Intended as a first-year curriculum for apprentice meat cutters, this text focuses on retail meat cutting. Topics covered in the 24 chapters are background and purpose of apprenticeship, job preparation, general layout of the meat department, operational procedures, beef structure and evaluation, retail cuts and cooking methods, beef forequarter: cutting and merchandising for retail, beef hindquarter: cutting and merchandising for retail, lamb: cutting and merchandising for retail, veal: cutting and merchandising for retail, poultry: cutting and merchandising for retail, merchandising homemade sausage, seafood, frozen foods, salesmanship, service case operation, self-service case operation, conversion of out-of-code fresh meat products, pricing meats, and commercial bribery. Each chapter is divided into three general parts: an introduction that sets forth the major topics and main objectives, the informative material, and a chapter summary. Tests for each chapter and answer keys are attached. (YLB)