At work the company policy is ABSOLUTELY NO PRE-TRIMMING OF ANYTHING NEVER EVER EVER unto all ages. Amen. All cuts must be trimmed just prior to traying. All cuts must be trimmed to 1/8" fat regardless of the thickness of the cut. All boneskin and bonechips must be removed off of each cut individually. All trimming must be done with the supplied boning knife.
Today I was warned for using my latex-covered thumb to slip the slime off of a untrimmed tenderloin before. It drives me nuts that I am not allowed to make filet look mignon. But, I'll just plug along and continue packing the pennies away by doing what the boss tells me knowing that heaven is not a place on earth (and also knowing there is a special place in hell reserved for the policymakers).
I like to pre trim beef ribs. I see nothing wrong with it. Pork loins too. Twice at a Safeway store I took a whole beef short loin and chined it on the saw. Then I threw the strip of bone in the bone barrel. Soon after, the manager found it and quickly cut it in about 15 pieces. That was to cover my so called error. He cut it up to make it look like each steak was trimmed one at a time. Isn't that stupid?! Trimming the back bone, one steak at a time on the saw! Is that part of your store policy too? You can't even chine the back bone of a loin on the saw? I don't consider that "pre trimming". I think the bone is an exception and they are only talking about fat. Thankfully at my store, you may do it however you want.
I like to pre trim beef ribs. I see nothing wrong with it. Pork loins too. Twice at a Safeway store I took a whole beef short loin and chined it on the saw. Then I threw the strip of bone in the bone barrel. Soon after, the manager found it and quickly cut it in about 15 pieces. That was to cover my so called error. He cut it up to make it look like each steak was trimmed one at a time. Isn't that stupid?! Trimming the back bone, one steak at a time on the saw! Is that part of your store policy too? You can't even chine the back bone of a loin on the saw? I don't consider that "pre trimming". I think the bone is an exception and they are only talking about fat. Thankfully at my store, you may do it however you want.
with all the manpower safeway is known to cut that is beyond stupid. What a total waste of time.
i only pretrim enough fat off so that the bnls saw blade doesnt go jabberwocky on me as im cutting it or if the outside of the piece needs it( brownskin, connective tissue, ect) ive seen guys cut off all fat of 1x1 ribs and throw it away... money lost.
Pre-trimming is a good way to lose profit as you will often over trim. Much better to hand trim individual cuts. Not so with pork loins - those you have to pre-trim or it will take forever to produce the final product. Overall though one of the best ways to increase your shrink is to pre-trim. Of course we NEVER cut boneless cuts on a saw so I guess if you go that route you may have to pre-trim beef.
When I was at Pathmark the standard was 1/8" trim max, whether on sale or not. I think that is the ethical approach. The previous 12 years I worked for 2 independent chains and there really was no trim standard, except to trim a LOT less when an item was on sale. WE might trim a sirloin to 1/4" at regular price then go to 3/4 - 1" trim if the item was on sale. I didn't agree with that, but that was the rule.
When I see fat on meat, I see white gold! Its a fine line on trimming, what ever your practice of pre-trim or not, the more you leave on the more you make, but leave too much on you can lose the sale that makes the money, take too much off and lose the gross. WHITE GOLD is exactly what it is. Be careful on what you trim off but make it as beautiful as you can to help it sell.
My gripe on pre-trimming bans is two-fold: 1. Lack of trust in your fellow man (the ancient Catholic view of man as a pro-creative artisan versus the Modern view of man as a automoton reproductive robot) 2. and this the really big one... being forced to leave boneskin and bonechips in the boneless product.
I agree with Leon the fats the flavor, and your profit. I have a hard time getting meat cutters to stop over trimming. So I would rather they not pre trim.