Butterflying

Butterflying is a cutting technique used by butchers to transform a thick, compact piece of meat into a thinner, larger one. The piece of meat to be cut is laid out flat on a cutting board and cut in half parallel to the board from one side almost all the way to the other. A small "hinge" is left at the one side, which is used to fold the meat out like a book. The resemblance of this unfolding motion to the wings of a butterfly is what gives this cut its name. The final result is a piece of meat with half the thickness and twice the surface area of the original piece. This technique is often used as an alternative to, or in conjunction with, pounding out the meat with a meat mallet to make it thinner.

Common uses of this technique include creating thin cutlets of chicken out of chicken breasts for dishes such as chicken piccata, or rendering lamb leg roasts suitable for making roulades. A "butterflyed chicken" is when the entire bird is not cut to thin out or extend a section in two. Rather, it is when the backbone is cut out and the bird is pressed down hard, fanning it out for grilling.

Butterflying a lobster tail involves cutting the hard top side, without cutting all the way down to the other softer side.

ee also

*Accordion cut

External links

* [http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/ck_dm_meat_poultry/article/0,1904,FOOD_19002_2370613,00.html Food Network picture demo on butterflying chicken breasts]