of sausage made in a single weekend, my hands are basically meat hooks now

I started using a cheap paring knife for breaking down chicken and everyone said I was nuts

Look, I know the standard advice is a big, heavy boning knife for poultry. For years, I used a 6 inch curved blade, the kind everyone recommends. But about six months ago, I was in a pinch and grabbed a basic $12 Victorinox paring knife from my kit. The control was just different. I could get into the joints with way more precision, especially around the wishbone and separating the oyster. It feels like I'm guiding the tip instead of forcing a bigger blade. My waste on trim went down because I wasn't hacking off good meat. I get the weird looks from the guys at the shop, but for me, it just works better on birds under 10 pounds. Has anyone else found a smaller tool works better for a specific job like this?

The amount of guys I see leaving a thick fat cap on a ribeye is wild

I was at a big meat show in Kansas City last year and it hit me. Half the display cuts had a fat cap over a quarter inch thick. That's a waste. A proper ribeye needs that cap trimmed down to maybe an eighth of an inch, max. Any thicker and it won't render right on the grill, it just stays chewy and turns people off. I learned this the hard way about five years back when a regular told me my steaks were 'too greasy.' He was right. I started trimming closer and my sales went up. Now I see it everywhere and it drives me nuts. What's the thickest fat cap you guys will leave on before you trim it down?