Old school butchery vs modern pre-cut stuff

Been thinking about how much butchering has changed since I started. 15 years ago I broke down whole pigs and primals myself. Every single shift. Now most line cooks I work with have never touched a whole tenderloin. They just open cryovac bags. I miss the feel of a good boning knife and knowing exactly where every cut lands. Takes longer but the yield is way better. You also get more consistent portions. Any other old timers still breaking down their own meat?

3 comments

3 Comments

nina_taylor2d ago

Gotta disagree with you a bit here, thomasgonzalez. That 45 minute thing you mentioned sounds like someone still learning the muscle seams or using a dull knife, honestly lol. Once you know the anatomy of a strip loin it takes maybe 15 minutes tops and you're pulling back that tail meat for extra steaks instead of letting the supplier keep it for their profit. The yield difference adds up way faster than people realize, especially if you're doing it every week. Plus that trim for grinding or stock is higher quality than the random scraps they throw in those value packs. Not everyone has the time or wants to do it, but saying its not worth it kind of ignores how much control you lose over quality when you let someone else cut corners for you.

charles8363d ago

Yeah that part about "knowing exactly where every cut lands" hits home. I still break down my own primals when I can get them from a local supplier, and the yield difference is real. Like with a whole strip loin, if you trim it yourself you can pull an extra 2-3 steaks out of the tail end versus those pre-cut cryovac packs where they chop off half the meat to make it look uniform. Plus you save a couple bucks per pound on the primal and get better trim for grinding. Just gotta keep your boning knife sharp and take your time on the seams.

thomasgonzalez3d ago

Yeah that's the thing that gets me. You mentioned saving on the primal and getting better trim for grinding, but how much are you actually putting into labor and knife work for a whole strip loin? I've seen guys spend 45 minutes breaking one down and end up with maybe 10 bucks saved, which doesn't seem worth it unless you're doing volume. Is your time really that cheap or are you just in it for the control over the cuts?