My boss and I got into it over breaking down a whole hog last week

Last Thursday at the shop, we got a 280 pound Berkshire in. My boss, Frank, wanted me to break it down the old school way, keeping the shoulder and belly as one big piece for a special order. I argued we should split them right away to speed up the case set up. He said the old way shows respect for the animal and makes better use of the fat cap. I think it just makes more work for us later and the case looks empty until we do the second break. We butted heads for a good twenty minutes. He's been doing this for 40 years, but I've seen other shops in Seattle do the split-first method and move product faster. What's the better call here, tradition or turning the case over quick?

3 comments

3 Comments

erickelly8d ago

Frank's been cutting meat since I was in diapers, so maybe there's a reason he wants that fat cap left on. But a 280 pound hog sitting in your case looking half done? That's just lost sales staring you in the face. Is the "respect" in the old way worth an empty display case for a day? Sounds like you're both right, which is why you're butting heads.

wader718d ago

Took a similar stand with our pork ribs last year. We started trimming the deckle fat closer so they looked cleaner in the case, but kept enough for flavor. Sales picked up that same week. Susanwood is right, the old way can cost you. Maybe show Frank a side-by-side, one his way and one trimmed for the case, and track which sells faster.

susanwood8d ago

Feel your pain, @erickelly, old ways can really cost you money.