The Essential Tools of a Carnivore

America’s butchers weighed in on the six most important tools every meat-eating cook needs.

“You only need six tools—and some twine,” says Nate Ando of Washington D.C.’s Red Apron Butchery. Whether you’re firing up a five pound tomahawk rib eye or slow cooking a pork shoulder, there’s always fat that needs to be trimmed, a bone that needs to be removed, or, at the very least, an incision that needs to be made in the meat so you can fit in a flavorful head of garlic. But you don’t need a meat cleaver or any of the other nineteen pieces of equipment people recommend. Ando and several of America’s most influential butchers weighed in: these are the only six tools you need to make the most of your meat preparation. Oh, and don’t forget a fork. You’ll definitely want a fork.

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