Sides, Quarters, Foresaddles, Hindsaddles

Appears in
Professional Cooking
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2014

  • About
These represent the first step in breaking down a carcass.
Again, these larger cuts are no longer frequently used in food service. Fewer establishments cut their own meats.
  1. Beef is split first through the backbone into sides. Sides are divided between the 12th and 13th ribs into forequarter and hindquarter.
  2. Veal and lamb are not split into sides but are divided in half into foresaddle and hindsaddle. For veal, the cut is made between the 11th and 12th ribs. Lamb, on the other hand, is split either between the 12th and 13th rib or after the 13th rib, depending on the cutting style. For more information, see the charts.
  3. Pork carcasses are not divided in this way. They are cut directly into primal cuts (see below).