Had a bone shatter on me during a lamb breakdown yesterday

I was breaking down a lamb shoulder at the shop yesterday morning, around 6:30am before we opened. I was using my usual boning knife and got a little careless with the angle on the blade going around the joint. The whole shoulder blade just snapped in half with a crack that made my new guy jump. Pieces of bone went flying everywhere, one hit my cheek and actually drew a little blood. I had to stop and pull out like 6 small bone fragments from the meat on the table. Then I had to explain to my apprentice why you always follow the natural seam and never force it. Has anyone else had a bad bone shatter incident that made you change your technique?

2 comments

2 Comments

carr.brian3d ago

...and the sound just sticks with you, right? I had a similar thing happen with a pork shoulder a few years back. The bone shattered right where the blade went through and a piece shot into my apron, stuck in the fabric. I stopped for a second, checked my hand was still there, and then spent ten minutes picking fragments out of the meat. Now I always keep a much sharper knife on hand for joints like that. Dull blade makes you push harder and that's when things go sideways. I also started wearing those cut-resistant gloves when I'm working around big bones.

matthewsullivan3d ago

A piece shot into your apron?" That's horrifying. I'd have quit right there.