c/butchers

My pork shoulder trim was a mess until I saw a kid's drawing

So I've been trimming pork shoulders for, like, five years, thinking I was doing it right. I'd just go at it, taking off what looked like extra fat and silver skin. Then last month, my niece brings her school project to the shop, a drawing of a pig with all the muscles labeled. She points at the shoulder and goes, 'Uncle Kim, why is this part so bumpy?' I looked at my trim and then at her drawing. The muscle groups were totally clear. I was cutting across them, not with them, making the meat look ragged and losing good bits. I felt so silly. A six-year-old's art class taught me more than my old boss did. Anyone else have a moment where something basic just clicked way later?

The great pig head experiment of 2023

I got a whole pig head in January to try making head cheese for the first time. For three days, it sat in my walk-in looking at everyone with those glassy eyes. My apprentice, Kyle, kept calling it 'Mr. Snuffles' and giving it a wide berth. After a long simmer and a night pressed, I unmolded a perfect terrine that sold out in two hours. Has anyone else had a cut of meat that spooked the staff before it became a menu star?

A customer at the shop last week asked me to cut a pork shoulder into 1-inch cubes for stew, then told me his grandma always said the secret was to leave a little fat on each piece.

My uncle said to dry age a brisket for 21 days, not 14

He runs a shop in Kansas City and told me last month that the extra week makes a huge difference in flavor. I tried it with a 16 pound prime brisket from my last order. The bark was darker and the meat was way more tender when I smoked it. Has anyone else found that a longer dry age works better for certain cuts?

Had to choose between a local steer and a cheaper feedlot buy for my custom orders

A regular wanted a full beef cut for his family reunion, and I could either pay $4.50 a pound for a local grass-fed Angus or get a feedlot steer for $3.20. I went with the local one, thinking the quality would be worth it, but the customer complained the flavor was 'too strong' and I'm stuck with extra primal cuts. Anyone else run into customers who say they want quality but then balk at the real taste?

Unpopular opinion: I'll take a properly sharpened Victorinox boning knife over a fancy Japanese steel one for breaking down a whole hog any day.

The lighter weight and more forgiving edge of the Victorinox let me work for 8 hours straight without my wrist screaming, while the 'better' steel on my $250 Japanese knife just felt like overkill and got in the way.

A regular at the market told me my pork shoulder was the best he's had since his grandma passed.

Happened at the Saturday farmers market in Springfield, and it made all those 4 AM starts feel worth it.

Switched from a standard boning knife to a 6-inch flexible one for trimming briskets

The fat cap on my last 20 pack of prime briskets was a real pain, taking nearly 45 minutes each to get right. After I swapped to the flexible blade, I could follow the fat seam perfectly and cut my time down to under 25 minutes per brisket. Anyone have a favorite brand for this kind of detailed trimming work?

Talking to a rancher in Boise changed how I see beef grading

I was chatting with a rancher named Carl at the Idaho State Fair, and he said he focuses on marbling genetics over just the final USDA grade number. He showed me two of his steers, both Prime, but one had way more even fat spread through the muscle. It made me think we should talk more with suppliers about the animal's full story, not just the stamp. Has anyone else had a producer change how you pick your beef?

Heard a guy at the market say 'all boning knives are the same' and I had to bite my tongue.

He was telling a new guy that a $15 knife from the discount bin works just as well as a proper one. I've been using the same Victorinox 6-inch curved boner for eight years, and the balance and steel quality make a huge difference on a 12-hour shift. Anyone else find cheap tools just wear you out faster?

Finally fixed the drip in my meat locker's drain.

Used some basic plumbing skills I picked up online. No more puddles on the floor, and the meat stays dry.

Beef ribs kept locking up my band saw until I found the fix

I was ready to THROW that thing after it stalled on every single rib cut. After losing a whole morning, I glanced at the guide and noticed the tension knob was way out. Giving it a firm turn with the key made it run PERFECTLY. Now I test that first thing every day.

A farm picking up our scraps showed me a better way to handle waste

We used to throw all our trimmings in the trash without a second thought. Now, a nearby farm collects them every Thursday for their compost pile. It takes a bit of effort to sort bones and fat, but it keeps a lot out of the landfill. I feel like we're doing our part, and it costs us nothing.

Found a better way to trim silverskin from tenderloin

Used a boning knife with a sharper angle, and it came off in one piece. Saved me so much time during prep.

Faster ribeye trim saved my mornings, but is it butchering right?

I had a small win last week with a faster fat trim on ribeyes. It saved me 20 minutes each morning. My buddy thinks it's smart and makes the shop run smoother. But my old teacher says it cuts corners and affects the meat's quality. I'm torn because both points make sense. What do you think - should we focus on speed or stick to slow, careful trimming? Share your stories.

Small win with my home-cured pancetta

I tried curing pancetta at home for the first time. It turned out PERFECTLY balanced, not too salty. My family already wants me to make more.

My cousin's reaction to learning about dry aging was priceless

I explained the whole process to him last weekend. He had no idea meat could be treated like that, and it made me proud of what we do.

Switching to local beef made me think about our environmental impact.

Some say it supports nearby farms and cuts transport, others focus on the higher cost. How do you handle this?

Back when I started, we hung knives on a nail board.

Today's magnetic strips are neat, but that old board felt right.

My buddy's simple trick for tenderizing meat with salt blew my mind

He just salts it early and lets it sit. The difference in texture is INSANE.

Trying to explain marbling at a cookout led to blank stares

I was at a backyard barbecue last weekend, and the host handed me a knife to slice the brisket. Without thinking, I started breaking it down like I do at the shop, pointing out the grain and fat cap. Everyone just stared at me, totally confused. The host's kid asked if I was performing surgery. Now I stick to just cutting and keeping my mouth shut.