First time cutting lamb at a whole animal demo in Portland

I went to this workshop last month at a small shop in Portland where they broke down 3 whole lambs in front of about 20 of us. The guy running it was maybe 70 years old and had been a butcher since the 70s. He showed me how to feel for the seam between the leg and the loin with just my fingers instead of guessing with a knife. That little trick saved me about 10 minutes per leg when I tried it on my own the next day. Has anyone else picked up a weird specific tip from watching an older butcher work?

2 comments

2 Comments

kim_martin8d ago

Gosh, that seam trick is gold. It really makes you realize how much good butchery is about developing a sense of touch rather than just relying on what you can see. Getting that muscle memory down changes everything about speed and accuracy.

matthewgonzalez8d ago

I used to think feel was just for checking doneness, now it's my primary guide for seams.