Had a chat with a retired butcher named Sal at the farmers market on Saturday

He told me he NEVER used a bandsaw for breaking down primals because he said the heat ruins the texture around the bone, and now I'm questioning my whole $3,500 investment in a new one, has anyone else gone back to hand saws and noticed a difference?

3 comments

3 Comments

miasanchez9d ago

Sal told me the same thing at a swap meet last year. Switched back to a hand saw for rib primals and the meat stays way more tender near the bone. My bandsaw just sits in the corner for breaking down whole hogs now.

alice9289d ago

Huh, I gotta push back on that "meat stays way more tender near the bone" thing. I've been breaking down hogs with a bandsaw for years and I honestly think it's more about the blade speed and if you're letting the meat rest enough before cutting. When I use a hand saw, I end up with way more ragged cuts and bone fragments sticking to the meat near the spine. My bandsaw with a fine tooth blade leaves a clean surface and I've never noticed any difference in tenderness once it hits the grill. Plus, if you're doing a whole hog, that hand saw is gonna take forever on the shoulder and ham joints.

nancy_wood8d agoMost Upvoted

Hold your horses there, Alice. I gotta say, I think you're missing the whole point of what Sal and others are talking about. A bandsaw might make a cleaner cut, but that high speed blade creates friction heat that can actually start cooking the meat right at the cut line, messing with the texture. With a hand saw, you're going slower, letting the meat fibers stay loose and not getting that heat damage. And those bone fragments you're talking about? That's just a sign you need to sharpen your hand saw more often, not a reason to ditch it entirely. For the shoulder and ham joints, sure it takes longer by hand, but the payoff is worth it when you taste the difference in tenderness around the bone.