Had a weird thing happen with a pork shoulder last week

Honestly, I was breaking down a whole hog for a local restaurant order and the shoulder just would not separate cleanly at the seam. Tbh, I was about to just force it with my cleaver, but my old boss from the shop in Milwaukee always said 'if it fights, feel for the fat'. Ngl, I spent an extra minute just working my fingers in there and it popped right apart, saving me a ton of trim waste. Anyone else have a specific cut that always gives them trouble like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

grace_knight701mo ago

What's the hardest cut you've had to separate from a whole hog?

the_margaret1mo ago

Funny you should ask, grace_knight70. Honestly, the hardest part for me is just finding the time to break down a whole hog these days. My back starts complaining just thinking about it.

ben2061mo ago

Man, my first attempt at separating a ham looked like a crime scene. I was so sure I knew where the joint was, but I just hacked away until my instructor came over and gently moved my hand about two inches to the left. Grace_knight70 asking about tough cuts just brought that shame right back. It's a miracle I didn't turn a perfectly good leg into ground meat that day.