The old butcher on Delancey Street trimmed fat with the back of his knife, not the edge

Evan Cooper · 2026-09-15T00:05:03.006407+00:00

I was back in New York last month and stopped into a shop on Delancey that has been there since 1938. The owner is 74 and still works the block six days a week. I watched him break down a whole short rib and he scraped the silverskin off with the spine of his knife, never the blade, said it saves the edge and the meat. My own shop has been doing it the other way for years and I never questioned it until I stood there watching him. Anyone else pick up little habits from the old timers that stuck with you?

Talk Freely

Loading…

The old butcher on Delancey Street trimmed fat with the back of his knife, not the edge | Butchers - Talk Freely