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Trusting my fingers to find the seam in a pork shoulder changed everything
I used to just hack through pork shoulders with a saw, thinking speed was key. Then an old timer showed me how to feel for the natural seam between muscles with my fingers. Now I use my knife to follow that line, and the cuts come out cleaner every time. The meat separates so easy, you get better portions and less waste. I did it this way on a big order last month and saved a ton of time in the long run. The customer said the roasts looked perfect, which never happened when I was rushing with the saw. It's a slower start, but the finish is way better. More people should try this instead of just powering through with tools.
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cole_lee91mo ago
Hold on, you were using a saw on pork shoulders? I mean, that just blows my mind, idk how anyone thinks that's a good idea. It sounds like it would shred the meat and make a huge mess. Feeling for the seam is so much cleaner because you're following what the animal already built in. Maybe it's just me but I always thought butchery was about finesse, not force. Once your fingers learn where to go, the knife almost guides itself and you save way more meat. I'm shocked more people don't start with their hands instead of jumping straight to power tools.
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calebw501mo ago
Back when I was learning to debone quail, my chef always said to let your hands do the thinking. He showed me how to trace the rib cage with my fingertips instead of just cutting blindly. The bones pop right out if you follow the curves, and you keep the whole bird intact for stuffing. Took a while to get the feel for it, but now it's second nature and the presentation is way better.
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