Old timer at the shop told me to let subprimals rest longer before breaking down. Thought he was being dramatic.

2 comments

2 Comments

Subprimals need a good long rest before you even think about breaking them down. That old timer wasn't being dramatic, he was saving you from a mess. If you cut into them too early the meat fights back, the muscles are all tight and the knife slips everywhere. I learned that the hard way when I was starting out and ended up with a bunch of jagged steaks that looked terrible. Give them at least 30 minutes on the table, sometimes longer if the piece is thick.

kelly.nora22h ago

Let them rest for a full 45 minutes at least, it makes a huge difference in how clean your cuts come out. The muscle fibers really do need time to relax or you'll fight every single steak you try to portion. Once I started being patient with resting times my trim waste dropped noticeably and my steaks looked way more professional.