Cutting out and portioning—how to read the animal.

When you partition an animal you translate anatomical knowledge into precise cuts. The better you understand how muscles tendons and bones connect the cleaner and faster you can work — and the more meat you get out of each piece.

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A piece of meat consists of muscles that pull in certain directions. When you follow the natural membranes between the muscles the piece almost falls apart by itself. This gives neater cuts and less waste than sawing across. You learn to feel with the knife where one muscle leaves another.

§Tender and tough pieces

Muscles that do a lot of work, like leg and brisket, have more connective tissue and become tough. They are suitable for long cooking or mincing. Muscles that do little work, like tenderloin and fillet, are tender and suit quick cooking. Knowing this difference helps you recommend the right preparation to the customer.

• 01Always cut with a sharp knife — a dull knife slips and is more dangerous.
• 02Follow the muscles' membrane rather than sawing through.
• 03Keep track of the fiber direction so the piece can be cut across when serving.
• 04Work cleanly and separate waste from items to be sold.

§Yield and economy

Every gram counts in a trade where raw materials are expensive. Good cutting technique is also about economics: avoiding unnecessary waste, finding uses for trimmings in forcemeat and sausages, and presenting the cuts so they sell. You learn to think about how the whole animal can be used.

With practice, butchering becomes routine, but a good butcher never stops learning. Each animal is slightly different, and it is precisely that professional feel that distinguishes an experienced butcher from a beginner.