Edible Sacramento Summer 2022

MEET OUR MEAT STARS As an owner and butcher, Danny Johnson has been a fixture at Taylor’s Market since 1987. He and his wife, Kathy, have been sole owners of the market since 2007 and have built Taylor’s reputa tion as a destination butcher shop, particularly for local lamb. “I wanted to be a butcher all my life,” says Johnson, who grewup inLoomisandgothis initial trainingat the(nowclosed)OregonMeat CuttingSchool inCottageGrove. “It’snot something I fell into.” Captain of the U.S. WBC team since its inception in 2017, Johnsonwill be responsible for the contest lamb. “It’s the hardest because it’s precise,” he says. “There’s no room for error.” He explains that with beef or pork, the butcher can grind up mistakes into hamburger or sausage—not sowith lamb. ASacramento native, Paul Carras began his butchery career at Taylor’s Market as a “clean-up kid” in 1996. Then when he turned 18, he finally got a knife. “I started o— slow; nothing but calf’s liver, so I could learn to cut straight,” Carras says. “There’s so much involved in being a butcher! Danny took me under his wing, and I fell in love with the art of butchery.” Carras’ favorite cut of meat to eat? “My go-to cut: double-thick, bone-in ribeye steak,” he says. “It has tons of flavor, it’s easy to cook, and is enough for two people. It servesmywife andme easily.” After cutting meat all day, Johnson prefers eating something super simple. “I’m a cheeseburger guy,” he says. His burger of choice: ground chuck toppedwith Cheddar. START WITH SHARP KNIVES Butchers don’t need a lot of cutlery. But a keen edge makes all the di—erence. “[Having] a dull knife is the biggest mistake there is,” Johnson says. “Youhave tohave a sharp tool. Itmakesme crazy. You can tell when someone has a dull knife. Instead of a smooth cut, it’s shin gled, like they were sawing instead of slicing.” Johnson only sharpens his knives every six months, but he “steels” themoften so they keep their edges. A steel is a rod-shaped metal tool that, with a few strokes against it, hones a knife blade so it stays sharp. (It’s not designed to sharpen a dull blade.) Both Johnson and Carras use only two knives for their work: a 10-inch scimitar (or cimeter) and a six-inch, semi-flexible boning knife. The scimitar is a classic curved butcher knife that’s excel lent for cutting meat and fat without it sticking to the blade. The boning knife gets into tighter spaces. “When boning, keep your knife right on the bone as much as possible,” Carras says. “Youwaste less.” A good set of blades will last decades. Polypropylene or syn thetic handles help cut down on bacteria growth. Speaking of bacteria, keep meat cold (under 41 degrees F); don’t leave it out at room temperature, Carras says. Sanitize work surfaces. Keep your hands clean. Another critical warning, from Johnson: Never catch a falling knife. “Let it drop!”

18 SUMMER 2022

edible Sacramento