At Woodberry Kitchen they are getting in whole steers. Because of this, they are able to cut the meat as it used to be done before we forgot how to cook. Since I was there amidst a butchering session I was able to photograph the ever elusive first cut chuck roast. Currently, we can buy the roast at Whole Foods (in Princeton), minus the bone and the flat iron (now sold as a semi-expensive steak). The first cut chuck yields two small rib-eye steaks, a flat iron steak and a piece of shoulder best suited for braising. The fat may be smoked, seasoned and rendered. The trim and bone can be pressure cooked with leftover fat cracklings for a micro-stock to braise the shoulder meat. If this seems too complicated, you can make some great burgers. The hardest part is getting your hands on this very versatile piece of meat.
