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

[developer.livejournal.com]

I've been wanting to do a meat share but I would never make it back to the 'burbs in time to pick it up during the week. Maybe we could work something out?

To me it is just as important to have the meat be local as it is to be 'organic' since if the grass fed beef is flown in from New Zealand (which Whole Paycheck will do) then the environmental impact is still huge.

[cris.livejournal.com]

you might have to ask. The few times I've gone into The Meat Spot, I don't recall them advertising the pedigree of their meat.

As far as other butcher suggestions in the area:

silentq doesn't eat red meat, so I often don't have cause to visit a butcher anymore, but in the past, there used to be a pretty awesome butcher's shop in Washington St. on the South End run by two tough ladies who could get anything for you in you gave them a bit of notice, and they tended to stock some quality stuff. Unfortunately, they folded before Washington St. really gentrified.

There's The Butcher Shop, which is an ersatz wine bar/butcher/charcuterie place on Tremont that's part of the No. 9 Park empire. Way bobo and spendy, but the wares look impeccable. Savenor's also has a great selection if you want quality, but they're also more expensive than Whole Foods. There's also a guy who has a freezer truck at the Lexington Farmer's Market (on Tuesdays? Thursdays?) and I've bought stuff from him before and liked it, but I don't know if the markets are running in the winter. Finally, you can still go with the meat department at Wilson's, but that's not necessarily a full-service butcher.

Below that are all of my typical sources -- MacKinnon's, al-Hoda, Mayflower (aka Fresh Killed Poultry), but none of these are particularly humane with their wares.

[devina.livejournal.com]

These folks have a booth at the Lexington Farmer's market, and deliver to the Boston area. They just started their own CSA, but they also do just regular orders.

Wherever you end up going, be sure the meat is from pastured animals. The animals are healthier that way. Feed can be all natural and organic, but if they're not letting the cows graze on grass, it's not that much better than supermarket meat.