Visited a butcher shop in Philly last month and noticed they hung their beef differently than we do

I was in Philadelphia visiting family and stopped by this place called Esposito's on Passyunk. They had their hindquarters hanging from the aitch bone instead of the hook through the Achilles tendon like I always learned. I mean maybe it's just me but that seemed like it would put stress in a weird spot. Has anyone else seen this method or is it some old school east coast thing?

3 comments

3 Comments

gavin_kim1d ago

Did your friend end up trying that aitch bone hang and notice any difference in the meat? My buddy who works at a shop in Pittsburgh said it's how his old boss from New York always did it, supposedly keeps the tenderloin from stretching out.

charles8361d ago

Man, I gotta say I'm with you on this one. That aitch bone hang is something I've messed around with a few times and it really does change things. The tenderloin stays put way better than with the regular Achilles method. I've seen too many loins get all stretched out and wonky from hanging wrong. It's one of those old school tricks that actually works, not just some guy telling stories. If more folks tried it they'd probably stick with it.

phoenix_martin401d ago

@gavin_kim is spot on about the tenderloin thing, I had the same thought when I saw it. I actually tried hanging a hindquarter that way last weekend just to see what happened and the meat did seem to hold its shape better. The aitch bone hang kept the whole loin area from sagging like it sometimes does with the Achilles method. It felt weird at first but the carcass balanced different, more stable I guess. My buddy who trained in Brooklyn said his place used to do it that way for years before they switched to modern rails.