Rant: My old boss from the Portland shop called me about his new way to hang a side of beef

I was talking to my old boss, Hank, last week. He retired a few years back but still messes around in his home shop. He told me he stopped using a single gambrel hook on the rail for hanging big sides. Instead, he uses two hooks, spaced about a foot apart, and hangs the side by the aitch bone and the last rib. He said it spreads the weight better and makes the whole thing way more stable when you're moving it on the rail. I tried it yesterday on a 700 pound steer, and he was right. It didn't swing or twist at all when I pushed it down the line. Has anyone else tried a setup like this, or do you stick with the single hook method?

2 comments

2 Comments

leor371mo ago

Hank's two-hook trick sounds smart for a big rail system. I'd worry about the extra points of contact tearing on a lighter setup though, especially with older cooler chains. Stability is great until you punch a new hole in the flank.

maryadams1mo ago

My buddy's 2005 Coleman ripped right at the second hook, exactly like @leor37 said.