Any butcher worth his weight in fat trimmings can do more than stock the shelves of a meat department. The old-fashioned type knows how to be a consultant.

Whole Foods Bellevue proved it’s staff was up to snuff Dec. 10 with Ask the Butcher, a demonstration at the store’s Salud! cooking school.

The event featured a team of master butchers preparing holiday meats that included pin-wheel pork loin packed with apple cinnamon stuffing, prime rib roast, rack of lamb, and pork crown roast.

Guests sampled slices of New York strip roast, spiral ham, and wine pairings while the butchers demonstrated their butterfly-, french-, and trim-cutting techniques.

Whole Foods requires each of its butchers to complete a 1,920-hour training process that lasts around two years.

The apprentices start with clean-up duties and work their way to the counter before starting in as cutters, first with poultry, then pork, and finally beef.

“Beef is kind of like the master part of it,” said butcher Charlie Bauer.

Also on hand at the demonstration were co-op farmers who raise livestock for Whole Foods. The company buys from local ranches that grow meat on vegetarian diets and without hormones or antibiotics.

“It’s just all-natural beef and all-natural food to produce it,” said Dan Barnhart, who operates a ranch located 25 miles northwest of Corvalis, Ore.

The Whole Foods meat producers also are expected to go beyond the industry standard in caring for the welfare of their livestock.

Farmer Tim Beeler raises his pigs in large, spacious pens that allow them to root and nest comfortably both inside and outdoors.

“They can go outside and take advantage of the fresh air and sunshine,” he said. “That’s what makes this product different.”

Beeler also gives each of his sows a separate maternity pen for giving birth.

Whole Foods sends teams of inspectors to each farm to ensure the livestock are being raised according to its standards.

The company also requires its meat producers to use sustainable farming practices.

Salud! offers happy hours every Monday and singles happy hour on Tuesdays. Both events run from 5:30-7 p.m. and include wine and food samplings for $1.

The center also hosts $1 wine tasting sessions every Saturday from 1-3 p.m.

Whole Foods Cooking Tips

Lamb Leg Roast: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place lamb fat side up on a rack in uncovered pan. For well-done, roast 20 minutes per pound or until temperature reaches 160-165 degrees. For slightly rare, 150-160 degrees. Cover in foil when done and allow meat to rest 20 minutes.

Bone-in Spiral Ham: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place ham in baking dish with 1/2 cup water. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 15-20 minutes per pound.

Beef Tenderloin Roast: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season and place meat on rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast uncovered 45-50 minutes for medium-rare (135 degrees) to medium (150 degrees). Let roast stand at least 10 minutes before carving.

Stuffed Pork Loin Roast: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season and slice pork loin on rack in large roasting pan. Roast to 155 degrees, about 1 hour. Let roast rest 30 minutes before carving.

Beef Rib Roast: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season and place roast fat side up in shallow roasting pan. Do not cover. Cook to 135 degrees for medium-rare, 150 degrees for medium, around 20 minutes per pound. Let roast stand for 20 minutes before carving.