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Pro tip: A customer in Omaha said my pork shoulder trim was too aggressive and losing them money.
They pointed out I was cutting off nearly a full pound of usable meat per shoulder, which adds up fast on a big order. I started leaving a quarter inch more fat cap and the feedback on tenderness and yield has been solid. How do you all decide where that trim line is on a shoulder for retail?
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jade8852mo ago
Honestly, the biggest thing we learned was to ask the customer how they cook it. A shoulder for low and slow smoking needs that fat cap you kept. But if they're braising it or cutting it for stew meat, they might want it way leaner. That one question saved us a ton of guesswork and callbacks.
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stella3073mo ago
We had the same issue with a restaurant client complaining about waste. My rule now is to leave just enough fat to cover the meat, about a quarter inch like you said. I trim off any hard, waxy fat and the gland, but keep that softer fat layer. It renders down during cooking and keeps everything moist without being chewy. Their pulled pork orders actually went up after we made the change.
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