Stumbled on a stat about pork shoulder yield that messed with my head

I was reading through some USDA grading reports last night, just killing time after a long shift. Found out that a standard pork shoulder loses about 30% of its weight during cooking from fat and moisture. That means if I sell a 10-pound shoulder, the customer is only getting 7 pounds of actual meat. Kinda blew my mind because I never really thought about it that way before. Anyone else ever do the math on what your cuts actually weigh after cook time?

2 comments

2 Comments

torres.leo23d ago

Wait, have you ever actually weighed a pork shoulder before and after a long braise? I did that once for a big family dinner and I swear I almost cried when I saw the difference. I mean, I knew meat shrinks, but 30% is wild when you're paying per pound at the store. It makes you wonder what you're really paying for (besides the flavor, obviously). Feels like a hidden math problem you never signed up for.

hernandez.brooke23d ago

Man, I had a buddy who lost a whole pound off a brisket once and almost threw the scale out the window.