Trim waste, cooking loss and other losses

Types of loss

• Trim waste: what is intentionally removed when cleaning raw materials during mise en place (bones, peels, fat, fish bones).
• Loss: weight reduction from cooking (evaporation), thawing or drip.
• Waste from bad practice: what is lost through poor cleaning or cooking, or by over-measuring ingredients.
• Spoilage: what is thrown away because it went bad.
• Plate waste: what the customer leaves on the plate.

From gross weight to plate weight

Gross weight (what you buy, untrimmed) − trim = net weight. Net weight is also called clean weight, mise en place weight, ready-to-cook weight or recipe weight.

Net weight − cooking loss = cooked weight, also called plate weight or ready-to-serve weight.

Are the percentages always the same?

No. Trim waste varies slightly with the origin and size of the plant or animal and with the judgment of whoever cleans it, and it varies a lot with the skill of whoever cleans it and with the recipe it's for.

Cooking loss varies with the type, method and equipment and with the degree of doneness. That's why it's worth measuring your own percentages instead of always using a table.

Conservative and business approaches

Conservative (accounting) approach: assume the worst and count trim as lost.

Business approach: physically recover the trim and use it in other dishes on the menu, adding as much value as possible. Even the name of the dish matters to how customers perceive it.

How to reduce losses

• Train mise en place staff and supervise cleaning, with practice guided by the chef.
• Use clear bags for trim and check a few at random (spot checks).
• Spot-check weights and portions against the recipe.
• Keep the cold chain so trim can be reprocessed into other dishes.
• If you buy half or quarter carcasses, hire a butcher for the breakdown.