Get real quality meat chosen by a professional and find a quality butcher in Buffalo Niagara. Sharpen your knives and let’s get into it!
by Max Fisher
Find one of the great butcher shops in Buffalo Niagara
The Real McCoy
Have you ever heard of plant-based meat? It’s all the rage now, and it’s simply ridiculous! Plant-based ice cream I can get behind. Plant-based protein ok, to each his own, but plant-based meat? That’s where I draw the line. Imagine ordering a plant-based steak, cutting into the thing, putting it into your mouth, and spitting out a sunflower seed. Simply preposterous. If you want meat, get the real thing. If you’re on a special diet or whatnot and want to experiment, go ahead, but if you’re just chasing a fad to be trendy because your friends keep talking about cashew rib eyes or whatever, or your trying to impress the cute vegan waitress at the vegan restaurant by ordering a sunflower sirloin – just stop (she sees right through you, she knows your a poser, and deep down you know it too).
Save yourself the hassle, save yourself the facade, save yourself the agony of pulling seeds out of your teeth after an unsatisfying meal that potentially cost so much it makes you want to call your accountant in a fit of rage for allowing you to spend so much money on such nonsense. Forget about all of that and go for the real thing. Go to a quality butcher! And believe it or not, despite the fact that plant and vegan are almost everywhere you look nowadays, real quality meat curated by a professional can definitely be found at the many butcher shops in Buffalo Niagara. So let’s sharpen our knives and get into it!
The Proof is in the Pudding
When you go to a butcher, look for the sound of a loud thump on a wooden board. (I’m sorry that my auditory description skills are lacking to the point that all I have as a description is thump. Give me a break. I know that you know what I mean). If the thump sounds more like a light knock on the door, head for the door because this is not the butcher you want to deal with. Secondly, look at the butcher. Is he older per se? I’m not talking about some 80-year old that just works weekends to pass the time (look, we appreciate you, but don’t you think your a bit too old to be messing around with knives regardless if you can cut a mean flank steak or not?)
Johnny’s Meat Market
No, I’m talking about the butcher that looks like he or she has been around and seen things, almost like a culinary monk that’s spent years in the art of being a butcher. I say all this to say that when getting a good piece of meat, you don’t want some 16 year old for a butcher that only works there after school because their uncle owns the store and has difficulty breaking a pencil. What do they know about meat? What do they know about life? What do they know about being a butcher?
A Butcher’s Butcher
When I go to the butcher, I like to go to Johnny’s Meat Market. It’s one of the city’s landmarks that’s been around since the 60s, plus they always have deals and prepared food that you can heat up and enjoy as soon as you get home. But the real draw is the butcher who always seemed to be some world-weary gentlemen behind the counter, and I mean this in the best way possible I never knew his name I never asked him more than “can I get this, or that?” followed by a thank you. But I could always tell by the look in his eyes that he knew what he was doing, and when I got home and cooked up what I purchased, my faith in his ability was always rewarded. And that’s what you want … a consummate professional. People may think that being a butcher is just slicing away Willy nilly, but there’s more to it than meets the eye (pun unintended).
I’m no butcher’s apprentice or any such thing, but I do know that butchers have multiple tools to get the job done, which include a variety of knives of all different shapes and sizes to make sure they can get whatever cut is asked of them. They have to constantly sharpen and maintain their knives much like a well-taken care of vehicle to ensure an excellent performance every time. They must be knowledgeable of the anatomy of the animal their cutting, so they know exactly where everything is and where to place the proper incisions to get what people want. They may even have to be good at a bit of math on the fly because what if someone wants a thin slice instead of a thick one? Of course, you could just weigh it on the scale, but that would completely ruin the competent image I’m trying to present to the reader.
Even the young ‘uns windowshop at The Natural Link in Lewiston
So let’s just say a good butcher is so well-versed at his or her job that they are able to do calculus in their heads at a moments notice (I better get some free steaks from the Butcher’s Society of America, I’m making you guys look really good). In all honesty, just look for a butcher that cares about what they’re doing. Look for one that follows your directions. If you say I want a thin cut and they give you a giant slab meant for Andre the giant (R.I.P if they have steaks and professional butchers in heaven, he deserves a premium cut) like before, head for the door.
Skip the Supermarkets
It may seem like getting an authentic piece of meat is a thing of the past, but that isn’t true. You may have to look a bit harder but trust that there are quality butchers in Buffalo/Niagara that are more than willing to satisfy whatever needs you may have. The plant-based fad will soon be a thing of the past, but as long as good butchers are on hand, there will always be a top-notch slab to be had. (I’ll be waiting for my steaks in the mail!)
Butcher Shops in Buffalo Niagara
choose any butcher shop to see location information, get directions, & more.
Binksberry Hollow
Wilson
Buffalo Meat Services
Buffalo
Butcher Shop
Lockport
Camellia Meats
Buffalo
Dom’s Butcher Block
Ellicottville
Federal Meats
Multiple Locations
Gordon Restaurant Market
Buffalo
Hanzlian’s Homemade Sausage
Buffalo
Hartland Abattoir
Gasport
Hoelscher’s Meats
Hamburg
Island Deli Meat Market
Grand Island
Simon Jim Meats
Alden
Johnny’s Meat Market
Buffalo
Lackawanna Halal Market
Lackawanna
Lupas Pertru
Buffalo
Meating Place
Buffalo
Melloni’s Meats and Catering
Tonawanda
Moriarty Meats
Buffalo
Niagara Sausage Company
Niagara Falls
Pellicanos Marketplace
North Tonawanda
Piatkowski Riteway Meats
Niagara Falls
Redinski Meats
Cheektowaga
Scime’s Sausage and Price Rite Market
Buffalo
Spar European Sausage and Meats
Buffalo
Steve’s Meats
Buffalo
The Natural Link
Lewiston
Valint’s Meats
Lancaster
What do you think of our guide to butcher shops in Buffalo Niagara? Know a great one that we missed? What’s your favorite item that you can only find at a local butcher? Let us know.
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