Fabrication and identification

of Wholesale and Retail Cuts

of Livestock/Poultry Carcasses
MEAT FABRICATION

• Butchering is a term commonly used

for the process of slaughtering and
preparing meat for retail or wholesale
use.
MEAT FABRICATION

• Meat cutting, or fabrication, is the process of

cutting, boning, and portioning large cuts of
meat to menu specifications. Becoming
proficient at fabricating whole carcasses or
primal meat cuts takes practice often
through an apprenticeship under a master
meat cutter.
MEAT FABRICATION

• Dressed carcasses are processed whole, split

into sides, or cut into quarters (fore quarter
and hind quarter). More often carcasses are
fabricated into primal cuts of meat. These are
large cuts based on the muscle and bone
structure of the animal.
MEAT FABRICATION

• From there the meat is further divided into

sub primal cuts that are often vacuum sealed
and boxed fresh or frozen (the origin of the
term “boxed meats”) or the meats are
processed further into portion cuts as needed.
•
SKELETAL AND MUSCLE STRUCTURE

Seven Major
Bones
 PRIMAL CUTS

• There are four major primal cuts, the

shoulder, rib, loin, and leg, found on all animal
carcasses, but depending on the species there
are some differences in naming and fabricating
these cuts. For example, a beef chuck is the
same cut as a lamb shoulder or pork shoulder
butt. A beef round is the same as a veal leg and
a pork ham.
PRIMAL CUTS
Location of the 7 Major Bones on a Beef
Carcass
Sub-Primal and Portion Cuts Derived from
the Primal Cuts
• Learning the appearance and formation of major cuts along with the basic
structure helps in fabricating as well as cooking. See specific meat charts on
beef, veal, pork, and lamb for the names and locations of primal, sub primal,
and portion cuts.
• There are several minor primal cuts found on each type of carcass which are
usually fabricated differently depending on the animal and its size. For example,
on a beef carcass the brisket, plate, and flank are separated into three distinct
cuts, but on a veal carcass it is kept whole as a bone-in veal breast.
• Lamb shanks and pork hocks (or shanks) are often
cooked and served whole. Veal and beef shanks are
usually cross-cut for braises or soups.
• Pork carcass breakdown is notably different from beef,
veal, and lamb. Whereas beef, veal and lamb split the
rib and loin muscles between the 12th and 13th rib, pork
carcass fabrication leaves this muscle intact and names it
simply the loin.
• Pork back ribs are marketed for barbecuing. The pork
belly is a much more prominent cut producing bacon and
spare ribs. The pork shoulder is split into two cuts; the
shoulder butt and the picnic shoulder.
• The jowl produces a type of bacon, and the excessive fat
often found along the backside of the animal is used as
fatback or rendered for lard. The leg, known as the
ham, is often cured and sometimes smoked.
FABRICATION DIFFERENCES BASED ON SIZE

• Size matters when fabricating meats. A

beef carcass weighing in at 600 Lb./275 K
is about 33% larger than a veal carcass at
400 Lb./180 K. A pork carcass weighing
approximately 270 Lb./125 K. is about 33%
smaller than a veal carcass.
FABRICATION DIFFERENCES BASED ON SIZE

• A lamb carcass weighing about 65

Lb./30 Kg. is about one-fourth the size
of a pork carcass and one-tenth the size
of a beef carcass. The yield on the
same muscle from different species can
be dramatic.
FABRICATION DIFFERENCES BASED ON SIZE

• A steer tenderloin can weigh in excess

of 6 Lb./2.7 K, compared to a veal
tenderloin at about 2 lb./900 g, and a
pork loin at about 1 lb./500 g or a lamb
tenderloin at a couple of ounces.
FABRICATION DIFFERENCES BASED ON SIZE

• Some viable cuts on a beef carcass such

as a hanger steak or flank steak are
not marketable on a lamb or pork
carcass given their small size.
 PORTION CUTS

• A beef full loin is an example of a primal cut. From the beef

loin three major sub primal cuts are produced; the strip loin,
the sirloin, and the tenderloin. A strip loin will yield New
York strip steaks and if left on the bone can be portion cut
into T-Bone and Porterhouse steaks. The tenderloin will
yield filets, medallions, and tournedos. The sirloin yields
top sirloin and beef culotte steaks. Each muscle eventually is
portion cut whether raw, or as in the example of a roast,
after cooking.
 PORTION CUTS

• Start with a clean station and practice high standards

of sanitation when cutting meats. Keep the product
cold, and if needed place it on a pan of ice. Some
operations will have temperature controlled rooms to
keep the meats cold. It’s also important to have the
right tools that are properly sharpened and a honing
steel handy.
 PORTION CONTROL

• Meats are fabricated or ordered according to the

specifications of an operation based on portion
size usually by weight and also at times based on
thickness. These guidelines ensure uniformity in
appearance and purchasing costs.
PORTION CONTROL

• Weight tolerance also helps to achieve

consistency in quality from the
perspective of customer satisfaction.
The chart shows the generally accepted
weight and thickness tolerance range
according to The Meat Buyers Guide.
PORTION CONTROL
 CUTTING DIRECTION

• Although whole muscles are fabricated without

regard to the grain of the meat, portion cuts follow
the general rule of cutting across the grain of the
meat. This produces short fibers of meat that when
served are easy to cut and chew.
 CUTTING DIRECTION

• While some cuts, like the loin and tenderloin, consist of

whole muscles that are portioned by cutting across the
grain, shoulder and leg cuts are made up of many muscles
with varying degrees of tenderness running in different
directions and making it more of a challenge to portion.
For these cuts some muscles can be seamed out while
others are too small and are used for braises, as stews, or
for grinding.
CUTTING DIRECTION
BONE-IN OR BONELESS

Cross-Cut Veal Shanks

• Some cuts of meat, including T-Bone steaks, pork back
ribs, rack of lamb, and shanks are fabricated bone-in for
appearance and flavor. Bone-in meat will have more
intense flavor upon cooking versus the boned variety.
Today there is a preference in the United States for
boneless meats that are easy to eat without the need to
separate the meat from the bone.
Cross-Cut Veal Shanks
CONNECTIVE TISSUE

• Connective tissue, found throughout the carcass in the

form of elastin and collagen holds the muscle fibers
together in bundles and also binds them to the skeletal
structure. Elastin is tough and elastic, as the name
implies. It does not break down in the cooking process and
therefore it is best removed. Collagen when heated melts
and creates gelatin and is often left on the muscle for
flavor and texture.
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
 FAT

• Cover fat and intramuscular fat in the form of marbling

provides flavor and juiciness. When the marbling in meat
muscles melts during the cooking process it provides flavor
and juiciness. Cover fat on meat roasts baste the meat
naturally while cooking when roasted fat side up. Removing
cover fat or seam fat is necessary at times but because it
adds flavor care should be taken not to remove too much.