Primal Eats: How Learning to Butcher Meat Builds Confidence, Skill, and Control

ALL PODCAST EPISODES, COOK LIKE A FAMOUS CHEF!, LEVEL UP YOUR HEALTH, LEVEL UP YOUR SKILLS, REAL-LIFE INSPIRING 1:29:59

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“Confidence doesn’t come from talent — it comes from repetition, patience, and knowing what you’re doing when it matters.”

Welcome to ‘The Next Level Guy Podcast’, a show built around one mission: helping men rebuild themselves from the ground up.
We cover 🧩 Identity 🔥 Emotional Mastery ⛓️ Discipline ⚙️ Capability 💪 Physical Mastery 🎯 Purpose and so much more.
 

What if one of the most expensive mistakes you’re making with food has nothing to do with how you cook — but what you don’t know about the meat you’re buying?

In this episode, I sit down with Brad Baych to unpack why so many of us are overpaying, under-flavouring, and missing out on some of the best cuts of the cow — not because we’re bad cooks, but because no one ever showed us what to look for.

Brad shares butcher-level insights that instantly upgrade how you shop, how you cook, and how you think about the food on your plate. It’s practical, it’s grounding, and honestly, it gives you that quiet confidence that comes from knowing what you’re doing — instead of guessing. (And yes… it also makes a cracking Christmas gift for the foodie in your life.)

🎙️ Brad Baych is a butcher, chef, YouTube educator, and published author who helps everyday guys cook better meat, save serious money, and stop feeling lost in the supermarket aisle. From fine-dining kitchens to breaking down whole cuts at home, his mission is simple: teach what most of us were never taught.

Listen to this one and you won’t just cook better — you’ll move through life with a bit more calm, control, and respect for what’s on your plate.

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Transcript

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🧭 Episode Summary

Most men are overpaying for food, under-confident in the kitchen, and don’t even realise it. In this episode, Brad Baych breaks down how understanding meat, cuts, and cooking builds real skill, saves money, and removes guesswork. Listen in and you won’t just cook better — you’ll move through life with more calm, control, and confidence.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Brad Baych goes far beyond recipes to break down confidence, competence, and control in the kitchen—and how those skills quietly transfer into life.

🥩 From “meat guy” to master teacher
Brad shares his evolution from restaurant kitchens and culinary school to YouTube creator and published author—driven by a deep desire to teach, simplify, and give people skills they were never shown

🔪 Why butchery knowledge changes everything
You’ll learn how understanding primal cuts, anatomy, and knife skills helps you save money, unlock better flavours, and stop overpaying for supermarket convenience—without needing to be a professional butcher

🧠 Kitchen skills = life skills
Brad explains how restaurant work builds planning, calm under pressure, time management, and resilience—learning to think two steps ahead while staying composed in chaos

💸 Saving money without sacrificing quality
With meat prices rising, Brad shows how “underdog cuts,” smart substitutions, and basic prep can deliver premium meals at a fraction of the cost—often with more flavour than expensive steaks

🔥 Confidence through repetition, not perfection
From knife skills to doneness, Brad reinforces that confidence comes from reps, not talent—using tools like thermometers, simple methods, and progression rather than guesswork or ego

🍽️ Cooking as care, not performance
Whether it’s feeding family, impressing guests, or batch-cooking for real life, Brad frames food as hospitality—practical, nourishing, and rooted in respect for the animal and the process

🧱 The big lesson
When you know where food comes from and how to work with it properly, you don’t just cook better—you move through life with more confidence, patience, and self-trust.

📖 Guest Story 

Brad Baych’s journey didn’t start with a book deal or a YouTube following—it started with curiosity, hunger to learn, and choosing the harder path when an easier one was available. While friends took comfortable jobs, Brad stepped into hot, high-pressure restaurant kitchens as a teenager, absorbing chaos, criticism, and repetition until skill replaced fear. Watching a master butcher break down massive cuts of meat with calm precision became a defining moment—proof that competence is built, not gifted.

Over years of kitchens, culinary school, and fine-dining service, Brad developed more than cooking skills. He built discipline, patience, and the ability to think clearly under stress. But the real shift came later: instead of keeping this knowledge locked inside professional kitchens, he chose to give it away. Through YouTube and his book, Brad transformed from behind-the-scenes craftsman into teacher and guide—demystifying butchery, saving people money, and restoring confidence to everyday cooks who were never shown how food really works.

The before was uncertainty, wasted money, and intimidation.
The after is clarity, control, and respect—for the craft, the animal, and yourself.
That’s the transformation Brad now helps others make. 

🔑 Key Takeaways –

🧠 Confidence comes from reps, not talent
Skill is built through repetition under low ego—do it often, do it imperfectly, improve naturally

🔪 A sharp knife solves more problems than experience
Most cooking frustration disappears when your tools are right—start with sharpness before shortcut

🥩 Know the cow, not just the cut
Understanding where meat comes from tells you how to cook it—anatomy beats guesswork every time.

💸 The cheapest cuts often have the most flavour
Tougher, worked muscles = deeper taste—cook them longer and smarter, not harder

🔥 Tenderness and flavour are a trade-off—learn to balance them
The most tender cuts are often the least flavourful; cooking method is what closes the gap 

🧪 Use thermometers, not ego
Restaurants cook by feel because of volume—at home, temperature equals consistency and confidence 

🧱 Pressure tolerance is trained, not inherited
High-stress kitchens build calm, planning, and emotional control—skills that transfer directly to life 

🛒 Shopping smarter beats earning more
Learning how to buy and break down meat can halve your food costs without sacrificing quality

🧠 Think in systems, not recipes
Once you understand braising, grilling, searing, and stewing—you can cook anything

🥓 Start cheap to build skill
Practice knife work on pork before moving to expensive beef—confidence grows faster with less risk 

🧊 Cold storage is non-negotiable
Proper chilling, sealing, and storage protect both safety and flavour—sloppiness costs money

🧑‍🍳 Cooking is hospitality, not performance
The goal isn’t impressing—it’s nourishing, caring, and showing up for people consistently

📈 Progression beats perfection
Start with straight cuts (ribeyes, strips), then move to chuck rolls and complex breakdowns

🗣️ Learn the language to gain instant credibility
Using proper butcher terminology changes how professionals treat—and help—you

🧠 Knowledge restores respect for what you eat
The further we get from food’s origins, the less we value it—learning reconnects you to the process

🛠️ Cooking skill = self-reliance
When you can feed yourself well under pressure, confidence spills into every other area of life 

🎯 Listener Challenges – 

These aren’t theory. They’re do-the-thing challenges pulled straight from Brad’s journey and lessons. Pick a few, stack them, and build momentum.

🔪 Sharpen your main knife this week
Not tomorrow. Not “soon.” A sharp knife is the foundation of confidence in the kitchen

🥩 Buy one unfamiliar cut of meat
Ask yourself where it comes from on the cow before you cook it—anatomy first, recipe second

🧠 Cook with a thermometer, not vibes
Remove ego. Hit temperature. Build consistency and trust in yourself

💸 Price-check a whole cut vs pre-cut steaks
Do the maths. See how much convenience is actually costing you 

🐖 Practice knife skills on pork
Lower cost, lower pressure, same learning curve—smart reps beat risky ones

🔥 Cook the same cut two different ways
Grill one. Braise or pan-sear the other. Notice texture, flavour, confidence shift

🧊 Upgrade your storage game
Learn proper chilling, resting, sealing, and freezing—money is lost in sloppy storage

🗺️ Study a cow diagram for 5 minutes
Seriously. Five minutes. You’ll cook smarter forever after

🛒 Ask a butcher one real question
Use the language. “What’s similar to this cut?” Confidence grows through dialogue

🧠 Learn one cooking “system” this week
Braising, searing, grilling, stewing—systems > recipes 

🕰️ Plan before you cook
Lay everything out. Think two steps ahead. This is calm under pressure training

🔁 Repeat one recipe twice in a week
First time is learning. Second time is confidence. That’s how reps work

🧱 Choose a tougher cut and cook it long
Train patience. Let time do the work. Notice how flavour rewards restraint

🍽️ Cook for someone else intentionally
No flexing. No perfection. Just nourishment and care—hospitality builds presence

📉 Make one mistake and don’t panic
Slightly uneven steak? Still edible. Train calm instead of self-criticism

🧠 Notice how cooking changes your mindset
Planning, patience, execution—track how it spills into work and life

💬 Explain a cut of meat to someone else
Teaching locks in learning. If you can explain it simply, you own it

📈 Progress one level, not five
Straight cuts → chuck → more complex breakdowns. Earn your upgrades

🧠 Remove “special occasion” thinking
Learn to make great food normal. That’s real self-reliance

🧭 Ask yourself after cooking:
“Did I act with intention, patience, and confidence?”
That’s the real win

🗝️ The Key (If You Do Nothing Else, Do This)

🔪 Learn ONE cut of meat properly — and repeat it until it’s boring.

  • Buy the same cut 5–10 times (e.g. ribeye, strip, or chuck roast)

  • Learn:

    • where it comes from

    • how to store it

    • how to cook it two ways

    • how it feels at different doneness

  • Repeat until you stop thinking and start knowing

Why this works:
Mastery beats variety. Confidence comes from pattern recognition, not novelty. This rewires your brain from “hoping” to “expecting” a good result.

CBT lens: you’re replacing anticipatory anxiety with predictable outcomes.
Identity shift: “I’m someone who knows what he’s doing here.”

🧠 Cook it once under zero pressure — once under pressure.

  • First time: alone, calm, no rush

  • Second time: tired, hungry, someone waiting, distractions on

Same cut. Same method.

Why this matters:
This trains transferable competence. Anyone can perform when calm. Leaders perform when it’s noisy.

Nervous-system win: you teach your body “I don’t panic — I execute.”
Life spillover: work, gym, conversations, decisions — all get steadier.

If I pushed you my way:

  • Pick ribeye or chuck roast

  • Commit to 7 reps in 14 days

  • No new recipes until rep #7 is done

You won’t just cook better — you’ll trust yourself more, and that’s the real upgrade.

“Confidence doesn’t come from talent — it comes from repetition, patience, and knowing what you’re doing when it matters.”

“Most people don’t waste money on food because they eat too much — they waste it because they don’t understand what they’re buying.”

“When you understand how something works, fear disappears and control takes its place.”

“The kitchen teaches you how to stay calm, plan ahead, and execute under pressure — the same skills life demands.”

“You don’t need more recipes. You need fewer skills practiced until they become instinct.”

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LEVEL UP Time WITH THIS KEY LESSON!

🧠 Core Lesson + Call to Action

Real confidence isn’t loud, flashy, or performative — it’s quiet competence earned through repetition. Brad’s story shows that when you stop outsourcing basic skills and start understanding how things actually work, everything changes. Learning how to buy, cut, and cook meat isn’t about food snobbery — it’s about control, patience, and self-trust. When you can stay calm, plan ahead, and execute under pressure in the kitchen, that discipline bleeds into work, relationships, and how you carry yourself day to day.

🎯 Your move: pick one cut, one method, and commit to mastering it this week. Don’t chase variety. Chase competence. Do the reps. Let confidence catch up. And if this episode lit something in you, don’t keep it to yourself — share it with a mate who needs to level up and start building real skills again.

 

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About the Author
I’m a podcaster who interviews great examples of people to discuss and highlight the methods, hacks, tips and procedures you can use in your own life to help you develop and better your life. I would definitely not consider myself an expert, so to improve, I ask them and action it in my own life! My personal journey has been marked by awkwardness and awesomeness, OCD and ‘OMG’. I have suffered with depression, shyness, unhappiness and lack of focus and motivation so I know what’s it like to feel lost and hopeless. Back then, I wished I had a podcast to listen to and find actual fixes and concrete action steps and not just unobtainable suggestions and promotion of their products but couldn’t find it … so I made my own!

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