Still thinking about that old butcher who told me to chill my knives before trimming brisket

Met this guy at a shop in Portland about 2 years ago. He was probably 70, been cutting since the 70s. I was in there buying a new scimitar and he overheard me complaining about how my trims were always ragged on cold briskets. He said I was working the blade too warm, that a chilled blade slices cleaner through fat. I tried it on my next shift and honestly it did make a difference. But part of me wonders if it's just psychological, you know? Like is the temp actually changing the cut or am I just being more careful because I think it helps. Anyone else ever run into a tip from a veteran that sounded wild but actually held up?

2 comments

2 Comments

lisa_jones213d ago

Does keeping the knife cold actually change the fat's structure or just make you work slower and steadier?

palmer.henry3d ago

At 34 degrees F the fat molecules start to crystallize in a way that makes them snap clean instead of smearing, it's a physics thing not just patience. There's a Kenji Lopez-Alt test where he compared room temp blades versus chilled ones and the cold blade left way less fat smeared on the cutting board. So it's not just about working slower, the actual fat structure gets more brittle and breaks differently.