Vent: A customer in Seattle asked me to cut a pork shoulder into steaks

Had a guy come into the shop last month and ask for a whole bone-in pork shoulder, but he wanted it sliced into one-inch steaks, like a roast. I started to explain how the muscle groups and connective tissue make it better for slow cooking, but he cut me off. He said, 'My dad always did it this way, and it was fine.' I did the cut for him, but it got me thinking. We get so stuck on the 'right' way to break down an animal that we forget some folks just want to cook the food they remember from home. It's not always about the perfect braise or the ideal grind. Sometimes it's about a memory. Has anyone else had a request that made you question a hard rule you had about cuts?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_thomas419d ago

Honestly, I just slice it how they ask and let their pan be the judge.

adams.barbara18d ago

Feel that completely. Watched a guy ask for thick slices for his cast iron then get mad they took too long to cook. Another time someone wanted paper thin for a quick fry and burned them to a crisp in two minutes. You can't win.