The lamb shoulder that broke my trimming habit

Ngl, I spent 8 years trimming lamb shoulders like my old boss taught me in Philly, cutting off every bit of silver skin. Last week a customer asked me to leave more fat on, said she wanted it for slow roasting. I tried it her way on a 45 pound case and the yield jumped way up, plus the meat stayed juicier. Has anyone else found that less trimming actually sells better once you explain it to folks?

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2 Comments

val_taylor2mo ago

That extra fat isnt doing anyone any favors long term. You trim for consistency, for the cook that grabs it and expects the same product every time. Sell a fatty shoulder to the wrong customer and theyll blame you when their roast comes out greasy and flabby. Your yield went up, sure, but youre also selling water weight and hard fat chunks that shrink away in the pan. Old boss taught you right. Eight years of muscle memory doesnt lie. Customers ask for weird stuff all the time, doesnt mean you gotta rewrite the whole playbook for one person.

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cooper.spencer2mo ago

Exactly. I've seen it happen a hundred times in the kitchen. Someone grabs a shoulder that looks good on the scale, throws it in the oven, and an hour later they're draining a half cup of liquid gold that shouldve stayed in the meat. That's not a win for anyone, even if the invoice says you made more per pound. The customer doesn't care about your yield numbers, they care about what's on their plate. And once they get that greasy, chewy bite, they're not coming back to ask why, they're just done with you. Consistency is the only thing that keeps a butcher counter busy. Eight years of trimming the same way has built a trust that one special request could tear down in a week.

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