c/butchers

Update: That one time a stubborn pork shoulder bone took me 45 minutes to separate

It was a heritage breed from a local farm, and the joint was fused in a way my old saw just wouldn't touch, so I had to switch to a hand bone saw and work around it by feel, which made me miss the simpler cuts we used to get. Anyone else run into this with older hogs?

Just learned from a 1920s meatpacking guide that they used to age whole sides of beef for up to 8 weeks in unrefrigerated rail cars, which sounds wild until you realize the constant movement and airflow basically made them giant dry-aging lockers.

Has anyone here ever tried a crazy-long aging process like that, or is it just an old-timer's tall tale?

A customer's comment about my sausage texture made me adjust my grind

They said the links felt a bit mealy, so I started chilling my pork shoulder and grinder parts in the freezer for 30 minutes before processing. The difference in bind and bite is huge. Anyone else tweak their grind temp after feedback?

Wasted a whole Saturday trying to get a clean cut on a 40-day dry-aged ribeye

Turns out my band saw blade was just a tiny bit loose, and tightening it took maybe 10 minutes after I figured it out. Anyone else have a simple fix that took you forever to spot?

I switched from a scimitar to a cimeter for breaking primals and I'm not going back

For years at the shop in Toledo, I used a 10-inch scimitar for everything from ribs to rounds... thought it was the only tool for the job. Then about six months ago, I tried a 12-inch cimeter on a side of beef and the extra weight and curve just fell through the seams. It's not about being fancy, it's about less sawing and cleaner pulls. Anyone else make a simple knife switch that changed their whole flow?

Serious question, how do you guys handle a dull band saw blade mid-job?

I was breaking down a side of beef yesterday and the blade started pulling to the left halfway through a rib. I swapped it out, but I'm curious if anyone has a trick for getting a few more cuts out of a blade that's just starting to go.

Back when I was at Miller's Meats in Springfield, I dropped a whole side of beef.

It was a Friday morning, and the hook slipped off the rail. The thing hit the floor with a sound I won't forget. My boss, Frank, just shook his head and we spent the next two hours trimming and washing, losing about 15 pounds to scrap. Anyone else ever have a major drop like that?

PSA: I used a 10-inch breaking knife on a pork shoulder last week and it was a total game changer.

Serious question, saw a butcher in San Antonio using a different method for breaking down a whole hog

I was visiting a small shop in San Antonio last week and watched their head butcher work. He started with the head and worked his way down, instead of splitting the spine first like I was taught. He said it lets him keep more of the belly meat whole for better bacon cuts. I've always split down the middle to get two sides. Has anyone else seen or tried this approach? I'm curious if it really changes the yield.

Just changed my mind about dry aging after a trip to that new place in Portland

I visited that new butcher shop in Portland called The Salt Block last week, and I have to admit, I was wrong about dry aging. I always thought it was just a fancy way to charge more for older meat, you know? But they had this whole glass fronted aging room you could see from the counter. The guy behind it, his name was Leo, let me smell a 45 day ribeye they were about to cut. He said 'smell that, it's not bad, it's concentrated.' And he was right. It wasn't spoiled, it was like beef times ten. I tried a piece they were sampling and the flavor was crazy deep, way more than just a good steak. I guess I never really got it until I saw the whole process up close and tasted the real deal. Has anyone else had their mind changed by seeing how another shop does something?

Update: I gave up on the old band saw for breaking down whole lambs

For years I stuck with my old 14-inch band saw for everything, even whole lamb breakdowns. It worked, but it was slow and the blade would wander on the spine. My buddy at the shop in Springfield kept telling me to try a good hand saw for the initial cuts, saying it gave more control. I finally listened last week on a 60-pound lamb. I used a 22-inch breaking saw for the spine and ribs, then went back to the band saw for the primals. The difference was huge. The hand saw went through the bone clean in about two minutes, no binding, and I could feel the joints better. The band saw work after that was way smoother because the pieces were already separated. I feel dumb for fighting it for so long. Anyone else switch from all-power to a mix of hand and power tools for certain animals?

Watch out for that 'professional' knife sharpening service in the mall

I dropped off my main boning knife at the 'Edge Masters' kiosk in the Westgate Mall last month, paid $25, and got it back with a messed up bevel. The edge looked shiny but it couldn't hold through half a hog before going completely dull. I ended up having to re-profile the whole thing myself, which wasted about two hours of my time. Has anyone found a local sharpener they actually trust, or are we all just better off doing it ourselves?

My band saw blade snapped right in the middle of a big custom order

It happened last Tuesday morning, right when I was breaking down a whole lamb for a restaurant in town. The blade just went with a loud pop and the whole thing stopped dead. I had half the carcass on the table and a line of cuts to finish by noon. My backup blade was still in the box, not even set up. I had to stop everything, put the meat back in the cooler, and spend the next hour putting on the new blade and getting the tension and tracking just right. It threw my whole day off by about three hours. I ended up working late to get the order done, but the customer was cool about it when I told them what happened. It made me realize I need to keep a spare blade ready to go at all times, not just in the drawer. How often do you guys check your blades for wear and tear?

Hot take: I was wrong about dry aging for so long

Three years ago at a shop in Omaha, I saw a guy pull a 45 day rib primal and thought it was a waste. Tried it myself last month with a proper fridge, and the flavor is a whole different world. Anyone have a good method for trimming the pellicle without losing too much yield?

Why does nobody talk about the right way to break down a whole lamb for a small shop?

Last week at my shop in Tacoma, my new hire, Dave, wanted to follow the classic six-piece primal breakdown we all learned. But I've been splitting the saddle into two boneless loins and keeping the racks whole for special orders, which moves faster for our volume. It started a whole debate on the floor about speed versus traditional presentation. What's your shop's method for a whole lamb?

I thought that new vacuum tumbler at the shop was just a gimmick until we tried it on a batch of corned beef.

Update: I keep seeing new guys at the shop saw through the aitch bone on pork shoulders like it's nothing, which just wrecks the blade and makes the cut look ragged.

Has anyone found a good way to show them the proper seam without just taking the knife away?

Hot take: I used to think breaking down a whole hog was a 3 hour job minimum

For years in my shop, we'd take our time, maybe 3 to 4 hours per animal, being super careful with every cut. Then I visited a buddy's operation in Kansas City last fall and watched his crew do one in under 90 minutes. The speed didn't ruin the meat quality at all. I came back, changed our workflow, and now we're consistently at about 75 minutes. It's all about the order of operations and trusting your knife skills. Anyone else make a big shift like this that went against the old-school 'slow is better' rule?

I called dry aging at home a total gimmick for years

A buddy in Kansas City bet me a case of beer I couldn't age a ribeye for 45 days in a mini fridge. I used a small fan and a salt block, checking it every week. The flavor after 7 weeks was insane, way deeper than anything I've bought pre-aged. Has anyone else tried a home setup that actually worked?

Pro tip: I thought dry aging at home was a total waste of time until I tried it on a strip loin

For years I heard guys at the shop talk about their home dry aging setups and I figured it was just for show. Then my buddy in Chicago gave me a piece of his 45 day aged ribeye and the flavor was unreal, nothing like the wet aged stuff we get. I tried it myself with a single 10 pound strip loin in a mini fridge with a small fan, just to see. After 30 days the trim loss was about 15 percent, but the meat was so much more tender and had that nutty taste everyone talks about. I'm still not doing it for the whole case, but for a special cut it's worth the space. Has anyone else started small like this and had it work out?

My band saw motor burned out right in the middle of a 40-hour pork breakdown. Do you repair or replace?

Happened Tuesday morning. It was a 3-year-old unit from a decent brand, not some cheap import. One minute it's humming, the next there's a pop and the smell of burnt wiring. I had to finish the whole order by hand with a bone saw and a cleaver, took me twice as long. My boss says we should just buy a new one, arguing it's faster and comes with a warranty. But the repair guy quoted me $450, which is half the cost of a new machine. What would you do? Is fixing a motor on a relatively new saw a smart move, or is it just asking for more trouble down the line?

An old timer at the Boise meat show told me to keep a bowl of ice water next to my station when breaking down a side.

Vent: A guy at the market in Boise asked me to carve his pork chop into a dinosaur

He was totally serious, holding up a picture on his phone of a T-Rex shaped steak. I was at my stall last Saturday, just breaking down a side of pork. I told him I could butterfly it for him, but a detailed shape would ruin the cook and waste meat. He got kinda huffy and said, 'But the kids would love it,' and walked off. Anyone else get these wild custom requests that just aren't practical for the cut?

Rant: A customer told me my pork shoulder cuts were too thick for proper braising

I'd been cutting them at 3 inches for years, but after they explained it creates uneven cooking, I switched to a 2-inch standard. Anyone else get pushback on a basic cut that made you rethink it?

Shoutout to the regular who brought her son in to see the shop

A woman named Maria came in yesterday with her boy, maybe 8 years old, and asked if I could show him how I break down a chicken. I did a quick demo on the block, and the kid was totally focused. When I finished, Maria looked at him and said, 'See? That's a real skill, not just cutting meat.' It stuck with me because you don't always hear that. Anyone else have a customer moment that made you feel good about the craft?