# Do you use a "real" butcher?



## Phil (Jan 19, 2009)

How many of you actually shop at a meat market and not the grocery store? I've really become irritated with the lack of knowledge, support, and variety of the grocery store "meat market". I asked the "butcher" at the grocery store yesterday if he had any short ribs. A painfull, puzzled face said "yeah, I have some, but after they did that article in the paper, the price jumped to $5.95 a lb. They really arn't worth that, but I'll cut 'em for 'ya if you want". (In the display case was lamb chops for $16.00 a pound.) So, if he doesn't cut and display them, what will he do with them?  That's the sort of service I've been subjected to for a long time. How 'bout you?


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## Katie H (Jan 19, 2009)

Yes.  I'm blessed to have a "real" butcher.  They've been in business for almost 80 years and have the most beautiful meats.  Their short ribs are to die for.  Their meats are trimmed beautifully, which means I am getting value for my $$$.  Their prices are, in most cases, less expensive than my area grocery stores, even Wal-Mart.


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## nekom (Jan 19, 2009)

I love the local meat market here.  Not only is the meat fresh (an actual butcher in the back cuts it up all day), but more often than not they actually beat the prices of the national chains in the area (Wal-Mart, Shop & Save, Giant Eagle, etc.), and a MUCH better product.  I don't know how they do it, but they do!


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## Barbara L (Jan 19, 2009)

The closest thing we have to a "real" butcher is a little mom & pop grocery about 20 miles from here.  They have some of the best meat around here.  There is similar store here in town, come to think of it, and I have bought some meat there as well.  

I have lived in South Carolina for so long that I forgot that in California our grocery stores didn't just have packaged meats, as they do here.  I visited my family in California last year and did a double-take when I saw the huge meat cases, with a visible butcher.  Our stores do have a butcher, but the meats are all packaged and put out on display.  They will cut things to order for you, but I don't think most people know that, as it isn't advertised.  

Barbara


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## marigeorge (Jan 19, 2009)

No, there is not a butcher shop within a hundred miles of this little podunk town...but I would give an arm and a leg for one!


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## Leolady (Jan 19, 2009)

When I was a kid there used to be 3 great mom and pop grocery stores in town with "real butchers" and great meat.

Now we are down to one, but they do great business and I don't see them going out of business anytime soon.  They even deliver.


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## Phil (Jan 19, 2009)

*Hey!!!!!!*



marigene said:


> No, there is not a butcher shop within a hundred miles of this little podunk town...but I would give an arm and a leg for one!



And, you're from KANSAS. Some of the best beef in the U S of A.


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## MostlyWater (Jan 19, 2009)

I  have 2 in my neighborhood but go seldom.  The grocery stores have sales and are just so convenient !!!!


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## Callisto in NC (Jan 19, 2009)

I miss our butcher from back home.  There's no actual butcher here but Harris Teeter has a guy that can cut meat but they don't have a choice in what they receive from corporate.


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## Leolady (Jan 19, 2009)

Phil said:


> And, you're from KANSAS. Some of the best beef in the U S of A.


 
Yep, our little mom and pop grocery store has the best beef in town!  And the best pork too!


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## VeraBlue (Jan 19, 2009)

I tend to shop one or two meals at a time, usually just for the weekend.  If I'm going to be working with beef other than what I use for meatballs, I'll usually go to a butcher.  Same thing with fish..usually go to the fish market.

I don't care for the butcher at the supermarket, either.  Cannot get a thick pork chop unless you call a day ahead.  It's so hard to get the quantity you actually want too.


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## miniman (Jan 19, 2009)

We have a farm shop nearby that does all their own beef, lamb & chicken and brings excellent pork. They are great and you can get exactly what you want - one of my friends even got them to do a turdurken like thing. I usually buy in bulk. I will get other stuff from the supermarkets but not in any great quantity.


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## Leolady (Jan 19, 2009)

There is a fantastic custom meat market an hour away from me.  I haven't used it in some years, but they were excellent


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## GotGarlic (Jan 19, 2009)

Our local Farm Fresh has a couple of upscale locations that are close by, that have great meat sections. When I bought veal shanks for osso buco a couple of months ago, they cut them to the size I requested. They make their own sausages - lots of flavors - and have great sales, too  There's a new butcher in my town, but the hours are 10 am-5 pm only during the week, so I haven't been there yet.


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## homecook (Jan 19, 2009)

I go to a small grocery store here that has a butcher. They really don't advertise it but I've asked for special orders numerous times and never a problem.
I also go to a butcher shop that's run by two women that has great meats. They've been in business for over 20 years now.

Barb


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## JoeV (Jan 19, 2009)

homecook said:


> I go to a small grocery store here that has a butcher. They really don't advertise it but I've asked for special orders numerous times and never a problem.
> I also go to a butcher shop that's run by two women that has great meats. They've been in business for over 20 years now.
> 
> Barb



No secret about where you shop Barb...same as me. Family Foods and Barb & Patty's. The best part of Barb & Patty's is that they will cut you a roast for 2, 3 or however many people you intend to feed, or make chops and steaks exactly to your specifications. This sure minimizes leftovers and waste. Plus, they make a variety of ethnic sausages that rival the old world butchers...and never an additional charge! No wonder they are so successful.


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## PanchoHambre (Jan 19, 2009)

As a kid our meat came from "the butcher" never the grocery store. If it was a special occassion we went down to Arthur Ave otherwise the local butcher (who is pretty good and still well supported)

One thing that is interesting is that the little strip of etcnic Italian shops we had out in the burbs used to be patronized almost exclusively by Italian-Americans and sort of snubbed by everyone else.... now they are regarded as specialty shops and people come from the tonier side of town to shop there. The merchandise has gone a bit more upscape too with more prepared foods etc.... we always had our fresh Mozz and Reggiano and Prociutto DiParma etc as well as the fresh butcherd meats.. and fresh cannoli. the rest of town cought on late.

For me I would like to get my meat from a butcher but most of the time I dont have the time. None of the local stuff is open when I get off work so its Shop Rite for me... but not happily


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## Jeekinz (Jan 21, 2009)

VeraBlue said:


> I don't care for the butcher at the supermarket, either. Cannot get a thick pork chop unless you call a day ahead. It's so hard to get the quantity you actually want too.


 
Same thing in my area.

One store actually has a decent meat counter with extra thick cuts, but you're paying $12-15 lb.

I had to yell at the DW the other day again when she came home with pork chops that had the big "thin cut" sticker on the package.  You can't do a THING with them besides chop them up for stir fry or tacos.

I like to use a butcher for very large cuts (8 bone roasts, fresh turkey, etc.)  But most of the time it's the supermarket.


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## Phil (Jan 21, 2009)

*Thin chops....*



Jeekinz said:


> Same thing in my area.
> 
> One store actually has a decent meat counter with extra thick cuts, but you're paying $12-15 lb.
> 
> ...


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## les (Jan 21, 2009)

I use the supermarket as we don't have a local butcher, I am married to one though which helps...trouble is we spend twice as long at the meat counter, 'cause everyone is asking him which is the best cut to buy! lol


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## bethzaring (Jan 21, 2009)

It was a revelation to me when I moved to the country and discovered that you can eat meat without going to the grocery or the butcher.  A number of us on this forum raise our own meat to butcher ourselves, and hunting is a big deal where I live.  We allow folks to hunt on our property and they always give us a portion of their harvest.


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## Yakuta (Jan 21, 2009)

I use both a butcher and supermarkets.  I use the butcher exclusively for beef, lamb and goat.  I also get hand trimmed chicken from my butcher but it is definitely more expensive than the super market so sometimes I buy chicken breasts and the lean ground chicken and turkey from the super market.  

Once I got used to the butcher and the choice of picking the meat, the hand timming they do and the quality I had a hard time going back to the supermarket stuff.


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## Robo410 (Jan 21, 2009)

I have an excellent supermarket nearby with decent meats. I also have a fine butcher and a pasturing farm nearby for outstanding meat, eggs, butter, etc.


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## Chef Munky (Feb 6, 2009)

I'd be so lost without our butcher.I love his swiss sausage.Oh it's to die for!   Family owned and passed down to him...Were so lucky to have him.

He knows I only shop once a month for meats.I can call in an order have have it ready packaged up to suit me in a day or two.It's cheaper for me to buy in bulk/cases then shopping at the grocery store.

Good sign of a great butcher?.... When you have to rearrange your schedule to avoid the long lines )))


Munky.


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## ChefJune (Feb 6, 2009)

JoeV said:


> No secret about where you shop Barb...same as me. Family Foods and Barb & Patty's. The best part of Barb & Patty's is that *they will cut you a roast for 2, 3 or however many people you intend to feed, or make chops and steaks exactly to your specifications*. This sure minimizes leftovers and waste. Plus, they make a variety of ethnic sausages that rival the old world butchers...and never an additional charge! No wonder they are so successful.


 
IMHO that is only one of the beauties of a real butcher.  and those of you who have one available and don't patronize him (her?) are contributing to the demise of this noble profession.

I have not purchased supermarket meat for years, by choice.  I would rather not eat meat I am not sure where it came from.  My butcher can tell me.  I also purchase meat from the farmers at the Greenmarket in New York.  I'm not being "holier than thou," but I am constantly reminded of the health problems caused by the steroids, hormones and antibiotics that are added to the feed of feed-lot meat.

If more people paid attention to that, maybe we would have better meat available in the grocery stores.  Just a thought....


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## Toots (Feb 6, 2009)

I use both the butcher and grocery store.  The butcher I like is inside of Findlay Market and I don't get there every Saturday.  It is wonderful to go to the market in the summer and get the fresh veggies, flowers and hit the cheese shop and the butcher shop.  The quality of a butcher is much better than a grocery, plus you can customize what you want.


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## JohnL (Feb 6, 2009)

bethzaring said:


> It was a revelation to me when I moved to the country and discovered that you can eat meat without going to the grocery or the butcher. A number of us on this forum raise our own meat to butcher ourselves, and hunting is a big deal where I live. We allow folks to hunt on our property and they always give us a portion of their harvest.


 Bless you Beth for allowing others to hunt on you property. Here in Md it's pay to play other than state owned land. We have a butcher shop close by but it's pretty expensive. I do much better at Costco.


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## ChefJune (Feb 7, 2009)

JohnL said:


> Bless you Beth for allowing others to hunt on you property. Here in Md it's pay to play other than state owned land. We have a butcher shop close by but it's pretty expensive. I do much better at Costco.



you may "do better" pricewise, John, but that's at the expense of quality.  I have never been pleased with the quality of meat I have been served that came from big box stores.  Sadly.


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## GHPoe (Feb 14, 2009)

I recently bought some ground beef from Albertsons.  I was cooking it up and saw something blue in it.  I didnt think much of it and picked it out and threw it in the sink.  Then I saw another, and another, and so on.  My wife looked at it and said it was something rubbery.  

I called Albertsons and they said oh sorry its a glove or a food rubber band.  It happens all the time, no need to bring it back, we will give you some more.  I decided to get some Morans ground beef instead, but after that night I have been grinding my own beef now using my kitchen aid and an attachment we got at our wedding 10 years ago and NEVER EVEN USED.    Let me tell you, it is some of the best ground beef I have ever had.  (The great thing is you get to control what goes in it.  I put 1/2 chuck, 1/2 top sirloin.)

I agree that the service and quality and the big super markets is not consistent like it would be from a real butcher.


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## LaurenG (Feb 14, 2009)

I wish I had a "real" butcher. I think I am going to google and see if I can find one near me now


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## ChefJune (Feb 17, 2009)

GHPoe said:


> I recently bought some ground beef from Albertsons. I was cooking it up and saw something blue in it. I didnt think much of it and picked it out and threw it in the sink. Then I saw another, and another, and so on. My wife looked at it and said it was something rubbery.
> 
> I called Albertsons and they said oh sorry its a glove or a food rubber band. It happens all the time, no need to bring it back, we will give you some more. I decided to get some Morans ground beef instead, but after that night I have been grinding my own beef now using my kitchen aid and an attachment we got at our wedding 10 years ago and NEVER EVEN USED.  Let me tell you, it is some of the best ground beef I have ever had. (The great thing is you get to control what goes in it. I put 1/2 chuck, 1/2 top sirloin.)
> 
> I agree that the service and quality and the big super markets is not consistent like it would be from a real butcher.


 
You are SO right, GH Poe! and it's not very hard to grind the meat yourself.

It's very sad, but most of the people who staff grocery store meat counters are not even "meat cutters," and don't have probably as much knowledge as many of the posters here about the various cuts of meat and what parts of the various animals they come from.

My wonderful butcher in Boston (boy, do I ever miss him!) grinds the beef right in front of you. and if you want a blend of pork, veal and beef, you watch him custom make your blend for you. The way he (and the other butchers in the shop) do the meat for braciole and scaloppine is pure poetry. No pounding down of cutlets and calling it scaloppine there! I still love to go in and just watch them work. and I never go to Boston without bringing back scaloppine and a few pounds of the best sausage in the world. 

We all owe it to ourselves and to the remaining butchers here in US to seek them out and patronize them. It is a dying profession, and one we really shouldn't let get away.


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## Phil (Feb 17, 2009)

*To JUNE and GHPoe*

At the same store of which you speak, some months back they had a sale on a slab of bone in rib eye. I bought the log and asked to have it cut in one inch slices. The "butcher" gave it to a kid and when he returned there was a pile of beef cut in about one half slices. I don't know what they did with them.


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## expatgirl (Feb 17, 2009)

my gramma had a real butcher.......boy, those were the days......now in KZ it's interesting............they don't cut the chicken the way we do in the states......so I don't know if it's a thigh or a breast and I usually want the breasts.........so since I know no Russian I have the package of chicken in front of me and point to my thigh and then to my um......chest area........and give the well.......what is it guys, look???.......they know me by now and think that I'm funny.......I don't care.......I'm not about to date one of them..........hand and body language get me by about 75% of the time over there...........though I do carry a pocket Russian/English dictionary with me in my purse.......


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## Emil (Feb 24, 2009)

In Chicago you really have to hunt for a butcher that won't overcharge simply because there are too many people here that will buy meat from market A because it's where the Jones' shop. I have a good butcher and shop ther for special occasions. I stock up on bulk meat at Costco. Pork loins,  Pot roast etc...


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## Arky (Jul 19, 2009)

I frequent a small chain grocery store (I wouldn't even say it's a supermarket), and I've made friends (first name basis) with one of the butchers, and then on special occasions when I need an out of the ordinary cut, he treats me right with service and price. The butchers have some lee-way in pricing and can save you a few dollars.


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## msmofet (Jul 19, 2009)

i wish i knew of a butcher near me!! most of the ones that were around are closed along time now. i don't see  meat butcher shop or a poulrty butcher shop any more.


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## freefallin1309 (Jul 19, 2009)

I would use a butcher if there was a not-so-overly-priced one around.  We only have one around and he charges nearly twice as much for his meats.  Where we live now is only groceries like Publix, Winn Dixie, or Walmart unfortunately.


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## velochic (Jul 19, 2009)

We buy our meat by the animal and it is butchered at our local butcher.  So, yes.  And we also know the farmer that raised it and how our meat is raised.  It turns out to be a really great deal.

I would never attempt to butcher an entire steer unless I had to.  I can't imagine dealing with 1200lbs. of animal.  Chickens... yes, beef, no.


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## Chef Munky (Jul 19, 2009)

msmofet said:


> i wish i knew of a butcher near me!! most of the ones that were around are closed along time now. i don't see  meat butcher shop or a poulrty butcher shop any more.



Years ago we assumed that our butcher only made Swiss Sausages.That's what the sign said anyways.Little did we know he really has it going on.He does everything.Don't let a sign fool ya 
Sometimes the prices go up.But you get what you pay for.He's kind enough to warn us ahead of time.

Butchers are becoming rare (no pun intended).If you find a good one keep them.They will always be the best thing going.
If my husbands work has a pot luck function,we always cook up a dozen or so of sausages.Next to them my husband puts out a stack of business cards.Both disappear fast.
It certainly helps everyone out.Especially around here,it's rural.Nobody wants the hour long drive for less then quality meats,when they can get the best at home.

Munky.


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## babetoo (Jul 19, 2009)

i don't eat much beef. so a packaged rib eye is ok with me. thick pork chops as well or pork steaks. i mostly eat chicken, not breast.but  thighs and wings, i prefer. so all is bought at von's . if i want special, i go to albertsons they have a great meat section and they back up their product. but they are super super expensive. sea food is the problem for me here in calif. not very good choices, unless once again pay two prices at albertsons. oh well i can always be a veggie eater.


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## freefallin1309 (Jul 20, 2009)

babetoo said:


> i don't eat much beef. so a packaged rib eye is ok with me. thick pork chops as well or pork steaks. i mostly eat chicken, not breast.but  thighs and wings, i prefer. so all is bought at von's . if i want special, i go to albertsons they have a great meat section and they back up their product. but they are super super expensive. sea food is the problem for me here in calif. not very good choices, unless once again pay two prices at albertsons. oh well i can always be a veggie eater.




It's funny how grocery prices are different throughout the states.  Albertsons (which is almost extinct in my part of Fl) was considered cheap, dirt poor cheap, somewhere you go only when you don't have enough money for Walmart cheap.  When we lived in Texas, they were about middle ground or so, not quite a Kroger Signature ... but close.  And here you say in your area of California that not only are they pricey, but their meat is great


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