Chef's Resources

Meat Buyers Guide PDF

USDA IMPS Offal Specs

For Beef Offal Meat Buyers Guide click on USDA IMPS for Variety Meats which also includes offal for Lamb, Pork, Veal, Cured, Smoked, Sausages and other by-products.

USDA IMPS Veal Specs

For Veal Meat Buyers Guide click on USDA IMPS for Veal.

USDA IMPS Beef Butchering Specs

The Meat Buyers Guide NAMP (National Association of Meat Purveyors) and the IMPS (Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications) use identical specs, but the IMPS is put out by a government agency and is free.  Click on the USDA IMPS for Fresh Beef link to download a free Meat Buyers Guide PDF version of the Beef file which includes NAMP/IMPS item numbers, descriptions and pictures of the cuts.  It will open in a new window, and it is a 2 MB file so it may take a minute to download.  Please leave a comment at the bottom of the page if this content is helpful.

Other Useful Specs

Check-out the Finfish Butchering Yields page for fish yields.  The Produce Yields page shows the usage percentage after trim loss.  For costing recipes the Dry Spice Yield page shows how many tablespoons of dry spice are in an ounce for over 90 spices.  You'll also find Disher Scoop Yields, Fruit Yields, and Hotel Pan Capacities.