c/butchers

4

spencer_moore39•11h ago

Why does nobody talk about how much fat is actually in a chuck roll

I was breaking down a 90-pound chuck roll at the shop last Tuesday and decided to weigh the trim separately ended up with almost 22 pounds of fat and silver skin. That means nearly a quarter of what I paid for went straight into the trim bucket has anyone else ever actually weighed their yield on primal cuts like this?

18

kevin_carr•13h ago

Had to pick between dry aging bags and a dedicated fridge setup

I was saving up to start dry aging at home and couldn't decide between the Umai bags for $30 or a used commercial fridge for $600. Went with the bags first to test it out, and after 45 days on a prime rib roast I got a solid crust and great flavor but the texture was a bit softer than I wanted. Anyone else tried both methods and have a preference for home use?

0

the_ben•1d ago

Why does nobody talk about how much blood you lose when breaking down a whole hog?

I've been cutting primals for years but finally broke down my first whole hog last weekend at a workshop near Columbia. I always figured it was just a little messier but I lost almost 2 quarts of blood on the floor before I even got to the shoulders. That changed my whole plan for doing it at home because I never thought about drainage and floor prep like that. Has anyone else been surprised by how much blood cleanup factors in when you start doing whole animals?

24

olivers28•2d ago

First time I broke down a whole hog by myself this morning and only messed up one shoulder roast

I've been working at that little butcher shop on Main Street for about 8 months now, and after 3 tries I finally got through a whole hog start to finish without my coworker needing to step in and fix anything lol, anyone else remember that first time it all clicked?

16

tylerr39•3d ago

That old school butcher changed how I look at shoulder cuts

Had a talk with a retired guy named Pete at the farmers market in Portland last weekend. He said I was wasting money breaking down whole shoulders when I could just buy the chuck and save 30% on waste. Honestly it hit me hard because I've been doing it the same way for 8 years. Anyone else get caught in a routine and have an old timer call you out on it?

7

barbara278•4d ago

Noticed a huge difference in yield after I started dry-aging for 21 days instead of 14

Switched to 21 days on a batch of ribeyes back in February and lost way less weight than I expected, plus the flavor was way deeper, has anyone else found that extra week changes the numbers that much?

10

fiona_sullivan29•5d ago

Swapped to a Victorinox breaking knife from a cheap Amazon set last month

Honestly the difference in how cleanly it separates ribs is night and day, and the handle grip actually stays solid when my hands are greasy. Has anyone else noticed cheaper blades dulling way faster on pork shoulders specifically?

15

miles277•7d ago

Unpopular opinion: dry aging at home is way overrated for most people

I tried a 45 day dry age on a prime rib roast last fall in my dedicated mini fridge setup, and honestly the loss and trim waste wasn't worth the flavor difference for me. Has anyone else dumped that much time and meat into a project and just felt meh about the result?

17

ryan719•7d ago

Spent $150 on a boning knife that chipped on the third job

I picked up this fancy German steel boning knife from a local shop because my old one kept losing its edge. Cost me about $150, which hurt but I figured it would last years. Third time using it on a whole hog, the tip chipped off while I was working around the shoulder blade. Called the company and they said it wasn't covered because of "improper use." Anybody else ever drop good money on a knife and get burned like that?

24

the_fiona•7d ago

I finally got called out for my big game trim and it stung

Last deer season a hunter brought back a buck he shot and said my silverskin left on the backstraps was 'lazy work' and he was right. I always rushed that part to save time but now I take the extra 5 minutes to peel it clean off every cut. Anybody else get slapped with some hard feedback that actually made you better?

4

fiona_sullivan29•8d ago

Tried wet aging a whole ribeye in my walk-in and lost half of it to trimming

I heard from a guy at the trade show that wet aging a whole primal in the bag for 28 days brings out the best beefy flavor. So I took a 16 pound ribeye I got from a local farmer and let it sit in my walk-in cooler at 34 degrees. I thought I had the temp perfect but after 3 weeks the bag had this weird sour smell when I opened it. Ended up trimming away almost 8 pounds of dark, slimy outer meat and the inside was still kinda off. My mentor said the humidity in my walk-in was too high and the bag wasn't sealed right. Has anyone else messed up a wet age by not checking the bag for leaks every few days?

10

ryang77•10d ago

Stumbled on a stat about grass-fed beef shelf life

Was reading through some USDA reports last week. Turns out grass-fed beef only lasts about 3-5 days longer in the fridge than grain-fed. I always thought it would spoil way faster. Found it in their 2023 meat storage guidelines. Anyone else see different results with their grass-fed cuts?

10

lee_bailey65•10d ago

A customer told me my lamb chops were too thick and she was dead right

An older lady asked me to cut them thinner for her stew, so I tried 1 inch instead of 1.5. Now I do that for all my stew meat and sell way more. Anyone else get a tip from a customer that actually improved your cutting?

27

the_jenny•10d ago

Tried a salt brine on pork chops for the first time

I had a batch of center-cut chops that were drying out on me no matter how I cooked them. After a 4 hour soak in a basic salt and sugar brine, they came out juicy even after a hard sear. Has anyone else had good luck brining specific cuts of pork?

27

emerychen•12d ago

Had a customer ask me to 'de-bone' a whole pig like it was a chicken breast

Last Saturday this guy walks into my shop in Portland and points at a whole pig in the cooler. He says, 'Can you just take out all the bones and roll it up like a roast?' I thought he was joking at first. Then he got serious and said he wanted to cook it on his Traeger for a party. I had to explain that pigs don't work that way unless you want a pile of shredded meat. Has anyone else gotten a request that made you stop and blink for a second?

20

barbara278•13d ago

Hit 200 custom sausage links this week and I'm honestly shocked I didn't mess up more

I've been keeping a tally on the back of my apron for about 6 months and 200 seems like a lot but now I'm paranoid I miscounted, anyone else do this or am I just weird about keeping track?

28

taylor82•13d ago

Old timer at the shop changed how I trim briskets

Been doing briskets my way for about 5 years, always trimming off that fat cap down to a quarter inch. But this retired butcher came in last week to buy some chuck and saw me working. He said I was tossing too much good fat and showed me how leaving a little more on the point side keeps it from drying during a long smoke. Tried it on two briskets this weekend and they came out way juicier. Anyone else get tips from someone twice their age that actually worked better than what you learned online?

3

the_ben•13d ago

Spent 45 minutes trying to debone a pork shoulder the wrong way

I had a customer request a boneless shoulder for a big family gathering and I thought I'd just wing it like I do with chicken. Took me way too long digging around and making a mess before I realized I needed to follow the natural seams not just hack at it. Anyone else ever waste a full hour on a cut you thought you knew how to do?

2

taylor_flores•15d ago

Used to trim my briskets by eye but a mentor made me measure every cut 5 years ago

I was always chasing better yield until an old timer showed me my waste was costing me $12 a brisket. Now I trace the fat line with a marker first - anyone else mark before they cut?

22

lily97•15d ago

Spent 3 hours trying to get a lamb leg bone clean because I forgot to chill the fat first

I must've gone through ten different knife angles before my mentor walked by and just said 'cold fat cuts cleaner' and that one tip saved me the whole afternoon, has anyone else had a simple trick that just clicked way later than it should have?

27

hannah_williams•15d ago

Talking to a retired hog butcher changed how I approach fat rendering

Old guy named Earl told me to never trim fat cold because it tears the grain, and after trying it warm last week I got 15% more yield on my pork belly batch - anyone else hear this trick from an old timer?

18

jake191•16d ago

That expensive fat separator I bought was a complete waste

Spent $45 on a fancy fat separator from a kitchen supply site last month. Thought it would make my broth and gravy work way faster. But honestly, it's just a fancy measuring cup with a spout at the bottom. My old method of just skimming with a ladle works just as good and takes maybe 2 extra minutes. For a butcher who deals with fat every day, I should have known better. Has anyone else bought a gadget that just didn't live up to the hype?

28

elliotr39•16d ago

Had a chat with an old timer at the shop that really got me thinking...

I was breaking down a couple of primals Wednesday morning, pretty routine stuff, and this retired butcher who comes in for scraps sometimes just started watching me work. He didn't say much at first, just kind of nodded along. Then he pointed at how I was handling my boning knife and said, "You're fighting the muscle instead of following it." I laughed it off at first, but after he left I really paid attention to my next cut. Turns out I've been forcing the blade through seams for years when they basically open up if you just let the knife glide along the grain. Been at this for almost 5 years now and never stopped to think about how much extra effort I was putting in for no reason. Anyone else ever get a tip from someone outside your usual circle that totally changed your daily rhythm?

2

palmer.zara•17d ago

Watched a guy at the farmers market trim a brisket with a $15 knife

I was at the Saturday market in Portland and this old butcher just used a cheap flexible boning knife to clean up a whole packer brisket in under 5 minutes. No fancier than my own setup at home, but his cuts were so clean there was almost no waste left on the board. Has anyone else noticed that skill matters way more than the price of your tools?

13

richardknight•17d ago

Overheard a customer at the counter say 'I can tell it was cut right' about my pork chops

I had a guy last Saturday point at the bone-in chops I just finished and tell his wife 'see those clean cuts, that's from a real butcher.' He didn't even know I was standing there. It made me realize how much people notice the small details like straight edges and even thickness. What little thing do you look for when you're checking someone else's work?