Bone-in cuts are getting ignored, and that's a flavor fail in my book.

I see more people at my shop asking for boneless everything now. They think it's cleaner or saves time. But bones give meat a richer taste when you cook it. Take a simple chicken thigh, the bone keeps it juicy and adds depth. Without it, you just get bland, dry meat sometimes. I've had customers switch back after tasting the difference. It's sad to see good craft lose out to quick fixes.

4 comments

4 Comments

wren2301mo ago

My uncle runs a small butcher shop in Toledo and he says bone-in sales are down almost 40% from ten years ago. It really is a flavor thing, like brian_baker said about the ribs drying out. The bone acts like a heat sink and protects the meat from cooking too fast. Even if someone gets good results with boneless, they're missing that extra layer of taste that comes straight from the marrow and connective tissue. It just makes everything richer.

adams.fiona1mo ago

Why make a big deal out of bones when @the_blake's boneless ribs turn out great?

the_blake1mo agoMost Upvoted

My boneless ribs turn out great every time.

brian_baker1mo ago

Totally agree, bone-in makes a huge difference. I tried making boneless ribs once and they just dried out and stuck to the grill, no matter what I did. The bone seems to keep everything moist and adds that deeper, meatier taste. Once you taste a proper bone-in chop or thigh, you really get it.