Food: Meat

[dancerjodi]

I think the issue with a meat share is that there are lots of things that would come up in it that Brian and I don't normally eat (not to mention the one friends are using is closed until May). There is something to be said for experimentation and learning to cook new things but with the time we have, I'm not sure I'm ready to jump into that now.

The Di's have gone to http://www.balancerockfarm.com/ a few times, so I think I may like a drive out there to pick up some things to sample. Making a once a month pilgrimage to grab meat to freeze wouldn't be a huge time commitment.

Or I wonder if there are any local butcher shops that will have this high of a quality stuff (beyond Whole Foods)? There is a place in Watertown Square (The Meat Spot) that may be worth checking out. Years ago we'd try and get there and buy our meats to freeze and they were good quality/price compared to the supermarkets. I wonder if they have the grass fed beef, pastured chicken and that kind of thing . . .

Comments

[canongrrl.livejournal.com]

I love http://www.chestnutfarms.org/ - but they may be full up till June. There is a monthly pickup in Arlington at the parking lot by rt 60 (coincides with the farmers market there in the summer). Meat is 50% ground or sausage or bacon. The rest is either pork, beef, chicken or lamb (the lamb you can opt out of). In general they've been pretty straightforward cuts - lots of chops, some steak, some kebobs, an amazing skirt steak - overall I've been really happy (though I'd like a few more odd ball cuts - I have asked and I can buy them after the fact - so at least that's also a great option too).

They are also really friendly and have amazing fresh eggs.

if you don't want to go in for a share, they are at the arlington farmers market. I believe that are adding a dropoff in Waltham too

[developer.livejournal.com]

The problem is I need to be there by 6:30 pm and I just don't get back to Arlington by that time usually.

[canongrrl.livejournal.com]

7pm I thought

and if you did it, we could work out something since that is where I pick up

[dancer.livejournal.com]

They are adding a Waltham site (Devina has been using them). She shared with us what the last share was made up of and I'm not sure we'd be able to use all of it, but I guess perhaps its all just a matter of habits.

They are locked out till May or June, so I guess either way we have some time to think about it. :)

I really love the Farmer's Market in Waltham but they don't have meats or raw milk so I'm doing some digging now in the off season.

Thanks!

[canongrrl.livejournal.com]

yeah I've been fooling around with a lot of recipes - gotten very creative with meatballs, and ground beef in general.

10 pounds does go surprisingly fast - especially when you have a 4-5pound chicken (2 of the last 3 times) which is....to die for. Between a simple roast of it, salad from the leftovers and soup from the carcass - just yum. but yeah, your fear is exactly the same one we had before signing up. And the meat does require a slightly different method of cooking (I always cooked rare before, so it wasn't too much of a stretch) and occasionally I get something that I just don't know what to do with (pork steak? ummmmm yeah - that didn't work out well).

Also http://www.savenorsmarket.com/Cambridge2.htm has more esoteric meats - great pedigree, more expensive than whole foods. To be honest, whole foods does have one of the better meat departments around. sadly.

oh and both arlington and davis farmer's markets have meat people there - I'm not sure who is at the davis one. I bet if you looked around, one near waltham would have a meat person there as well.

[dancer.livejournal.com]

C'ris mentioned the Lexington market has a beef guy. I'm not a huge meat eater but I'm trying to branch out a bit more, so depending on what we end up doing I may check him out. Thanks! :)