Butchers rely on various tools for precision and quality work.
Butchers play an important role in the meat production industry, and theirs is a skilled trade that can take some time and training to master. To do the job well, butchers also need the tools of the trade, and these include a variety of implements developed over the years specifically for the profession.
Knives
Most butchers have a variety of knives available that come in different shapes and sizes to suit their designed purpose. Common options include boning knives, used to remove meat from the bone when preparing larger cuts, and trimming knives, designed for more delicate tasks such as trimming fat from meat. Other options include skinning knives for removing skin from meat, and cimeter knives, typically used when butchering larger cuts of meat down to pieces of more manageable size.
Cleavers and Bone Saws
For heavier duty jobs when cutting up a carcass, a butcher can use bone saws and cleavers. Bone saws look much like a hacksaw, although they have a blade designed for easier cutting through meat and bones. Cleavers have large square-shaped blades that, when used with a chopping action, exert greater force to more easily cut meat and bone. While typically used for heavy duty cutting, some cleavers can have a sharper blade so that they can also be wielded for more delicate cutting and trimming work.
Meat Preparation Tools
Tools used in the final preparation of meat can include meat tenderizers. This looks much like a small hammer, although it typically has a textured face to aid in softening meat. Other preparation tools that butchers can use include larding tubes and brine injectors. These inject lard or brine into the meat, both for flavor and to keep meat moist while cooking.
Cutting Blocks and Boards
Cutting blocks and boards provide butchers with a strong, stable surface on which to carry out their work. Typically produced in wood, these come in a variety of sizes and styles, from smaller square cutting boards to full size standing butcher blocks and butcher block tables.
Cleaning Tools
Hygiene is of obvious importance in meat preparation, especially in the case of blocks and boards, which can harbor dirt and bacteria if not effectively cleaned. Tools for this purpose typically include metal board scrapers and cleaning brushes with steel bristles.
Other Tools
Other tools commonly used by butchers include drag hooks. These aid in moving larger carcasses around, which can be heavy and unwieldy. A butcher also needs sharpening stones and metal and diamond sharpening steels to keep cutting equipment sharpened and ready for use.
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