Vent: Been doing this 20 years and the new guys don't learn cuts like we used to

I was at a local restaurant supply place in Pittsburgh last Tuesday picking up some new boning knives and I overheard this young guy talking to the manager about how he only buys pre-portioned steaks from Sysco now. Said he never learned how to break down a whole loin because his shop just gets boxes of cryovac primals already cut. It got me thinking about how much has changed since I started back in 2003 when my old timer boss Frank made me spend a whole summer just learning to trim fat caps and tie roasts before he even let me touch the band saw. These kids today miss out on the feel of the meat and the muscle memory of working a knife through different joints. I still remember the first time I had to butcher a whole hog for a special order and how nervous I was about wasting anything. We all learned from somebody who took the time to show us finger placement and how to follow the bone. Are you guys seeing this shift in your shops too or is it just the younger crowd around here?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencerfisher1mo ago

Saw this happen to my buddy @charles508 at this place he worked in Philly. Kid came in straight from culinary school, all confident with his new knives, tried to hack through a pork shoulder like it was a boneless breast. Ended up slipping and cutting his wrist tendon, had to get 12 stitches. Old Frank would've made him watch demo videos for a month before touching a primal. The worst part is you can't teach feel from a video lecture, you gotta have your hand over their hand guiding the blade.

charles5081mo ago

Man, I had a buddy who worked at a place where the new guy sliced his hand open because he tried to force a knife through a joint instead of following the bone. That old school feel saves more than just meat, I swear.