Subject: Let's demystify buying meat in bulk...shall we?
Yes. Yes we shall.
Hey Food Slayer!

In the past several years, many of us have turned to local farmers to purchase meat. Whether we have purchased meat from farmers and ranchers at farmers markets, or we found some local meat cuts at a local butcher or small grocery store in our area, the process is similar to walking into a regular grocery store to buy meat products....BUT....

There are many, many more small farms that are raising livestock like cows, pigs and sheep that are limited by state and federal regulations and can only legally sell meat direct to customers as 'herdshares', in quarters, halves and wholes.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, or if you do know what I'm talking about but the idea of buying meat in bulk brings on sudden bouts of anxiety and confusion...you're not the only one...
Thanks for being here...let's keep the conversation going so we can all have clean, healthy food on our plates!
That's why today, we're going to demystify and address the most common misconceptions about buying meat in bulk.

Maybe you're thinking...what the heck do we need to do that for?

You would think that buying meat in bulk would be like buying any other food in bulk, right? You buy a lot of it, store it in the right container, eat it until it's gone and repeat. 

You'd only be half right.

Because it's a lot more complex than buying a huge tub of peanut butter or mayo at Costco. To be honest, buying a tub of mayo is actually exponentially more complicated because who needs that much mayo? Like seriously?

Anyway, that's why I caught up with a butcher, author, writer, colleague and cool AF Executive Director of the Good Meat Project, Camas Davis to talk about it.
And by "caught up" I mean...sat with her in the front seat of my farm truck after meeting up for coffee while she was on a road trip with her family. :)

I know...it probably sounds creepy, but she was totally down to sit and talk with me about the nebulous topic of buying meat in bulk. It's kinda what she does all day, everyday.

But if you've never bought 200 or 400 hundred pounds of meat all at once, believe me, it can be daunting. Some of the thoughts that run through most people's heads the first time they consider buying bulk meat are...

"How much meat is it, actually?"

"How long will it last me and my family?"

"Isn't it kinda expensive?"

"Will it get freezer burned being in the freezer for so long?"

And "What on earth am I supposed to do with pork jowl bacon?"

That last one was the exact question I had recently.

The truth is, buying meat in bulk isn't really daunting at all...and surprisingly, it isn't that expensive when you do the math. If it's wrapped and stored properly, it will last at least a year in the freezer. And pork jowl bacon can be easily turned into a modern, healthier, actual meat equivalent to the popular, 1980's NOT bacon, highly processed "Bac'n Bits"...if you even remember those awful but delicious things.

These are just a few of the most common misconceptions about buying meat in bulk that we are addressing in this episode. Luckily, Camas is going to break it down for us. Literally...

She created the Good Meat Breakdown. :)

Check out full episode here :
https://pod.co/food-slain/demystifying-good-meat-with-camas-davis

So...that's what we're doing here in this episode. We're dispelling misconceptions related to buying meat in bulk. For real...it's not rocket science. I've done it and if I can do it, so can you. The reality is, I will never, ever buy industrially produced meat from the grocery store or anywhere else if I have a choice. Ever. 

I may buy special cuts that I enjoy from time to time from farmers I know (like lamb chops or short ribs) and I will certainly buy meat in bulk again...because for me, it's really simple. I'd rather eat a burger that is made from the ground meat of ONE 100% grassfed cow that I got in my herdshare, than eat a burger made from the ground meat of one hundred so called "organic" cows that I bought in a three pack, in bulk at Costco any day of the week. #facts 

Besides, even the "organic" ground beef at Costco is more expensive per pound than my bulk meat. The reality is, the money that I give to Costco for the beef I buy leaves my community, and God only knows how those cows are treated in those confined feed operations.

Anyhoo...that's a different episode. :)

For now, I hope you listen in and share this episode with someone you love. Even better if you consider buying meat in bulk wherever you live and if you need help understanding what you're getting into...visit Camas' website and check out some really helpful resources for figuring it all out...before you buy.

Chow,
Michele






LikeTwitter
[[internal_footer]]

    This is an online snapshot of a newsletter created by the owner of Food Slain Newsletter (Fertile Ground Media, 1430 Willamette St. #565, 97401 Eugene, United States) and sent via GetResponse on 2022-08-13. Report abuse