BUTCHERS AND COOKING TEST

The Butchers and cooking test is a kitchen test that helps determine the actual
portion cost of meat, fish and poultry.
What is Butchers test?
-

This is a yield for meat, poultry and fish which is used to determine the actual
portion cost after waste, trimming and by-products have been removed from
the whole sale and also known as AP.

We are concerned with several weights.

1. Frozen weight. This represents the initial weight direct from storage.
2. Thawed weight. This is the net weight after proper thawing has been done.
3. Weight of drippings. This is the removed water and blood during processing.
4. Weight of fat, Gristles, and bones. This are trimmed excess fat and hard gristles
to improve the palatability of the meat.
5. Weight of trimmings. Trimmings are parts of the meat that are lost due to
standardizing the cut of the meat to make it more presentable rather than because
they are less palatable.
6. Saleable weight. This represents the net usable or servable weight of meat.
How is the butchers test done?
Step 1. Prepare ingredient and record frozen weight/initial weight on the butchers
test card or in a computer data base.
Step 2. Detemine thawed weight, compute for weight percentage, and record.
Step 3. Remove meats fat and gristle and weigh. Compute weight percentage and
record.
Step 4. Determine weight of water, blood and weight of trimmings, compute weight
loss percentage and record.
Frozen Weight
(thaw): Thawed weight
Minus: Fat and gristle
Minus: Trimmings
Minus: Water and Blood
Result

Saleable
Weight
Butchered

Step 6. Record the purchase cost per kilogram in a butchers test card or a
computer data base.
Step 7. Compute for the cost factor.
Cost Factor = Initial Weight (AP weight)
Saleable Weight
Step 8. Compute for Yield Percentage:
Percentage Yield = Saleable Weight x 100
Saleable Weight
Step 9. Compute for Butchered Cost.
Butchered Cost = AP Cost x Cost Factor
Sample #1: The group bought 2 kilos of frozen U.S. tenderloin. It cost P280 per kilo.
After thawing it weigh 1.96kg. The trimmings weighed 100g while the fats and
gristles that were taken out weigh 50g. Further drippings of blood and water 30g.
Complete the Butchers Test Card below.

Butchers Test Card

Item Description: Whole Loin (Lomo)
Seller: Ellis Meat Products
Unit: Kilogram
Butchered Yield: 11 pieces per kilo
Cost per piece:
Cost Factor: 1.1

Step 1, Step 2, Step 3

and Step 4

Weight
Initial Weight (AP)
Thawed weight
Fat and Gristles
Trimmings
Drippings
Salable Weight

2kg
1.96kg
0.050kg
0.1kg
0.030kg
1.78kg

Butcher
ing
Loss

Yield
Percent
age

Cost

280
98%
5%
10%
3%
89%

314.72

Step 6: Record
Purchased Cost

Step 5: Saleable Weight

Thawed weight :

1.96kg

-Fat and Gristles:

- Trimmings:
- Drippings:
0.03kg

0.05kg
0.10kg

Step 7: Cost Factor

Cost Factor: = 2kg
1.78kg
= 1.124

Saleable Weight:

1.78kg

Step 8: Percentage Yield

Percentage Yield: = 1.78kg
x 100

Butchered Cost: AP Cost x Cost Factor

2kg
Step 9: Butchered Cost
Butchered Cost: = P 280 x
1.124

Sample Butchers Test

Result

The Cooking Test

-

This test is usually done after the butcherss test in order to determine the
end or final cost of a product.
Through the cooking test, we take into consideration not only the losses due
to mechanical processing such as cutting and trimming but also further
losses due to application of heat (cooking method) manifested in shrinkage
and loss of weight of the end product as well as slicing before serving.
Meat is a prime example of these because it tends to be dependent on the
amount of bones, fat and trimmings or in other words the quality of the
carcass from which it came from.
Through the use of the cooking yield chart, quality and standards can be
maintained.

How is the cooking test done?

The steps in doing the cooking test are very similar to the butchers test. Simply
follow the instructions and illustration below.
Step 1. Prepare the ingredient and weigh before cooking. Record this as the
gross weight.
Step 2. Cook and weigh item after cooking. Record weight after cooking in yield
after cooking column and find the cooking loss (shrinkage) and its percentage.
Step 3. Weigh left over from trimming, slicing and serving and record. Compute
percentage loss from trimming and record.
Step 4. Find the Net Yield and Yield percentage. (Yield after cooking minus
allowance for service loss).
Step 5. Compute for cost factor (Gross weight divided by Net Yield).
Step 6. Compute for Total Cost, Cooked cost and Cooked Cost per Kilo.
Step 7. Complete the Cooking Yield Chart.

Step 1:
Record Gross
Weight

Step 2: Record
Cooked Information
% Loss = Cooking
loss x 100
Gross
Weight
= 600kg x 100

Step 3: Record
Service Loss
% Loss = Service
loss x 100
Gross
Weight
= 1.5kg

Cooking Yield Card

Item Description: Roast Pork Leg Ready Oven Prepared
Unit: Kilogram
Unit cost: P 130
Cooking Time: 3 hours
Temperature: 350 F (176 C)
Cost Factor: 2.105

Weight
Gross Weight
Cooking loss
(shrinkage)
Yield after cooking
Allowance for service
loss
Trimming, slicing and
tasting
Net Yield
Cooked Cost

4kg
600g

Butcheri
ng Loss
%

Yield
Percent
age

Total
Cost
520

15%

3.4kg

1.5kg

37.5%

1.9kg

47.5%
89%

Cooked Cost/kilo
Step 5: Cost Factor
Step 4: Find Net
Gross Weight
Yield
Net Yield
Yield after cooking = 4kg
serving
1.9kg
loss
= 2.105
Net Yield = 3.4kg
1.5kg
= 1.9kg
Yield % = Net Yield x CHECK YOUR SKILLS

Sample Cooking Test

Result

P
1094.6
P

Step 6: Cooked
Cost
Total Cost x Cost
Factor
= P 520 x 2.105
= P 1,094.60
Cooked Cost
Net Yield
= P1, 094.60
4kg

Get you calculator and try answering the problem below.

1. U.S. Sirloin steak is purchased at P280 per kilo. If it has to be trimmed
and made ready for serving it losses a total of 98 grams per kilo.
(a) What is the cost factor?
(b) how much is the butchered cost per kilo?
(c) How much is the butchered yield per kilo?
(d) If cooking entails losing another 5% of its butchered weight, What is
the cost factor and the final cooked cost of U.S. Sirloin?
*Show all solutions
2. Find the yield weight, yield percentage, and yield cost of the following
food products.

Salable Weight:

Item: Flank
___________________
Thawed weight:
Fat and Gristle:
Trimmings:
Cost per kg:
__________________

13kg
200g
623g
P233

Cost Factor: ______________________

Butchered Cost:
Yield % : _________________________
Total Loss % :

_____________________

Item: Flank
Salable
Weight: ___________________
____________________
Thawed weight:
13kg
Fat and Gristle:
200g
Trimmings:
623g
Cost per kg:
P233
_______________________

Cooked Weight:
Net Yield: _______________________
Cost Factor:
Butchered
Cost:______________________
Yield % :
___________________________