lost arts

[vagreys]

Richmond is a metropolitan area of over 500,000 people. Without a single butcher shop. The major groceries in the area have gone to centralized meat-cutting, with only the very most popular cuts available. Fresh hams are almost impossible to find. Fresh pork belly is only available from the Asian market. Back fat (as opposed to salted, brined fatback) is unheard of. Even pure lard is difficult to find. The last meat cutter in town closed shop several years ago. He even knew what caul fat was, and could get it for me. Now, the big thing in the supermarkets is hand-cut meat: you can get pork chops (center cut or bone-in loin chops), Porterhouse steaks, New York strip steaks, and beef tenderloin cut to order, pre-trimmed, of course, and that's it.

I envy those of you who still have butcher shops. Now, I have to find wholesalers who will sell to an individual, and cut up my own meat. I find myself becoming a would-be practitioner of a lost art.

[DarrinG]

I have 3 such shops in my area that I deal with and even then I find that they too have to deal with slaughter house products. Obiviously they are not as good but they say its to keep up with demand. It takes alot of work to cut up a pig or beef.

DarrinG

[Oddley]

There used to be within spitting distance of where I now live four butchers, sadly, they are now all gone, only to be replaced by a supermarket. I like many others have to go to wholesalers, in my case, Smithfield market to get my meat. The shame of it is lots of meat now comes in hot cut prerigor vacpacked meat. This meat lasts longer, holds more water and therefore produces more profit. Below is how it used to be:

As my parents weren't rich, at 12 or 13 years of age, I marched into the butchers, that had white walls decked in white marble and white tiles that had the coolness and hollow acoustics of an old church, the only difference being the sawdust on the floor and the raucous voices of the large muscled butchers. I was a chubby kid of medium height, but strong for my age. I needed pocket money. So was now standing in the middle of this place of worship to good food, in the hope of getting a job.

A grey-haired wizened faced old butcher came towards me, as he reached me. He asked. Now, what can I do for you boy, I replied in a slightly trembling voice. Are there any jobs going sir. Yes as a matter of fact, we need a Saturday boy, comeback on Saturday at six a.m. the first few weeks of me working at the butchers seem to flyby in what seems now. A blur of action, as I knew absolutely nothing about butchering meat. I just did what I was told to do. I was not even allowed to touch a knife or a piece of meat. But what I do remember is hind and forequarters of cows being lugged in by sweating swearing butchers, all pigs and sheep being slung on hooks in the white cool windows or put in the large walk-in fridges of the butchers shop. On Saturdays there was a market surrounding the butchers shop, boxes of meat were put outside on trestle tables. One Saturday, I was asked to go outside and shout and holler about our produce to draw people in to the shop to buy. My wife tells me this was the first time she ever saw me. I was standing there, shouting and hollering and touting our wares. She walking past with her mother shopping, she says, she looked at me and thought, that fat Littleboy has got a big mouth, little did she know at that time. She was going to marry that fat little boy.

[vinner]

Cool story, Oddley. I bet you learned a lot about meat in that shop?

Vagreys, I have found that in small towns, not too far from major metropolitan areas, are custom meat slaughter/packers, small, usually famiy run. Most small towns in Texas have game processing facilities, which ofen will custom butcher and package livestock. I know I can get a pig butchered for anywhre from $25 to $60. I have found a family near where my ranch is that is willing to custom raise pigs for me. Now, if I can only get my hands on a years worth if Iberico acorns......

[BBQer]

Don't know if this is any help. Just googled Butcher & Richmond, VA. They get farther away as the list goes down.

Tom's Meat & Produce Co
(1.5 miles away)
1601 Overbrook Rd # D
Richmond, VA zip code
Phone: (804) 644-1380

Genesis Meats
(2.2 miles away)
2022 Chamberlayne Ave
Richmond, VA zip code
Phone: (804) 228-2110

Victory Meat Co
(2.2 miles away)
2022 Chamberlayne Ave
Richmond, VA zip code
Phone: (804) 329-1302

Economy Meats Wholesale
(5.3 miles away)
5005 Government Rd
Richmond, VA zip code
Phone: (804) 222-8000

Georges Butcher Shop & Seafood
(6.6 miles away)
4729 Jefferson Davis Hwy
Richmond, VA zip code
Phone: (804) 275-3144

Silver Ridge Slaughter House
(53.3 miles away)
50 Silver Ridge Ln
Fredericksburg, VA zip code
Phone: (540) 373-1073

Silver Ridge Farm
(53.4 miles away)
73 Silver Ridge Ln
Fredericksburg, VA zip code
Phone: (540) 373-1073

Rollins Meat Processing
(56.3 miles away)
17212 Rollins Rd
Orange, VA zip code
Phone: (540) 672-5177

Shakey's Butcher Shop
(64.8 miles away)
28252 Southampton Pkwy
Courtland, VA zip code
Phone: (757) 653-0220

Stone's Butcher & Deli
(73.6 miles away)
28255 Three Notch Rd
Mechanicsville, MD zip code
Phone: (301) 290-0223

[vagreys]

Don't know if this is any help. Just googled Butcher & Richmond, VA. They get farther away as the list goes down.

Thanks for the thought. I've checked the Richmond area shops on the list, before, and none offer anything outside of the common cuts (shoulder, loin, chops, ribs). One of the places is out of business. I have not checked the shops in other parts of the state or in Maryland, because they are too far away to be practical.

OTOH, I did find a new butcher shop that isn't on the list, tucked on a back road not too far from my house, operating out of a converted residence. They bill themselves as a full-service butcher shop. I hope they make it. They've only been open a few weeks.

[vagreys]

[color=indigo]There used to be within spitting distance of where I now live four butchers, sadly, they are now all gone, only to be replaced by a supermarket... Below is how it used to be:...

Thank you for that glimpse.

[vagreys]

...Vagreys, I have found that in small towns, not too far from major metropolitan areas, are custom meat slaughter/packers, small, usually famiy run...Now, if I can only get my hands on a years worth if Iberico acorns......

There is such a place in Ashland, about 40 minutes north of town, that will arrange for a pig from a local farm and cut it up for you. However, they are selling to the West End, money crowd, and when all is said and done, their pork costs almost $11/lb...

I have a source for imported Jabugo ham, here in the US, if anyone is interested...

[saucisson]

Spurred on by this thread I might have found a couple of butchers within a ten mile radius, I will now investigate.

Dave

[Paul Kribs]

saucisson

I used to use local butchers but now use a smallholding for my pork and lamb. It actually works out cheaper and the meat is normally very young (about 16 weeks) so doesn't have as much fat as I would like. I mean that I like the extra fat for use with venison, beef etc. They have enough fat within the belly and shoulder for sausage making, but I used to like building a reserve supply.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[saucisson]

Thanks Paul, I'll look into that too.

Dave