How to Use the Recipe Formulas

In nature, there are many variables: The size and age of the animal may range widely. One lamb shoulder may weigh 4½ pounds/2 kilograms, and another one might weigh 8 pounds/3½ kilograms. If the butcher gives you 10¾ pounds/5 kilograms of brisket, and the recipe only calls for 10 pounds/4.5 kilograms, you’d be wasting ¾ pound/340 grams of protein. In the interest of preventing waste and making these recipes amazingly user-friendly, I’ve made them completely adaptable, based on the weight of the meat being prepared. So, instead of wasting meat or spending hours with a calculator trying to adapt a recipe, all you have to do to maintain the consistency of the dish is multiply the percentage of the ingredient by the total weight of the recipe in grams. This not only prevents waste, thereby saving money, but also helps ensure the meat will consistently turn out terrifically, no matter how much you start with. This formula is always based on the yield of the recipe in grams. The process is far more intuitive when working in grams, but we’ve provided ounces and, in most cases, volume measurements (cups and tablespoons), as well as the percentages. Ideally, though, use a scale and a calculator when following these recipes.