Butcher's Yield Test Calculator

A butcher's yield test, or cutting test, records the as-purchased weight and cost of a whole piece, weighs everything it breaks down into and credits usable trim at its market value. The cost that is left, divided by the weight of the finished cut, is the true cost per usable pound.

How to do a butcher's yield test

1. Weigh and price the whole piece. Record the as-purchased weight and the invoice price per pound of a typical delivery, not the best or worst one.
2. Break it down as usual. Have the person who normally fabricates it do the work, the way they normally do it.
3. Weigh every output separately. Main cuts, usable trim (tips, stew meat, grind, bones for stock) and waste (fat, sinew, silverskin).
4. Credit usable trim. Value each usable trim at what you would pay to buy it, and subtract the total from the purchase cost to get the net cost.
5. Calculate and standardize. Divide the net cost by the usable cut weight for the cost per usable pound, then divide by the AP price for the cost factor. Run three tests and average them.

Worked example: beef tenderloin

A 7.5 lb PSMO tenderloin at $12.80/lb costs $96.00. It breaks down into 3.9 lb of filet steaks, 1.1 lb of head and tail tips (credited at $8.00/lb), 0.8 lb of chain (credited at $4.00/lb) and 1.4 lb of fat and silverskin, with 0.3 lb lost in cutting.

Yield is 3.9 ÷ 7.5 = 52%. The trim credit is $8.80 + $3.20 = $12.00, so the net cost is $84.00 and the filets cost $84.00 ÷ 3.9 = $21.54 per usable pound, against $24.62 if the trim were thrown away. The cost factor is $21.54 ÷ $12.80 = 1.683, and an 8 oz filet costs about $10.77.

These are example numbers for illustration. Click "Load example" to see them in the calculator, then run your own test.

How to use the cost factor

The cost factor turns any future price into a cost per usable pound without a new test: new AP price × cost factor. If tenderloin rises to $13.60/lb, the filets now cost $13.60 × 1.683 = $22.89 per usable pound. Re-test when you change supplier, grade or spec, because the factor depends on how the product trims.

Should you credit usable trim?

Yes, if the trim really gets used. Tips that go into a stir-fry or chain that becomes staff-meal stew replace product you would otherwise buy, so they lower the cost of the main cut. Credit them at what you would pay for that product, not at the price of the whole piece. If the trim usually ends up in the bin, record it as waste.

Tips for an accurate test

• Use a scale that reads to at least 0.05 lb (about 1 oz) and tare your containers.
• Weigh each output as soon as it is cut, before it sits and loses moisture.
• Keep unrecorded loss small; more than a few percent usually means a missed tray or a scale problem.
• Run the test three times with typical product and use the average as your standard.
• Re-test when you change supplier, grade, spec or the person cutting.

Free butcher's yield test template

Prefer a spreadsheet or a printed sheet on the cutting station? Download the blank template above. It opens in Excel or Google Sheets with the formulas in place: enter the AP weight and price and one row per output with its type (cut, trim or waste) and any credit, and it calculates the yield, net cost, cost per usable unit and cost factor.

Cooking the cut afterwards?

A butcher's test covers fabrication only. For roasts and braises, multiply by the cooking yield too; the cooking yield calculator has USDA averages for 48 cuts, and the food yield calculator.

Butcher's yield test FAQ