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Had a chat with a farmer last week that changed how I think about beef
I was breaking down a steer for a guy near Des Moines, and he got real serious and asked me why I trim every bit of fat off the primals. Said we've been breeding for lean beef for 50 years and now everyone wants marbling back, but we're still cutting like it's 1985. It hit me different because he pulled out his phone and showed me his granddad's butcher notes from 1942 that talked about keeping the fat cap on everything. Has anyone else had a farmer or old timer make you question how you trim?
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shane_carter22d ago
@sanchez.ivan I see it a little different, though I respect your buddy's results. Leaving all the fat on works great for some customers, but I've had restaurants send back primals that still had a thick fat cap because it throws off their portioning and plate presentation. Especially with ribeyes and strips, if you leave a half-inch fat cap on there, the yield per steak drops and the cook time changes for the line cooks. Plus a lot of modern consumers (even the ones who say they want marbling) still trim the visible edge fat off their plate anyway, so I'd rather trim it clean from the start and give them exactly what they're gonna eat.
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wade_dixon22d ago
Hear you loud and clear on that. It's funny how this same debate plays out everywhere, not just in meat cutting. I see it all the time with people who buy a cheap toolbox or a pair of boots and swear they're the best thing ever because they can beat them up. Meanwhile, the guy who drops real money on the quality stuff expects it to work perfectly right out of the box with no fuss. Some folks want that raw, rugged edge and others want a clean, predictable product that does exactly what it's supposed to. Different customers, different needs, right? You're just giving them the version they actually want on their plate.
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Did your friend ever take that advice to heart and change how they trim? I had a buddy who did the same thing after talking to an old butcher and now he leaves the fat on everything and his sales actually went up.
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