Primal or Wholesale Cuts

These are the primary divisions of quarters, foresaddles, hindsaddles, and carcasses. These cuts, called primal cuts, are still used, to some extent, in food service, because they

1. Are small enough to be manageable in many food-service kitchens.
2. Are still large enough to allow a variety of cuts for different uses or needs.
3. Are easier to utilize completely than quarters or halves.

Each primal may be fabricated, or cut up and trimmed, in several ways. Primal cuts are always the starting point for smaller cuts. For this reason, it will benefit you to be able to identify each one. Study the charts and photos in Figures 15.3 through 15.6. (Please note the lamb chart in Figure 15.5 shows the traditional cuts, not the alternative cuts mentioned in the preceding section.) Learn the names of the primals, their location on the carcass, and the most important cuts that come from each. Then, whenever you work with a piece of meat, try to identify it exactly and match it with its primal cut.