Question about breaking down pork shoulders. I used to just go straight for the bone with a cleaver, but after a demo at the Kansas City Meat Expo last fall, I switched to using a boning knife to follow the seam first. The yield is way better.

3 comments

3 Comments

wendy2053mo ago

Switching to a boning knife was a total game changer for me too. I used to hack at it and waste so much good meat. Following the natural seams just makes sense, you get clean cuts and way more usable pork. My pulled pork yield went up a noticeable amount, which is huge when you're feeding a crowd. It takes a bit more patience but it's totally worth the extra time.

mary3093mo ago

Totally agree with @wendy205 about the patience part. It feels weird at first to go slow when you just want to be done, but rushing is where all the waste happens. Once you get the feel for it, finding those seams becomes second nature. The difference in texture is huge too, since you're not tearing up the muscle. Honestly, it makes the whole cook feel more respectful to the animal, which sounds kind of silly but it's true.

river_rivera452mo ago

Gotta disagree with @mary309 and @wendy205 on this one. Following seams is fine for small batches but when you're breaking down 8 or 10 shoulders at once that slow deliberate method kills your time. A cleaver with a practiced hand can split a shoulder along the bone in like 30 seconds flat. The yield difference is negligible if you know what you're doing and cut close to the bone. All that careful seam work just means more handling and more time the meat sits out. Can't be spending 15 minutes per shoulder when you got a pit to feed and people waiting.