Before we go any further in this section, let me say something about how to cut meat right. The number one reason why steaks are tough is because they are cut in the wrong direction. The wrong way is to cut meat with the flow of the muscle strands. The right way is shown above. See how the muscle strands run from the right side to the left side of the picture? The correct way is to cut the meat, as shown in the picture, diagonal to the flow of the muscle strands.

Here is another view of how meat should be cut. Observe how the muscle strands flow and the knife in relation to it. If we cut steaks in this way we shorten the muscle strands and thus the meat remains tender. If we cut with the muscle strands the steak will turn though during cooking. The reason for this lays in the fact that the muscle strands shrink in the heat, pulling the meat together.
 

Here you can see how I cut steaks but what I want to show you here is a way to ensure that your finger tips remain on your fingers. Hold the meat lightly with your fingertips curled under and the thumb tucked away behind the index finger. If done correctly the knife blade should slide along the fist finger joints while leaving a distinct gab between the finger tips and knife blade.
 

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To make pork chops first make a cut between the ribs all the way down to the spinal column as shown here.

Then turn the midsection around and cut with the bone saw trough the bone. If you like you can use a bone cleaver, but as I stated elsewhere in this tutorial, I do not like them. Bone cleavers make for lots of bone splinters and on a serious note, if you are not familiar in handling such a tool, you are liable to chop a finger or two off with it. Don't laugh it is the most common injury amongst butchers and meat cutters.

The fat of pork can be used in many ways. If you like you can make your own lard or use it in your sausage making. In fact if you are a sausage maker you need pork fat. The pork rind can be cut to pieces and deep fried to make delicious pork scratchings.
Cut the fat with the hide on it into strips as shown here. Then make a incision with a sharp knife down to the hide but do not cut the hide itself.

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In a shaving motion push the knife at an 45 degree angle forward and the fat will form a roll like you see it. One tip, the knife has to be absolutely razor sharp.

The tenderloin has to freed of all fat and the silver skin, just barley visible at the thicker end. The fat on the tenderloin is very loose and can be pulled locos with the fingers. To get rid of the silver skin insert a thin knife just under the silver skin and then as you would fillet a fish push the knife under the silver skin forward with the blade facing a little upward.

Throughout this tutorial you have seen bones just like this one, which is the Aitch Bone, from the hip. As you can see, even if we take care, there is still some meat on it. Not a lot but multiplied by a pork carcass it is about two pounds of meat. Good meat that can be turned into ground meat or used as sausage meat. Ever heard the expression, "I have a bone to pick with you." The expression comes from the butchers. Picking bones is tedious as you try with a little pointy knife as seen here to pick out that last morsel of meat from every nook and cranny.

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