Photos: Butchering Tips From The Butcher And Larder's Rob Levitt

Cider braised pork belly on grits with orange.

Scallop with Scottish black pudding, a type of sausage made of blood.

Braised beef cheek with pickled mustard seed.

A butcher grips his knife in his fist like a serial killer, rather than pointing it downward like a chef. This position is easier on the body and allows for better leverage when slicing through the meat. Butchering requires quite a bit of manual labor, so techniques like these are essential in order to overexertion.

Your local grocery store supplies cuts of meat that are easy to sell and require little preparation, but Levitt showed us the beauty in underutilized meats, which are often ground with other unpopular cuts. It's also difficult to find information on where your meat came from. A good butcher is hard to find, but he can tell you the origins of your meat and carve out your favorite hard-to-find cuts.

Tenderness is overrated. The tougher the cut of meat, the more flavor it packs.This means that the tender loin, the popular meat sandwiched between the hindquarters and the ribs, will have a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture with a very bland flavor. Sure, you can add depth of flavor, but why not try pickling a pig foot first?

Butchering requires several blades. A jagged edge is a necessity for sawing through bone, but it will tear and destroy the flesh. A non-serrated edge is required for separating the different cuts of meat seamlessly, especially the more delicate tender cuts.

We all know baby back ribs and St Louis style, but there is actually another set of ribs closer to the pig’s shoulders known as the country rib. These ribs are so meaty that they look like pork chops and require a fork and knife to eat. Keep your eye out for this variety!