Why I'm the best boss... Or, just not the worst
HR and your meat business I’m not claiming to be the best boss in the world, but I’m certainly not the worst (I should know - I’ve worked for several that can bump me out of that latter category)....
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Mediator or Meat Processor?
Working with small farmers and chefs Sometimes I feel more like a mediator than a meat processor. Since choosing to work on the slaughter side of the meat industry, in order to create better access to...
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Cut highlight: Boneless Lamb Shoulder
The weather is starting to cool down, and to me that means it’s coming into roast season. I love a good roast on a cool fall night for dinner. One roast that I especially enjoy is a lamb shoulder,...
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Cut Highlight: Flat Iron Filet
There has been a lot of media lately around meat fabrication techniques that are resulting in “newer cuts”. You may have seen some cuts that seem unfamiliar on restaurant menus or at the butcher...
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You (M)eat with your eyes
Grocery store arrangement has been studied carefully since the 1970’s. Researchers during various time periods and using different methods looked at the relationship between shelf management and...
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The Turkey Diaries
Every year since entering culinary school, I am in charge of the turkey. It’s not an option, but a requirement. Whether it’s a small gathering at my mother’s house, or a group of twenty bachelors and...
View Article2013: The year of Niche Meats
“Niche” meats are products that are raised and sold with additional quality values to set it apart from conventional meat. Examples include locally raised, sustainably raised, grass-fed, certified...
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Traceability is your Friend
I’ve told you how you can sell more meat by entering the niche meat market and adding value to your product in some way. Identity and source are the main ways consumers are going to judge your...
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What is Heritage, and why is it important? Cochon 555 DC
Heritage pork is a topic that seems to get more press than any other heritage breed. Much of this press is thanks to event planner Brady Lowe. Brady founded Taste Network to tackle the project of...
View ArticleMy favorite piece of (digital) equipment:
The RM-200. I swear I’m not getting paid for this. In fact, I happily paid full price for the one I use. This post is dedicated to one of the great loves of my day job, and one of the benefits of...
View ArticleIt's All Good!
By now my resignation announcement from Alleghany Meats has resonated throughout the Highland County community and the social media community. I wanted to address my friends, colleagues, clients and...
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No Basura
I tell all of my employees, “No basura”. In Spanish, this means No Trash. There is no reason that any food item cannot be re-used to make another. Sure, at the end of a three or four step...
View ArticleGrass-fed: what do you do if there's no grass?
Spoiler Alert: there’s a drought in California! The western US has always been known for its dry climate, relying on snow pack and winter rains to replenish its rivers and reservoirs to keep the...
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NY Strip: the new value cut?
I had a colleague of mine call the other day, "Chris, I've got all of these Strip Loins piling up on me. Do you have any creative ways to move this product other than the old NY Strip Steak?" My...
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Sales Strategy: “Your beef is so expensive!” How do you react? What do you say?
I hear it about every day now, “Is that price right? Your beef is so expensive!” It’s a common reaction from customers these days. At first, it would get me flustered, frustrated, and sometimes I’d...
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Cut highlight: Steak tips
I grew up with steak tips. Steak tips are a classic staple of the East Coast. However, steak tips are not tips of steaks.They're actually... Get ready for it...Flap meat.It was a good idea to rebrand...
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How to increase profit-per-plate without sacrificing quality
So, you're trying to figure out how to get more profit per plate at your restaurant. Maybe meat prices went up, maybe you didn't set your prices high enough and now you feel stuck.You may feel tempted...
View ArticleHow to make lard
Is there anything better than sitting down to a warm slice of apple pie, with a rich flaky crust, and a nice cold dollop of vanilla ice cream on top?Oh, now I'm hungry.Anyone with a grandma who bakes...
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Three fundamentals of meat inventory management
Do you know what's in your freezer right now? Not just, "meat. duh." Everyone knows that. I mean can you tell me exactly what's in your freezer right now?Can you picture the freezer in your mind, see...
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The billion dollar bird - Thanksgiving 2016
It's not a secret that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. After all, I do have the best Thanksgiving turkey recipe ever (I'm serious). Maybe it's being with family, maybe it's the end of fall and...
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