Took me 8 years to stop over-trimming lamb shoulders

I always cut lamb shoulders down to the bone like the videos showed, leaving barely any fat cap. Last month a customer in Portland asked why my chops were so lean and dry, and that got me thinking. Tried leaving a half inch of fat on the next batch, cooked way better and the customers actually noticed. Has anyone else found that following the fancy butchery demos too closely ruins the eating quality?

2 comments

2 Comments

nathan1931mo ago

The "lean and dry" thing hits different once you realize fat cap is basically flavor insurance. I stopped trimming brisket flats as hard too, and yeah, it feels wrong at first but the render makes way more difference than any fancy cut.

phoenix_adams601mo ago

Thing is, @nathan193, that fat also keeps the smoke from drying out the surface before the bark sets.