Hand-boned the whole hog vs machine saw, I'll take the knife every time
Back in 2019 at the old shop in Omaha, we got a band saw for the pork sides. Boss wanted speed, said we'd double output. First week, I lost so much meat to bone dust and sloppy cuts, maybe 15 pounds off a 200 pound carcass. Swapped back to hand boning, took an extra hour per hog but the trim yield paid for my time. Anyone else find the old way still beats the machine for quality?
Bones actually shatter different when a saw hits them, sends tiny fragments into the meat that you can't always see or feel. Hand boning keeps the bone intact so your trim stays clean, which matters way more if you're selling to anyone who grinds or makes sausage. The saw dust also messes with the taste over time, even if you wipe everything down.