Why should you buy your meat from someone with a background in marketing and finance? Because he actually cares that the meat comes all the way from the pasture to the slaughter house. Unsatisfied to just purchase large scale poor quality meat, he wanted to have an impact and provide New Yorkers with an alternative. With admittedly little more knowledge than “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” he gained hands-on appreciation of the meat industry by working on multiple farms, in a butcher shop, and at a small slaughterhouse.
His goal for getting meat from the farm to the table, via his store, is to keep it as local as possible. He has picked out farms and slaughterhouses that meet both his philosophical and geographic criteria. This criteria includes:
- heritage breeds
- grass-fed
- organic quality
- sustainable land use
- humane handling practices.
In fact, the entire supply chain must be within 400 miles. But beyond these requirements, let’s be honest, the meat has to taste good.
Their website provides a wealth of useful information when it comes to debating grain-fed vs. grass-fed, cooking different meats, dry-aging, doneness, resting, slicing, etc. But even better than reading the website is visiting the butcher shop. They respect the meat. It’s butchered out in the open and presented with care.
Looking for more information on some of the cuts they have presented in the case? Just ask - they’ll be able to tell you where it came from, what it tastes like, and how to prepare it. On any given day, they’ll have grain-fed and grass-fed beef, lamb, pork, chicken, pate, rillettes, bacon. And if you are just in Chelsea Market walking around getting lunch, pick up a sandwich or a prepared hot lunch.