Silver skin.

So would there be any advantage to leaving the silverskin on prior to freezing and then removing it on thawing if necessary, would it make for better quality meat?
Time wise it would be better to remove it from each joint as needed from the freezer but have never done it that way.

WB
If it was for your own consumption then probably yes, but someone who's buying a nice vac-packed oven ready roasting joint doesn't want to have to finish the butchering job themselves before cooking it. People just don't work like that these days. That's the way I'm understanding it, anyway. If it needs to come off before cooking then it needs to come off before selling. At least, that's what I thought, and my opinion has been confirmed by the majority of the responses in this thread.
 
So would there be any advantage to leaving the silverskin on prior to freezing and then removing it on thawing if necessary, would it make for better quality meat?
Time wise it would be better to remove it from each joint as needed from the freezer but have never done it that way.

WB

Not really,
Because i cant trust my Mrs not to cut her fingers off i always trim prior to freezing, to be honest you could spend hours trimming all the membranes between all the individual muscles. If your just starting out preparing your shot game, there is no harm in practicing separating the muscles, its good practice using a knife and you get to understand what muscles do, and what the best way to cook them.
A brief example would be the difference between the intercostal muscles between the chest ribs (these being used 24-7) and the Tenderloin that does hardly any work and little connective tissue.

To remove,
push the point of the knife under the skin, turn the edge of the blade outwards, with the skin on the edge, and carefully push the blade away without cutting through the skin, practice, with time you will soon be whipping it all off in seconds, (sharp knives are easier to do this)
 
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Yes, on the loin fillets, where it's very easy to do, but what about on the rounded shape of a haunch joint where it is thick at one end and peters out to nothing at the other?
Easy. Get the wife to do them and tut at her for not going as fast as you...
 
I usually leave it on roasting joints and remove on steaks, once it's roasted and sliced it's not really noticeable
 
One thing I would add though is to try and remove it like fish skin off a fillet, by laying the knife flat on the board and gripping the silverskin, pulling it over the blade. I find this gives a lovely uniform surface to the meat which is near impossible to achieve if cutting it away in the usual manner

Same technique and also the same for removing rind from pork 😉👍
 
If i was selling joints with what your calling "silverskin" left on i would ask the customer if they would like it trimmed before they bought it. My opinion is depending on the whereabouts this membrane is it would always be left on prior to selling due to the meat likely to dry out or discolour.

TheCornishman, never heard of "Flat Irons" over all the years in butchers its amazing to hear different cuts of meat called different names depending on area. TV was also a confusing time for butchers, you would have customers asking for all sorts of cuts they have seen on the cooking programs.

Good to meet a fellow butcher 😉

Selling & serving to the public over a counter I agree there would be a benefit in terms of versatility (leaving options) and less wastage ( commercial yield) by leaving it on and then preparing to customers requirements. Using it for yourself or Pre packing for private sales I would remove it...as youve said later on far better to ensure it’s done properly and Mrs Jones still has all her digits from not trying to remove it with that old knife rattling around the cutlery drawer 🤣
 
So would there be any advantage to leaving the silverskin on prior to freezing and then removing it on thawing if necessary, would it make for better quality meat?
Time wise it would be better to remove it from each joint as needed from the freezer but have never done it that way.

WB

Somewhat depends on how you pack prior to freezing but if vac packing then no there would be no advantage in my opinion and freezing it 1st would make it harder to remove cleanly
 
What! No crackling? :eek:

BETTER CRACKLING!... We would derind pork if making sausage or after rindless bacon. When it comes to roasting joints removing the rind means you can cook the joint at a lower temp ensuring it doesn’t dry out as the best crackling comes from a hot oven.

Cook the pork at a lower temp whilst the rind is Enjoying a salt rub (salt, chilli & lime zest is my favourite) Take your pork out to rest and crank that oven up ready for nuking your crackling to crispy, crunchy, gnasher bashing goodness 😜
 
BETTER CRACKLING!... We would derind pork if making sausage or after rindless bacon. When it comes to roasting joints removing the rind means you can cook the joint at a lower temp ensuring it doesn’t dry out as the best crackling comes from a hot oven.

Cook the pork at a lower temp whilst the rind is Enjoying a salt rub (salt, chilli & lime zest is my favourite) Take your pork out to rest and crank that oven up ready for nuking your crackling to crispy, crunchy, gnasher bashing goodness 😜
Now I have a shameful confession to make.... I don't actually like crackling! :oops::oops::oops::oops:
However, I prefer to roast pork with the skin in situ for protection, to keep the subcutaneous fat (which may be an inch or more thick in a home reared pig) nice and firm and white, and prevent it from going all slushy and greasy. Always cook pork in big lumps in this house, barely fitting them in the Rayburn. After having a few slices off the joint for a hot meal the rest is allowed to go cold and keeps us fed for days to come. At this point, I peel back the skin to reveal the luscious layer of fat beneath, which I slice off in thick slabs and eat with fresh home-baked brown bread, homemade butter and a dollop of English mustard. The perfect quick breakfast! (Followed by the same again for elevenses and probably lunchtime too!)

And just in case you're wondering, I'm as lean as a whippet, weighing in at a mere 72kg.
 
Now I have a shameful confession to make.... I don't actually like crackling! :oops::oops::oops::oops:
However, I prefer to roast pork with the skin in situ for protection, to keep the subcutaneous fat (which may be an inch or more thick in a home reared pig) nice and firm and white, and prevent it from going all slushy and greasy. Always cook pork in big lumps in this house, barely fitting them in the Rayburn. After having a few slices off the joint for a hot meal the rest is allowed to go cold and keeps us fed for days to come. At this point, I peel back the skin to reveal the luscious layer of fat beneath, which I slice off in thick slabs and eat with fresh home-baked brown bread, homemade butter and a dollop of English mustard. The perfect quick breakfast! (Followed by the same again for elevenses and probably lunchtime too!)

And just in case you're wondering, I'm as lean as a whippet, weighing in at a mere 72kg.

You must have the metabolism of a humming bird!....wish I did 🤣

last time I hopped on the bathroom scales it read more than 2x that and gave up the ghost....
 
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