A specific method of cutting food, most often applied to meats (though not exclusively so). The reason for the name comes from how the cut of meat is nearly cut in half with the exception of connecting tissue in the middle. This tissue is referred to Insofar as it relates to meat, what comes after butterflying is usually boning/deboning (the terms are interchangeable) and then being flattened. An important note: the goal is to produce to halves of food that have (relatively) uniform thickness.

When referring to red meats, the meat is cut parallel to the board being used. The meat is then opened up much like a book being opened. Truth be told, this also applies to cuts of chicken. Now, when a whole chicken is butterflied and the backbone is removed from the resulting cut, the technique is known as spatchcocking. Occasionally, the term spatchcock is used as a noun. When referring to butterflied fish, this is referring to a double fillet where the backbone has been removed.

As for why a butterfly cut may be used, there are a few reasons. Due to the end result being a thinner cut of meat, the cook time is usually shorter. Additionally, the butterfly technique is vital step for some stuffing dishes or for roulades. Lastly, the thinner cut of meat allows for greater control of the flavor of the dish