PSA: Saw a guy ruin a whole primal cut at a shop in Pittsburgh

I was at a small butcher shop near the Strip District last month and watched a new guy try to break down a whole ribeye primal with a dull breaking knife. He muscled through it, tore the meat fibers apart, and ended up with a ragged mess that looked more like ground beef scraps than steaks. The owner came out and told him straight up, "You're costing me $50 every time you do that." That moment made me realize how many people skip the basics like keeping knives sharp and following the grain. Has anyone else seen a butcher ruin a big cut like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_robert1mo ago

Wait was the owner actually tracking the waste in real time?

knight.xena1mo ago

Wait, @the_robert, have you seen a butcher try to split a chicken with garden shears?