A customer in my shop asked for a 'soft cut' on a pork shoulder.

This was about two months ago at my counter in Spokane. He was an older guy, maybe in his seventies, and he said his wife's arthritis made it hard for her to chew anything tough. He asked if I could cut the shoulder so it would 'fall apart like a promise.' I've been cutting meat for fifteen years and never heard that phrase before. Has anyone else gotten a request that made you think about the meat in a different way?

3 comments

3 Comments

mitchell.daniel3mo ago

Man, "fall apart like a promise" is a new one. That's some serious poetic pressure to put on a pork shoulder. I'd be sweating over the band saw trying to live up to that. Hope it worked out for his wife.

jesse_west3mo ago

Ever try to live up to a metaphor, @mitchell.daniel?

caleb_gibson25d agoMost Upvoted

Literally three metaphors in one sentence there. "Fall apart like a promise" on a pork shoulder is like saying "this steak is as tough as a breakup text." Guy's probably standing there with a cleaver trying to un-metaphor a cut of meat. Bet his wife got a plate and was like "this tastes like resentment.