DutchmanAZ

I've become rather partial to Von Hansens Meats in Chandler.
Iowa corn fed angus and the steaks melt in your mouth and have a flavor, well, like BEEF. A little on the pricey side though.
I bought a few steaks a while back there and can no longer stomach the "beef" sold at grocery stores.

I've heard good things about Midwestern Meats in Mesa too, although I've not tried them.

Ryanwb

Midwestern meat on Greenfield and Main is unbeatable

schutd

This is the kind of thing I LOVE to read in this forum. People discovering real food. Next try drinking milk from pastured cows that are fed only grass (cows arent made top eat corn. Its not good for them. They dont have the capacity to digest it. While it does help with the marbling in the meat, it makes for a more sickly cow; a real problem if you eat commerically raised CAFO (confined Animal Feeding Operation) type beef like you find at the grocery. Pay a bit more (it costs less over the long term economically and environmentally) for pasture raised beef. Now THAT tastes like beef and the milk is DELICIOUS.

D-Dogg

the North Valley needs a good butcher shop like that.

Schutd...where do you find that milk?

schutd

I found mine at a place here in NYC called Fairway market, but I recently read in Gourmet that Whole Foods is carrying an organic milk from pasture raised, grasss fed cows. Check it out.

Its like 6 bucks a gallon though. OUCH! It really bothers me that quality food seems to only be available to those who make a ton of cash. Its totally backwards.

D-Dogg

This is a SERIOUS issue with me. I understand why it is, but it still bothers me a great deal.

Divide Et Impera

Do any of these butcher shops sell kosher Italian-style sausage?

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DutchmanAZ

My neighbor and I just picked up 2 young bulls (~6 months) and turned them into steers yesterday. They were definitely not happy, but are doing fine. I'll be raising mine as organically as possible and should have some tasty beef at the beginning of September depending on how fast it gains weight.
I'll have it processed at a high school by students learning the butchering business so I won't have to worry too much about my steaks being sold to someone else, and me getting an old nasty range steer back.
Your right about the milk...my wife bought some from Sprouts ( I think, although Bashas has it locally as well) that was incredible. Amazingly different from the typical "milk" sold in stores.
Our eggs come from our neighbors chickens that are free to roam pretty much wherever they want to on an acre. Again, totally different from eggs bought at a store, and cost me one dollar per dozen. I can no longer stomach "normal" eggs...taste just like plastic and have no color.

schutd

Thats awesome! Its one thing thats a bit difficult here in the heart of Manhattan, though the green markets here are awesome and there are CSA's one can be involved in. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, you pay in advance fro a farmers wares, and then receive boxes of produce, dairy and such as the season rolls on. Good to hear about you planning your slaughter in September. Times were that most red meat, pigs, cows and game were only available to the average US consumer in the fall, and most everyone ate chicken and fish during the spring and summer. We're gotten so far away from seasonality, it can be hard to determine whats good to eat when anymore. Sure, I know that you can get asparagus in january now, grown some 3000 miles away and then trucked into the states, and then trucked across the states, but should you? Theres something totally fulfilling to me about eating a fruit or vegetable at its peak season, fresh from the farm.

DutchmanAZ

I know what you mean about CSA's. We support that concept and for those interested, more info can be found at http://boxedgreens.com. It is a little more flexible than traditional CSA's, but still promotes small organic farms.
We've been ordering from them for the past month and have been extremely happy with the quaility & quantity. These organic fruits and veggies are WAY better than those found on the grocers shelves. And I just don't mean better than the typical veggies, but the typical organic section as well. Picked only a couple of days before you get them.

Their warehouse is in Tempe so I just pick up a box once a week although they do offer delivery all acrossed the US.

dreamcastrocks

My wife bought a few gallons of it, when she found out she has celiac. She can't even have organic milk anymore.

Whole milk or the highway for me.

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DutchmanAZ

why can't she have milk? My son has celiacs disease ( we found out about 2 years ago), and drinks it.
not accusing, just wondering if we're feeding something to my son we shouldn't be.