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The old butcher in Pike Place told me to stop trimming cold, and it made me rethink my whole setup
I was at a shop in Pike Place last month watching a guy break down a whole lamb on a cutting board that felt almost room temp. I asked why he wasn't pulling it straight from the cooler like I do, and he said cold meat fights the blade and tears the grain instead of slicing clean. Tried it on two pork loins the next morning, let them sit out for about 40 minutes first, and the cuts came out way smoother with less waste. Now I pull primals 30 to 45 minutes ahead depending on size. Any of you let meat warm up before trimming, or do you keep everything cold start to finish?
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keith_rivera191mo ago
Letting meat warm up helps the blade glide, but the real magic is letting it rest again after the cut so the juices settle back in instead of running out. Cold meat also dulls your knife faster because you're forcing it through firm tissue, so you're sharpening more often and losing steel. Try pulling your primals a bit earlier for bigger cuts and keep a clean towel under the board so nothing slides while you work.
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oscarc531mo ago
Man, my buddy learned this the hard way last summer. He pulled a whole packer brisket straight from the fridge and fought that thing for twenty minutes, sawing away like he was cutting firewood. Blade kept catching and tearing instead of slicing clean. Then he let the next one sit out about an hour before trimming and it was night and day, the knife just fell through it. He also started laying a damp towel under his board after his cut slid halfway across the counter and nearly took a finger. Little things like that save you a ton of grief.
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