Took me 4 hours to figure out why my pork shoulder was coming out tough

I've been breaking down pork shoulders for years at the shop, but last week I hit a wall. Every primal I cut was coming out tougher than usual, even from the same supplier I've used since 2019. I spent a whole afternoon swapping blades, checking my technique, even adjusting my cooler temps. Turns out the issue was I wasn't letting the meat rest long enough after the pig was slaughtered. My old timer coworker finally walked over and asked if I'd checked the slaughter date. It was only 2 days old, not the usual 5-7 days I was used to. Now I always check the date before I start breaking down. Has anyone else run into a timing issue with pork resting that threw off your whole day?

2 comments

2 Comments

johnson.ryan1mo ago

Wait, is that like showing up to work with a hangover and wondering why you can't sharpen a knife? Because I've definitely done that. But yeah, I've had a similar thing happen with beef, not pork. I was getting so frustrated that my steaks were coming out chewy even though I was doing everything right. Turns out I was buying from a new supplier who was selling me beef that was only 48 hours post-slaughter. My buddy just laughed and said "you're basically trying to cut a muscle that's still twitching." Now I keep a little chart in my pocket with the resting times for different meats so I don't look like an idiot again.

the_anna1mo ago

That thing about "a muscle that's still twitching" really hits home. I had the same problem with venison a few years back. A buddy of mine who runs a small processing plant finally set me straight. He said the trick is to keep it in the fridge for at least 10 to 14 days after the animal is killed. I didn't believe him at first but then I tried it. The difference was night and day. @johnson.ryan your chart idea is smart. I just wrote the times on a piece of duct tape and stuck it to the inside of my cooler lid. Now I never have to guess.