After two grueling days working on "frenching" 8 racks of pork and 24 racks of lamb I don't think I'll ever french with any animal again. By far, the pork rack was hardest but then again it was only 2 per person with 4 in our team.
On Tuesday Chef Bob split 11 of us up in teams of 4, 4, and 3. I was in a 4 person team with my favorite friend Nicole, Mikey and Ed. The guys worked together and Nicole and I tittered and gossiped all the while we mangled a couple of nice racks of pork. The gossip was the best part.
The second team did a mountain of Chickens in various cuts and the third team did Salmon. Big ones and lots of them.
Today, the Red Meat team (that's us this week) got to tackle 24 racks of Lamb!! OMG. We frenched the meat to the bones as required but I think my fingers got frenched too. They feel like it, especially my thumbs. Ouch. We even use our fingernails to get stuff off when the knives can't get to the thin ligament holding the meat to the bones. This truely and cruely is mindnumbing work. However, you are constantly on edge NOT to slice through your own finger bones. After working a few racks our hands get greasy and slippery. That's when the knife wants to slip down your hand. Note to Self: Do Not Daydream When Frenching.
There were several misses amoung us all. More so than skills class I think. Maybe not. It does require Skill.
Tomorrow sounds like a walk in the park as we get to cut New York Steaks. Somehow, I'm sure Chef Bob will make it harder than we think it will be.
Next week we switch to either Chicken or Fish. Likewise for the others. I dread the fish section since my aprons and towels still reek of fish from Monday's Sea Bass torture.
The only certainty is that after class is over I'm completely exhausted. We are standing in place for at least 3 hours working our fingers to the bone (pun intended). Butchery is serious stuff. Thank goodness its not on my list of most wanted jobs after graduation. Think of it like this; its a cold refrigerated kitchen, smells like death, is greasy, bloody, gets under your nails, in your hair (scaling the fish), and then you take a break to go eat something! Its like Animal CSI.
Well, that's it for now. Gotta get off my post and get something to eat. heh, heh, heh......
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This sounds too gruesome. And you can still joke about it? Good for you. Will those smelly aprons and towels be ending up in my pristine washer and dryer this weekend? Oh nooooooo...........(just don't tell Papa John where those bloody rags have been!)
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