Control Cutting

The original HSTB retailer program described control cutting very simply: “What every butcher should already be doing.”

The point was to make sure the department understood what happened to the value of a primal once the knife went into it.

Cut with a purpose

A primal should not simply be broken down because “this is the way we always cut it.” The department should understand what finished cuts it needs, what customers are buying and how the entire piece is being used.

Know what the primal produces

The cost of the primal is only the beginning. The department needs to understand what the whole piece becomes: premium steaks, roasts, value cuts, trim, ground beef and other usable products.

Control cutting is also training

A department becomes easier to control when more than one person understands what is being cut, why it is being cut that way and what the finished products should look like.

Consistency matters

Cutting standards help create consistency in thickness, trim, package size, appearance and yield.