7 Questions to Ask Your Meat Supplier

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At some point in your life, you’re going to have to learn to fend for yourself, and one of the most important things that you are going to learn is how to cook. More importantly, you’re also going to learn how to pick the right ingredients. Today we’re going to focus on what you need to do in order to ensure that your meat is top grade. 

This is why we’ve made a list of 7 questions you need to ask your meat supplier, and why. 

1. Where Is The Meat Farmed?

The first thing you want to ask about is where exactly the animals are farmed. The butcher should know the farm in which these animals are fed and raised, and this can give you a lot of information about the quality of the meat. You’ll find that the best butchers get their meat from local farmers. If we take Australia as an example, you’ll find that the meat that comes from https://cleaversorganic.com.au/ guarantees that their animals are raised in specific ways to ensure quality. By finding out the name of the farm or supplier, you’re going to be able to do more research and understand what kind of meat you’re buying into. Most of the best farms out there would even have a website that you can visit to discover all the details you need.

2. Is It Free Range?

An animal that is left to roam free in the outdoors is considered to be meat that falls under the free range standards. This is important because the difference between meat from an animal that is raised free range and one that is not is leaps and bounds in terms of quality. A healthy animal gives off healthy meat, and if they are force-fed, kept indoors in dark and dirty conditions, and treated badly, then they are bound to be experiencing a ridiculous amount of stress, not to mention the fact that they will most likely be unhealthy. This means that the meat will not be of a higher quality at all.

 3. How Have The Cows Been Fed?

You may or may not be familiar with the fact that the majority of beef comes from grain fed cows. Think of the grain as the guilty pleasure that you take when you have a huge slick of cake, or the candy that you treat your children with- it tastes great, but it’s definitely not healthy. You want to make sure that you find out if your cows have been grass fed or even have had an equal diet of grass and grain to get the perfect balance and therefore, the perfect  cut of meat.

4. What Kind Of Chicken Feed Has Been Used?

It might seem that sometimes you’re making crazy inquiries, but rest assured that this is absolutely necessary. Most chicken feed that is made and distributed commercially contains a number of harmful chemicals and ingredients. So it would be very wise to find out when kind of chicken feed is used, and to really do your research to ensure that the feed being used is healthy, organic and free from as many chemicals as possible.

5. Who Makes The Processed Meat?

This is a good question to ask because just because the other cuts of meat are to your satisfaction, does not mean that the processed meat is made from the same sources. This is why it’s important to find out if the butcher makes the processed meats themselves, or if they get them from a different source. It’s important to know the process in which the meats are processed to ensure that they are done correctly and hygienically, with the right cuts of meat.

6. What Are The Best Uncommon Cuts?

If you’re really going to get into cooking meat, then you might as well get to know more about the more uncommon cuts. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that they can be just as flavorful, and sometimes contain even more nutrition than your stands cuts of meat. Your butcher should be able to introduce you to all the lesser known bits and pieces, and also advise you on how to cook them as well.

7. Pricing

Last but certainly not least, it’s important that you ask about the pricing, and how they price their meat. By doing this, you can actually go around and find out from a couple of butchers and compare notes until you find the perfect one for you in terms of pricing as well.

By knowing what to ask the butcher, not only do you show them that you know what you’re talking about and that you understand quality meat, but you also guarantee that you are getting clean and healthy cuts of meat to prepare. By using the questions we’ve mentioned here, you’re going to have no trouble finding nothing less than the best when it comes to meat.

Courtney P.

I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!

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