Do you patronize a real butcher? Or do you buy your meat encased in plastic, surrounded by absorbent diapers, from the local HEB meat case? Or even worse, from the fraudulent organic-free range-all natural counter at Whole Foods?
I cook a lot and whole foods meat sometimes tastes funny when cooked. They are the last grocery i would ever use to buy meat. I use central market and a local meat market as well. i will buy packaged meat for pot roast and other slow cooked dishes if necessary.
I had a local butcher but he closed up shop. Boxed beef (meat disassembled into primal cuts) helped bring an end to real butchers. Rail beef (whole carcasses) seems to be making a comeback. Of course, we'd all be better off becoming vegetarians.
Rail beef (whole carcasses) seems to be making a comeback. __________________________________________________ i just had a discussion with a guy about this. he buys a side of beef and freezes it and eats off it the whole year. i know a couple people that do this. You can get a good side of beef for around $300 apparently if you are in TX and your family will have a hard time finishing it in a year. im not familiar with the term rail beef but im an urban dweller.
Real butcher for most. Order ahead. Not a big fan of grass fed - don't like the taste as much corn fed. He does some great cuts. I fax over the Cooks Illustrated recipe and he gives me what the recipe calls for and cuts it per the recipe. He is training his son to take over the family business. He runs a good small business.
I am my own butcher. Slaughtered a pig two weekends ago. Will harvest a cow early next year. All part of the natural cycle.
