A lesson from an old timer at the St. Paul meat market

About 15 years ago, I was working the counter and this older guy, a retired butcher, watched me struggle to break down a pork shoulder. He didn't say anything for a while, just watched. Then he leaned over and said, 'Kid, you're fighting the bone. Let the knife find the seam.' He showed me once, his hands were steady as a rock. I still think about that every time I pick up a boning knife. Anyone else have a simple piece of advice that just stuck?

2 comments

2 Comments

gonzalez.phoenix25d ago

Man, that's the real stuff right there. It reminds me of a line from a book on old school woodworking. The guy said the tool already knows the path, your job is just not to get in the way. It's the same thing. You fight it, you force it, and you just make a mess. That butcher was talking about more than just meat. It's about paying attention to how things are put together.

diana_bell7425d ago

Oh man, that woodworking line is perfect. It's exactly like learning to sharpen a knife. You can't just grind metal on a stone. You have to feel for the angle the blade wants to sit at, then keep it steady. Push too hard or change your grip, and you ruin the edge. The stone and steel already know how to work together.