This chef I supply for pulled me aside after a wedding gig last month. He said my frenched racks looked like they were cut with a butter knife, clean but zero finesse. I used to trim every chop to the same exact ruler length, took forever and left ugly nicks. Now I freehand the eye, keep the bone a bit longer on the ends, and trust my wrist. He ordered twice as much this week and the prep time dropped from 40 minutes to about 25. Anyone else get a one-line critique that actually rewired their cutting style?
Tbh I got excited about a deal on a 1 inch blade for my 14 inch saw and didnt check the gullet depth. Ran it for maybe 20 minutes before it started smoking on a pork shoulder. Turns out it was meant for a bigger saw with more clearance. Felt like a rookie. Has anyone else bought a blade without checking the specs first or am I just the only one who does this?
A retired cutter from the old Gartner's Meats told me to never trust a steel that's lighter than the knife you're using on it. I laughed it off for 6 months, then yesterday my carbon steel boning knife chipped bad on a rack of lamb after using a cheap steel with a plastic handle. Switched to a proper 12 inch oval steel, paid 45 bucks, and the edge came back clean. Anyone else got a tip from an old hand that took a failure to believe?
Did a side by side last weekend with two 14 pounders, same rub and everything. The pellet one came out way more even, no hot spots, and I didn't babysit it for 14 hours. Has anyone else made the jump for their long cooks or am I the only one who got tired of splitting wood?
I've been cutting beef for 12 years at my shop in Omaha and always talked down on transglutaminase. Last month I finally tried it on a chuck roast, letting it bind overnight with a little salt and pepper. The next day the grain looked tighter and slicing it thin for sandwiches changed EVERYTHING. I'm not saying it replaces a real ribeye, but for a $12 roast you get a solid weeknight steak. Has anyone else crossed that line and found it's actually worth the fuss?
I tried dry aging a rack of lamb for just 2 days in my home fridge setup last week. The difference in texture was huge compared to the fresh ones I usually sell. The meat was way more tender and had a deeper flavor without any gamey taste. Have any of you tried short dry aging on smaller cuts like lamb or pork?
I dropped $60 on one of those knives from some guy claiming it was used by butchers in Chicago. First day using it on a pork shoulder the blade chipped on the third cut. Had to finish the whole breakdown with my old Dexter knife I bought for $25 at a restaurant supply store. Anyone else get burned by those flashy knife ads that promise the world?
I smoked a 10 pound butt last Saturday for 8 hours and lost almost 3 pounds just to fat dripping off. Nobody warned me when I started this trade that you gotta account for that much shrink in your pricing. Any of you guys weigh your trim before and after to get real numbers?
I was driving through near Cedar Rapids last month and passed this small family run slaughterhouse. I stopped to chat with the owner and he showed me how they keep their boning knives on magnetic strips over the sink instead of in a roll. He said it cuts down on sanitation time since the blades dry faster and they can see any chips or dull spots right away. Has anyone else tried hanging their knives like that in a busy shop?
I picked up a $15 electric sharpener last year and it wrecked the edge on three of my good boning knives before I realized what was happening. The heat from the motor messed with the temper on the steel. I had to pay a local sharpening service $40 to fix them back to factory edges. Anyone else had trouble with those budget gadgets?
I was breaking down a whole packer brisket on a Tuesday afternoon, and right as I hit the point seam the blade just popped. Sent the meat sliding across the table and I had to stop everything to swap the blade while my rack filled up. Anyone else had a blade fail at the worst possible time and lose a chunk of the day?
I got tired of stopping every 45 minutes to hone my boning knife during a big lamb breakdown last month. My usual routine was honing every 20-30 cuts, but it still felt like the edge died fast. A old timer at the shop told me to try a ceramic rod instead of my steel one. I figured it was marketing bs, but I grabbed a cheap one from a restaurant supply place for like $12. It actually keeps the edge going at least twice as long before I need to touch it up. The catch is you gotta use a lighter touch with ceramic or you'll chip the blade. Anyone else switch from steel to ceramic and notice a difference?
I used to fight through pork shoulders with a saw and ended up with bone dust everywhere, now I just follow the natural seams with a curved 10-inch knife. Made the switch after a mentor at a shop in Austin showed me how much yield I was losing to the saw. Has anyone else found a specific tool that just clicked for you after years of doing it the hard way?
I started cutting at a shop in Pittsburgh about 18 years ago and the head butcher made me learn to use a stone. Last month I pulled out that same old whetstone I bought for $15 and touched up my 8 inch chef knife after years of using a steel. It took me three tries to get the angle right again but that first slice through a pork shoulder felt just like it did back then. I still send out for professional sharpening twice a year but doing it myself between services saves me money and keeps my edge consistent. Has anyone else stuck with an old sharpening method over those electric pull through gadgets?
I had been trimming sirloin caps for about 5 years at my shop in Austin and always left a big gouge right where the cap meets the eye. A regular named Dave finally asked me why I was cutting away so much good meat. He showed me you just slide the knife flat along the fat seam instead of stabbing in. I checked my waste bin and realized I was throwing away almost 2 pounds a week. Anybody else have a customer point out a bad habit you didn't even know you had?
Been slicing for 5 years and this 60 year old butcher watches me for 2 minutes and tells me I'm holding too steep. Changed to a 15 degree angle on my boning knife and I'm getting cleaner cuts with less waste. Anyone else have their whole technique flipped by someone just watching you work?
Guy's been cutting since the 70s. Said soap ruins the season. Just scrape and salt. Been doing it for two weeks now. My board looks better. Anyone else ditch the soap?
I was scrolling through my feed last night and this kid looks about 19, he's hacking at a pig shoulder with a knife that was clearly dragging through the meat. I could see the sinew tearing instead of slicing clean. It took him like 10 minutes to separate one primal cut when it should have been maybe 3. I commented saying he needs to get a steel or a stone and he actually replied asking what kind I use. I told him just get a decent 1000 grit stone and watch a 5 minute video on angles. It made me realize how many new folks don't have anyone showing them the basics from the start. Anyone else get bothered seeing bad technique with knives online?
I started tracking every scrap that came off my cutting table back in March. By April 30th I had 520 pounds of fat, silver skin, and odd ends. That number surprised me because I always assumed we lost maybe 200 pounds a month. Now I'm selling the fat to a local soap maker for $0.50 a pound and the dog chew guy takes the gristle. Anyone else ever run the numbers on their trim and realize they're sitting on free money?
I was skeptical about trying it myself after reading horror stories online, but I picked up a used mini fridge for $40 off Craigslist last month and rigged it with a small fan. My first rib roast came out with a nice crust after 21 days, no mold issues at all. Has anyone else tried the budget fridge method?
Some guy in his 40s was buying a cheap $15 knife block set and told me any blade will do the job. I wanted to hand him my old Victorinox and let him try breaking down a chicken with it. Has anyone else had to just bite their tongue when someone says stuff like that?
Was breaking down a side of beef last Wednesday and my wrist was killing me from sharpening every 15 minutes. Old timer at the shop told me to use a ceramic honing rod after every few cuts instead of the steel. Tried it on a whim and I swear my knife stayed sharp for almost 2 hours straight. Anyone else find those ceramic rods actually work better than steel or was I just doing it wrong the whole time?