Old timer at a farmers market taught me why I was trimming fat wrong

I was working a demo at the Portland farmers market last summer, showing people how I break down a shoulder. This older guy, must have been 70, watched me for a minute then just said "you're leaving too much silver skin on the cap." I thought I was being careful, but he pulled out his own knife (a beat up old Forschner) and showed me a quick angular cut that took half the time. Most people say to leave a little fat for flavor, but he argued that the texture kills it for most home cooks. Has anyone else had a random stranger teach them something that went against their training?

2 comments

2 Comments

tylerpark13d ago

Man, that's a great point about silver skin vs fat. I've always been told to leave a little fat on for flavor too but that old timer's logic makes sense especially for home cooks who might not have the patience to render it properly. Did he mention a specific temperature or method for that angular cut so it comes clean without gouging the meat underneath?

harper_foster13d ago

@tylerpark that angular cut thing really stuck with me too, it's wild how sometimes the "wrong" way is actually better for real people. It reminds me how so much of life is about unlearning what we were first taught and adapting to what actually works in the moment.