Finally got a clean split on a full beef rib primal after a year of hacking at it.

I used to just muscle through with my old 10-inch breaking knife, always ended up with jagged edges and wasted meat. About six months ago, a guy at the Smithfield market told me to switch to a 12-inch scimitar and let the weight of the blade do the work. Tried it today on a 109-pound side and the rack came apart like butter. Anyone have a preferred brand for those longer blades?

2 comments

2 Comments

perez.thea1mo ago

Got to ask about the switch in technique. When you used the breaking knife, were you forcing it straight down through the cartilage? With the scimitar, did you find a rocking motion worked better, or was it more of a smooth draw cut along the natural seam?

the_jenny1mo ago

Scimitars are more about the draw than a rocking motion.