I Want to Become a Butcher

[kitchensqueen]

I've been thinking about what I want to do for the last few years in terms of getting into a food career, and I've been leaning toward butcher. I love food preservation, especially all things pork. But it seems that "Butcher School" isn't exactly something that exists, as far as I can tell.

I've been starting to experiment with making cured meats and reading about butchery a lot at home, and it seems like getting a culinary degree would be helpful.

But I would love to hear any comments/advice onto how to get into this great profession. Thanks in advance!

[Holly Moore]

At the hotel school a one term course in meats/butchering was required. I'm guessing most culinary schools nowadays offer at least some butcher training. This probably wouldn't qualify you to butcher in a butcher shop, but might get you in the door as an apprentice. And it would provide a broader skill set - worth considering since fewer and fewer places do their own butchering.

I'm not sure how many supermarkets are doing true butchering nowadays. If so they are probably unionized and there may be an apprentice program available. Other than that, there is the old-fashioned way. Get a job with a slaughter house or processor, start off sweeping floors or shoveling guts, and work your way through the hierarchy.

Outside of the slaughter houses and processors, the craft of butchering in local shops has pretty much vanished. My favorite butcher here in Philadelphia has gone from breaking down sides of beef to slicing/sawing cryovac sections. Breaks my heart. He could charge admission for a display of his knife work.

[jk1002]

I just recalled the NY Times article, "Fleisher’s Grass-fed and Organic Meats"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/dining/08butch.html?pagewanted=2

[percival]

Bill Buford does just this in Heat. He's an editor in I think Esquire, works for a stint for Mario Batali, does it for a year for free, gives up the day job, goes to Italy, learns how to be a chef, including how to be a butcher and cure meats from the guy that taught Mario Batali's Dad (Boeing exec who quit his day job to become a butcher).

Quick version: quit your job, beg to apprentice under someone, work for free till you learn all they'll teach you, then find a job or start your own biz.

[kitchensqueen]

Well the quiting my job thing isn't going to work unfortunately - I've got a useless degree under my belt that I have to pay for and a husband, so bringing in money of some kind needs to keep happening. However, apprenticing is a good idea - I think I'm going to make a list of places and try to contact them - maybe I could do apprentice work on the weekends or in the evenings.

And I did just come across the Fleisher's classes, which look really awesome (and they have the kind of integrated business I'd like to run someday) - I'm going to see if I can find something a little closer to Chicago though - anyone know of something similar in this area?

[janeer]

I was going to suggest you go to Europe where there are still butchers until I read that you must work here. Fortunately you are in a major city (Chicago, no less, the historic meat packing town) and have a chance (though slim) of finding one of a dying breed. Look in the most ethnic neighborhoods you have--Italian, preferably, German, even Chinese, for a real butcher in a real small meat shop. Cooking school--no.

[Marlene]

Have you read Julie Powell's book, Cleaving? Much of it has to do with her quest to become a butcher.

[Snadra]

Aren't there local college/tech schools that offer a retail meat cutting course?

Similar to these in Alberta:

http://www.oldscollege.ca/programs/MeatProcessing/index.htm

http://www.nait.ca/program_home_18870.htm

http://www.nait.ca/program_home_13735.htm

http://sait.ca/cometosait/academic/certificates/arm.shtml

Something like this would give you a start and butchering experience which you could then use to expand into charcuterie.

[Chris Amirault]

You're not likely to find anyone slapping a whole cow on the prep table, but surely there are farm-to-table restaurants in Chicagoland that break down pigs, lamb, rabbits, and poultry on a regular basis. Perhaps you could stage at a few.

[DanM]

While they will definitely not help you with all things pork, Romanian Sausage may be a good place to start.

If Milwaukee is is not too far, you can also try Usingers Sausage on Old World 3rd St. Usingers is the pork sausage capitol of Milwaukee.

Dan

[kitchensqueen]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions. I sent an email to a local butcher yesterday asking if they'd be willing to take on a part time apprentice, so I'll let everyone know what happens with that.

I also like the suggestions of looking for a meat cutting course and doing a stage at a local restaurant. A friend of mine knows a chef here in town, so I'm going to get in touch with him soon and do a little networking.

[tmgrobyn]

You may also want to look up a few people on the net and twitter. Two that come to mind is @wrightfood and @katedecamont. Matt also has a blog section on Charcuterie which is amazing. Kate is an American living in France and has butchering workshops that will teach you an amazing amount of information. Her classes are way out of my price range and possibly yours. However, following her on twitter will alert you to her workshops here in the states.

I recommend Ruhlman and company's book on Charcuterie. It's available most everywhere. Another book is Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques, which has a good amount of techniques you may want to master.

http://www.butcher-packer.com/ Is a website devoted to the butcher industry.

Hope this helps!

[Chris Amirault]

Good topic on butchering books here.

[kitchensqueen]

Butcher Packer is a great catalog - just signed up to get them emailed to me. And thanks for the link to books thread Chris - just printed it to read on the train tonight. :-)

[andiesenji]

I asked my friend, a local butcher who does work for me and my neighbors when we have a steer to butcher.

He said to contact the Amalgamated Meat Cutters union local and inquire about apprenticeship.

He looked it up in his union newsletter and found a phone number:

(312) 733-2999

He attended a meat cutting school in Denver, Colorado and is sure there must be a school in Chicago.

He was pretty adamant that starting with the union was the best way to go.

Edited September 21, 2010 by andiesenji (log)

[IndyRob]

Out of curiosity, I hit the job boards and looked for butcher jobs. I realize you're not looking to just to find a job as a meat cutter, but it would seem to define the requirements for entry.

From what I found, the trade seems to value experience over education. But the one thing that jumped out at me on one posting was a requirement of a firm understanding of HAACP. I think this will be a big deal especially as you get into sausages. I don't know what certifications may be available, or what they take, but that would be one part of the puzzle to focus intensely on.

[kitchensqueen]

A quick update - the first butcher I contacted is not taking apprentices currently, but I'm compiling a list of others to get in touch with. I have an email in to the union local here in Chicago (thanks andiesenji for that lead!) and I have sent my resume into a local gourmet market that is hiring for meat counter sales staff.

So, onward I go!

[kitchensqueen]

Well, I've hit a few roadblocks. None of the butcher shops I've contacted are taking apprentices. The union told me that if "my son" wanted to get an apprenticeship, "he" would have to apply with an employer directly.

So... I'm going to keep learning as much as I can on my own and keep my eye out for more opportunities I suppose.

[janeer]

Hate to send you to another forum, but there is a discussion of butchers in chicago on chowhound; have you tried them all? I would keep going back to all the places you tried, like every month, until you wear one of them down.

[vice]

I came across this site a couple weeks back: www.getbutcherjobs.com. The vast majority of postings seem to be for the 'supermarket meat cutter' type position, but it could be a start. You can set up an RSS feed for listings in your area.

Edited December 9, 2010 by vice (log)

[codheadred]

When I was a teenager I had a job as a paperboy and on my round I would deliver an evening paper to a local catering butchers in my hometown, I would enter by the backdoor and on occasion the butchers would still be at work scrubbing away at the cutting tables, the place had a smell all of its own.

One day one of them a short stocky angry looking man took notice of me and asked me in a broad scottish accent what I wanted to do in life? I replied I wasnt sure yet - his answer "Well whatever you f*cking do son dont ever become a f*cking butcher"

Edited December 9, 2010 by codheadred (log)

[brokenscale]

that is one angry man. As much as people are against culinary school as I was (check my older posts), when i went i learned something. If you goto a reputable school, the food industry is a tight knit group. Chefs know eachother and they know what other chefs are looking for. It took me two weeks to prove my passion and determination to the head chef at school, and it took him 5 min and 1 phone call to get me an apprenticeship at a reputable butchers shop. Ne resume & no interview needed. Just a thought, there are plenty of people who do school part time and work part/full time to pay the bills

"edit" in chicago the art institute is an expensive school but i know for a fact its a reputable one. There are a ton of halal butchers in chic and a lot of them suck but some of them are AMAZING, downfall of working halal is you will never touch a pig. If your interested in working halal i know a few butchers in the area send me a pm

Edited December 13, 2010 by brokenscale (log)