Do you use a butcher?

Because the nice man does what I say, and gives me soup bones, Korean short ribs, and properly identified and wrapped other stuff. As opposed to the meatball at the supermarket that cuts it all out of the freezer, at best.

If I had one nearby, I'd certainly use it. As it is, I buy meat often from an upscale store (Sendik's in Brookfield, for you locals). There are always five or six people behind the counter cutting down primals. When I ask questions, they know the answer. They can usually get me whatever I want, even if it has to be ordered.

Luckily, the big-box grocery closest to my home (a Pick 'N Save) has three butchers who know their stuff: one of them grew up in the apartment above a butcher shop, learned the trade there, and has been at it ever since. I trust him, and the two other guys, too.

But what I wouldn't give for a top-notch butcher shop like the one my mom used to shop in!

I buy 1/4 grass fed organic beef from a local farm, it gets processed at a local butcher. Whe I asked if he would eat the hamburger rare he took a hunk and ate it raw. So yes I trust my butcher. :roll:

I have bought from my local butcher for over 20 years. He makes his own pies, haggis and sausages. Most of the meat he sells is sourced from his families' (3, I believe) farms just outside of the city. All the meat is organic. I also buy shredded suet from him, rather than the packet stuff.

At Costco the meat is fresh cut. The meat is sourced from the same place your butcher gets it. Believe me, your butcher isn't breaking down carcasses either.

The people at Costco and SAMS work hard just like anyone else.

I frequent our local butcher - I don't buy exclusively from him but when I'm passing by or when I need a special cut or want to be sure of excellent quality I go. the beef is always superb, the pork is good but can't say it's "more better" than the megamart.

he has a wonderful assortment of local fresh sausages not available elsewhere - they make their own so if their seasoning blend suites you, you're really in luck.

I can get things cut & trimmed as I want them, I can get three thick cut chops (vs. 2 pkgs of 2, for example)

they dry age all their beef - I can get "special services" like having him cut then dry age my holiday prime rib (in his locker) to my specs (cut & days) - etc.

the meat locker has a couple glass front small windows for storing small cuts - when he goes in to fetch something you can see entire sides of beef hanging and I have not seen a single Cryovac in his shop. I suppose it could be plastic beef hanging to impress people, but I don't think so . . .

This is where most of the meat the butcher gets comes from regardless of it being a small one man shop or several people working in a mega-mart operation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factory_farming
The percentage of meat that is procurred from small organic producers is very small. Even those of us who raised grass fed animals sold them through local stockyards where they were purchased by these large CAFO's and fed commercially produced feeds.

A small niche butcher may well have the clientle that will support him buying prime graded meat. Larger supermarkets will have a larger clientle that is looking to save some money and viewing food in a much more utilitarian way. Prime graded meat is a really small percentage of the meat produced annually and is usually bought up by places like Delmonico's (I think thats the upscale steakhouse in New York)

The majority of us get choice and good graded meat to choose from.

That's not entirely true either. Although I did see you edited you comments and took out the statement about the organic thing. For what it’s worth……Costco is fine source for meats (pork, beef and poultry). And they don’t prepackage things, it’s all cut right out in the open. It's minimally processed and they have good sanitation standards. They are also forthcoming with information and when asked, can and will provide the origin of the meat. This is a result of the company working with the Japanese in restablishing our industries standard for providing quality meats. Their meats are not injected, pork is pork not "always tender" and although they come from larger faciltiies from all over the country just exactly what do you think Neiman Ranch or Coleman are? Sams however is a whole different situation but they are working towards changing that at least in some markets.

The food in general at Costco is a step up. Just read some of the lables or see the diversity in products they have. Yes they sell Chef boy ardee by the case but they also sell some nice alternatives if you just look for them.

The more folks demand their foods (or more specifically meats in this case) to be from Free range, pasture grazed, etc, etc, etc options......... the larger the producer is going to have to be to supply it in a cost effective manner. Costco as well as the other two above mentioned producers have found a way to provide the meats that people are asking for. Case in point we went to our local farmers market in Petersburg Va last saturday. They had one "free range" local butcher on site. Whoooopdy dooooooo. 12.00lb ground beef, pre packaged steaks at 17.00lb all out of a cooler. Sorry but we made a bee line to costco and bought a whole piece of sirloin for me to turn into steaks. It's been a while but at 3.99lb it sure beats the 17.00lb racket.

So, what does it matter is the ranch has a herd of 200 or 200,000. It all has to be processed and packaged to be shipped.

Yes I can see the plant that handles 200 be able to provide hanging sides for processing but that's just not the case anylonger. The people that are trained or have the desire to break down a full side on location are few and far between. I have first hand knowledge of this because I worked for a year as a butcher for Publix back in the late '90's. I was hired to provide more Restaurant style cuts vs the home style that was primarily available. But that's what most people demand theses days. Restaurant style cuts. How can the smaller plant stay profitable and still provide meat at a cost effective price? It can't. That's why you see meats at the prices I mentioned above.

If you have a butcher that works for you that's great. Our butcher just happens to work for Costco.

There are many small local growers who sell direct to the public. The one I buy from offers a service by taking the animal to my butcher of choice who is also local. The meat is way better than any grocery store and considerably cheaper even after the butcher/cutting/wrapping charges. Last year I think it came to $3 a pound for grass fed organic beef. If you are in SW MN this is who I buy from moonstone :: home

Like Mezz, I buy most of my meat from the local Sendik's. I think she only shops there during the day while I'm working, because I'm keeping an eye out for her, and I never see her. I'm wondering if she really exists. :D

I, too, think Costco is pretty darn good. As good as Sendik's in most things, cheaper too, but alas, much farther away. I swear to God the boneless beef short ribs are the best I've ever had. They are marbled like prime strip steaks.

Locally, we have an upscale grocer, Grasch's, that sells only prime meat. This is by far the best in the Milwaukee area, however, $30.00+ per pound for NY strip is a little out of my league. They have about eight butchers working at all times. The meat is in a display case and most buy that way, but they will cut anything you want, all you have to do is ask. Being in a real estate related profession, I'm not buying many $30.00 NY Strips these days. They also have the absolute best seafood section I've ever seen in the Midwest. That's pricey, too, but that's where I buy my seafood.

We're going to a cookout at a friend's tonight. They are serving a variety of sausages from Bunzel's in Wauwatosa, WI, which is a small butcher shop that I've never been in, (I don't know why since I drive by it about twice a week) and I'm looking forward to it.

Kuan, you know what looks great at Costco, but I've yet to try (the Costco in SE WI just opened seven or eight months ago and is 45 minutes from my house), are the racks of lamb. Reasonablly priced, too. Are any of those awesome rack of lamb pictures you post of racks from Costco?

Kevin

I'm with guy that thinks we have a fire distinguisher in the hallway.

Here is a picture of my son at his uncle's farm. (incidently, conservation farmer of the year) Roughly 250 head. Some of it is sourced by local butchers, some of it straight to the processor who sends it out to IBP and other folks who once again send it off to Costco and Ralphs.

Plastic beef sides . . . I wanna buy a few, where do I get them?:lol: They'd be great living room decor.

I wish they had real butchers in this neck of the woods. All I have in the way of getting meat is Food Lion, Lowes Foods, Harris Teeter, Fresh Market and Wal-Mart. :cry:

Golf capital of the world . . . you mean you're in central Oregon too? :D

Pinehurst, NC.

US Teens Champ going on now, Kids Worlds going on next week, Amateur Champ. going on at the end of Aug., US Open, 1999, 2005, 2014.

We have some good supermarkets this side of the pond, particularly
Waitrose...

But, we also STILL have lots of local butchers... I know which I prefer!

I buy most fish from one source -- Vien Dong Superfood Warehouse.

I buy most poultry from two sources -- local "live" processors

I buy red meat from a variety of sources including ethnic meat markets, meat counters in ethnic and American stores, butcher shops located in supers (such as How's), supermarkets and Costco.

When possible I buy large "packer cuts," and do my own portioning, breaking, steaking, trimming, etc., on things like briskets, top-block sirloin, pork loins, pork shoulders, etc. That way we get the right sizes, everything is cut square and smooth, the fat trim is right, and if there's a problem I know where to point the finger. We own a freezer and use it.

I frequently (as in nearly always) buy "on sale." Costco ins't usually the best for quality/price, but sometimes it is -- and it's convenient. It's roughly on a par with Stater Brothers (which has better service), and Pavilions (a super market chain owned by Kroeger which has lousy service and on-site butchers but good butchers). I've never found any single place that can take care of all my needs at the highly competitive prices I'm willing to pay. I buy according to price and quality, and take pride and pleasure in finding top quality meat at the best local prices.

BDL

It depends on what I'm looking for.

There's an Asian grocer, South East Asian Market, with a small fresh meat counter specializing in really odd things, even blood occasionally.

There's a Mexican grocer, Tenochtitlan Market, with a large meat counter with some specialty products and some decent seafood including whole fish you don't see other places. The neighboring Asian market is worth visiting while you're there and there's an Indian spice market too. Pretty cool little strip mall actually.

Siegfrieds has a excellent case of processed german suasages, spreads and such.

Colosimo's is a local sausage maker with some really good sauage.

And there's Snider's, a quality butcher where I get duck, sausage casing and other hard to find goodies.

But Costco gets the bulk of my meat purchases.

I try not to golf after I fractured my collar bone while playing putt-putt. I'm a little on the clumsy side.

Anyways, I'm a Costco type of gal, especially for fruit, but meats as well. The meats are good, and priced decently. Why spend extra money when you don't have to?

I have been using a butcher for the past two years, excellent meat & poultry, hes only 300 ft ( 100 m ) from my door

I wish, closest real butcher thats worth it, is 30 minutes away. I go when I'm having guests or if I'm in the area.

Are you SURE working with knives is a good idea?

We dont use much meat for the business. For sandwiches we buy from the supermarket (Ham,turkey etc.)
I'm not proud of the fact that I buy my chicken breasts from a wholesaler. I'm trying to cut chicken from the menu as I detest battery farming but my customers wont pay the extra for free range.
We only use free range eggs at work, organic at home.

We use the oldest butchers in Dundee for the family. Theyre not certified organic. but are locally sourced from small farms. All the meat is traceable and I have to brag that their Angus Rib-eye steaks are truly the best I've ever tasted.

Small, community butchers, in my opinion, give such great service. Theyre willing to help with preparing joints too, give great advice, and I think we should support them more, or they will disappear.

So what if they're a bit more expensive than the supermarkets. We pay the premium for quality, but eat meat less often. Win-win

Thankfully, the only place I'm fairly graceful is in the kitchen.

I went putt-putting with a friend and everything was great. I was winning and getting cocky so I decided to try to hit the ball as one would do while playing pool with the other end of the putter. Well, the bulb on the other side came back the wrong way and hit my collar bone pretty hard, doctors laughed at my story for some unknown reason.

But yes, I am one of the clumsiest people you will ever meet, outside of the kitchen.

Shel, Costco doesn't break down any carcasses. They get the subprimals and break them down into steaks.