So back in February, on this blog, I wrote a post called Veggie Tales, making the proclaimation that I was going to stop buying supermarket meat and switch to an entirely local-based meat consumption. It’s been 10 days shy of 8 months now and….
I’ve done it.
I can’t tell you how pleased I am to report that my switch to all-local eggs and meat has gone swimmingly well.
Let’s get one thing straight up front: This is a more expensive option. There is no doubt that the meat in the supermarket is cheaper. But the vastly surperior flavor and texture of this farmer’s market meat — to say nothing of the peace of mind gained by knowing that my meat lived a happy and fulfilled life before it reached my plate in filet form — has made every extra penny worth it.
We are lucky here in the DC area that we have an abundance of options when it comes to buying locally raised and slaughtered meat. The old standy, Eastern Market, is never to be underestimated. It is a maze of food stalls, cheese counters, and butchers, the likes of which are slowly being phased out of our culture in general. It is a pleasure to roam the aisles, taking in the smells and sights, poring over the meat cases with my mind flittering with ideas — Ground sausage for pasta sauce? A nice juicy steak? An exotic foray into rabbit? The posibilities are endless, and creativity encouraged by butchers who clearly love what they do. Perhaps the greatest loss we’ve experienced by becoming reliant on shrink-wrapped, pre-cut meat is our relationships with our butchers. Even if you don’t reject supermarket meat on whole, buy your cuts at the meat counter. Ask the butcher what is good that day, what is new, what is particularly exciting. If you have a vague idea for dinner and no idea what kind of meat to buy for it, tell them. These men and women know more than you think.
It makes me feel a little like Alton Brown, but when you’re out shopping for your food, please try to repeat the mantra “Know your butcher. Know your butcher.” I swear, it can be a godsend.
Other places to get meat? FreshFarm Markets operates 5 markets in dowtown DC and the surrouding area, as well as markets in Annapolis and the Harbor, which provide a multitude of meat options. Cedarbook Farms provide succulent pork in a dizzying variety of cuts (get there early for loin/shoulder/tenderloin/belly!!!), and are absolute delights if you need something for the future — ask them nicely and they’ll make sure you have what you need next week. Country Pleasures Farm has certified organic beef. Smith Meadows is an absolute standby, and there’s barely a week that goes by that I don’t get either a cut of meat or some eggs from them. Virginia Lamb is another stand that, while specializing in one kind of meat, has quite the array of cuts and products to choose from. I’m a particular fan of their Chorizo (the raw, not preserved kind; you will NOT be disappointed).
Of course, knowing your animal products isn’t just meat: milk, yogurt, cheese and eggs are all easily ethically sourced as well. I have developed a very, very serious addiction to Blue Ridge Dairy’s Yo-Fresh honey yogurt. Like, to the point where I buy three pints a week and barely make it to the next market day without running out. For exceptional cheese, I like Keswick Creamery (their habanero “dragon” pepperjack is so good) and Firefly Farm, who have supplied me with some of the creamiest goat cheese I’ve ever spread thickly on toast. And, really, can you be surprised it’s so good when their milk is coming from these cutie pies:
Exactly.
This change has not inconvenienced my schedule or my wallet. On nights when I don’t have market meat to eat, I don’t eat meat. It’s not bad for me to be overloading on the veggies and fruits occasionally. And I’ll tell you something: Supermarket eggs pale (literally!) in comparison to the rich brown orbs I’ve been purchasing for months now for only 70 cents more per dozen. Eating a supermarket egg now is like drinking skim milk after a glass of whole.
And if my cousins are reading this: Egg yolks are not bad for you!
But more than anything, I no longer feel like I’m aiding in the cycle of violence and disgrace that plagues the meat industry. Being an animal rights supporter does not necessarily mean going vegetarian. We humans are made to eat meat, and eat meat we should. But it is important we return to the roots of meat eating in our species: the up-close, personal kind of eating, where you know where your food is coming from and, most importantly, you know it’s lived a real life. The more we can close the gap between eating and knowing about our food, the healthier our minds and bodies will be.
3 Comments
November 25, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Why not do the right thing and not eat animal products period! Why do you need to kill or have killed another living creature to fill your belly?
Think about it…I doubt you will.
November 25, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Actually, I was vegetarian for 2 1/2 years. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that meat was both delicious and something my body needed; despite efforts to get a nutritious amount of protien through substitute food, I was constantly weak and sick. There is nothing inherently wrong with eating meat — humans have done it since we evolved in the first place. But what is a problem is when you knowingly or unknowingly support factory farming. I have no problem eating animals who live cage-free, are allowed to eat and pasture as they naturally do, and are killed humanely, and with consideration to their souls. I eat a moderate amount of meat, by no means an overconsumption; perhaps 3 or 4 times a week, if that.
The politics and morals of eating animals goes much further beyond a simple black and white meat/no meat dichotomy. To truly contribute something positive to the reformation of food production and consumption in the modern age, I encourage you to move past that simple binary.
February 21, 2009 at 6:32 am
I agree with you stoprobbers. As is obvious when you study the natural world, it is normal that animals kill other species in order to feed, but as human beings, we have the power to make sure this is an essentially pain-free process and that the cattle we breed has a decent life. I think that vegetarianism has fulfilled its role as a form of protest and that more people are now starting to eat meat again, but in a more thoughtful way.
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