I have only been cutting meat for about 5 years, and suddenly I was thrown into the position of market manager. It is a small mom and pop store with about 800 clientel. Just to brag a little, since I've become the manager, our sales have increased from around 8,000 to 12,000. Anyway, I've been having request lately for flank steaks, and I have no idea how to cut one, could anyone please tell me? Also, I have a meat cutter in training and a part time wrapper, is there any suggestions to improving our output? Thanks
Ask your customers how they want it cut or how they plan to prepare it. This is going to be a sizeable
purchase for a market with your volume. Try to find a supplier who can sell you less than a sixty or seventy pound box. Otherwise except the fact that you won't make any profit only friends.
You can present it in its whole muscle form or slice it across the grain. Rolling and tieing it then slicing it for steaks are some of your basic presentations. Main thing is keep them happy and coming back.
Getting good production requires teamwork and good pay make them feel they are important and
neccesary for your business success. Good luck, Tim
From: Sirloindave1 Sent: 4/25/2005 7:21 PM We have made "Pinwheels" trim excess fat then tenderize against the grain, roll in a piece of fat from beer rib or strip and cut into steaks. I have got as much as 9.99lb flank steak is 7.99lb good merchandising builds good profits, even wrap bacon around if your customers prefer. dave
As far as flanks go, I have alot of luck making pinwheels like SirloinDave1 suggested. However, to mix it up, try getting some bulk feta cheese and spinach, smearing it on the inside of the steak before rolling it up. you can market these for as much as 10.99/lb, which is nice because the Feta and spinach don't cost that much, and you add weight to each pinwheel. when you tie your pinwheels, keep the string about an inch-inch and a half apart for nice attractive sizes. Other "stuffings" that work well are asparagus and provolone, garlic butter, mushrooms and swiss, any sort of pesto, etc. Get creative, but watch your expense, try to keep cost of any added ingredients at about half the price you charge for flanks, and watch your margins rise. I usually do two flanks per pinwheel roll, tenderize across the grain, lay them side by side, slightly overlapping on the long edge, smear the inside generously with your stuffing, roll and tie. cut to about 1.25-1.5 inch thick, and if you can, sample out your end pieces! Also remember to suggest recipes to your customers...Flank seared whole then sliced makes great fajita and stir-fry meat. Flank, marinated in balsamic vinegar, garlic, and thyme for about an hour, then seared and sliced at an angle makes a great topping for a salad, and the pan drippings make a savory dressing! good luck!
From: apcowboy Sent: 9/18/2007 6:18 PM SOUNDS GOOD TO ME !! Now let me trip you out, lol I can't get flanks where i'm working, Sooooo I take a bottom round, trim it out, turn it on it's side, make 4 cuts long ways, run each piece through cuber twice, lay out two pieces where they over lap each other a bit, take a square piece of fat wraped in spinch, start at one end, roll it up into the meat, comes out like the "old type" pinwheels, I use toothpicks to hold together. An they sell
I sell almost a case a day in my store. We are in a college town with a very healthy clientele, we just knock a bit of the fat off and roll'em in a 2p. 5.99lb at 28%, no labor, really no waste
About your cutter in training, I have found starting them on something like letting them do all the boneless pork till they get really good at that then move to something else, let them perfect it and move on to bigger better and so on.
About your cutter in training, I have found starting them on something like letting them do all the boneless pork till they get really good at that then move to something else, let them perfect it and move on to bigger better and so on.
i do the same thing i put who ever im training on what ever the big sale item is..........by the end of the week they will never for get to cut what the sale is again
I do damn near the same thing. The only problem I have is getting the apprentice to move on with out being pushed. But sometimes that's what they need. And I'm just the man to do it!!! You won't move on until you get ALL the cuts down and pass the testing.
today one kid im training i made him take the oyster bone and bone out 9 cases of bone in pork loins he looked like he was gonna cry outta fustration..lol......but he finished it all and got all my pork preped for me in the morning......
wow how cruel of you butcher29. Nine cases? Each one about 90 lbs with 4 loins in it?
must sell alot of fresh baby back ribs there if you bone them all out. i guarantee that kid will thank you someday because boning out things is going to be easy for him after that.
-- Edited by fdarn on Thursday 26th of May 2011 05:37:36 PM
baby spinach,roastedpeppers and provolone cheese with some minced garlic is my favorite. i used to get yelled at by the former meat boss about the ribeye fat. i think i will pick it up again.
wow how cruel of you butcher29. Nine cases? Each one about 90 lbs with 4 loins in it?
must sell alot of fresh baby back ribs there if you bone them all out. i guarantee that kid will thank you someday because boning out things is going to be easy for him after that.
-- Edited by fdarn on Thursday 26th of May 2011 05:37:36 PM
this is how i learned............and i go threw a crazy amount of back ribs and pork tenderloin 2 bbest sellers..........and we have bonless pork loins on for 1.99 a lbs there moving like crazy
I still remember my Journeyman test. 1 side of beef 1 whole Hog 1 Whole Lamb
You now have 8 hours to cut these into sellable pieces after that we will look at your trimmings, your bone can and your packages and decide if you are worthy. You may now begin
__________________
Joe Parajecki
Operations Manager/ Partner
Kettle Range Meat Company, Milwaukee WI
Member Meat Cutter Hall of Fame and The Butcher's Guild
Learning to cut carcass beef (4-hours per day), I pull two flank-steaks everyday (sometimes three if I get into a third side). Nobody ever actually wants them but I pull them anyway... into the grind they go! If they are especially thick I have turned them into jerky, which sells at (currently) $16.83/lbs. Not a bad %net profit.
If only I weren't hemorraging cash doing this... I'm living the butchers' dream: knock, harvest, face, skin, weeze, bung, gut, halve, rail, quarter, pack, ship, unpack, hang, rail, break, fabricate, wrap, sell.... The whole kit and kaboodle.
-- Edited by JimmyMac on Tuesday 1st of May 2012 10:01:29 PM
The Fresh Market pinwheels are as follows: Tenderize a whole flank twice. Mix Pepperidge Farm Herb stuffing, fresh chopped celery and a little water together. Spread on flank. Roll up, slice about 1 1/4. " we sold them as units, not by the pound. I was there 1993-1997. Back then, about 3.99 each, I think.
We did 10 cutting tests per week per man-required-I strongly suggest frequent cutting tests to determine profit margins. Sales are worth a dime without gross profit.