Its the height of summertime, and the bar-b-q gets fired up every weekend. As the man of the house, I can’t help but take great pride in assuming most of the grilling responsibilities. Warning: the following information will probably not pertain to our vegetarian readers.
There is never a bad time to meet your local butcher. With family, friends, and co-workers apt to drop over, valuable information is needed in order to please your most beloved carnivors. Here in our nest, bringing delicious food to the table starts with quality ingredients.
Quality for us means consulting Peter, our local butcher at Tip Top Meats. In this age of speed and efficiency, there is no substitute for a little face-to-face time with the guy that cut your dinner. Local butchers have a vested interest in getting you high quality meat. Because if they only competed on price the mega-mart would always win. That is not to say you can not get high quality at the mega-mart, but your questions and ultimately your selection is deeply personal (at least for us).
Some things that we like about our local butcher are:
1. They don’t carry anything less than USDA Choice (Yield Grades 1 and 2). When available they carry USDA Prime, which is available more frequently now that many restaurants are out of business.
2. Meat is dry aged at least two days before sale.
3. If they don’t have it, they can order it.
4. If you only need a single serving, no problem.
5. They can hand-cut whatever type of cut you want, and provide the exact size that you want.
6. If you have questions or want to experiment they can can be your guide.
Bon appétit
The Butcher’s Limerick:
There is a man whose goal is Tip-Top, upon his rock splits many stock
Of course you can see he has solid stock, that is why he needs a lock
This man knows your every query
But best about your quarry
If you waiver he ain’t no fairy, question his butcher block its boss on the block
The Domestic Nest Blog
This is where you board a FREE ferry to Governor’s Island from Manhattan. Governor’s Island is rich in military history and was an active Coast Guard base until 1995. In 2002, the island was sold for $1.00 by the U.S.A. to the people of New York. The island is now open to the public between June and October. It’s a popular venue for private and public events of all sizes, but is best known for being a readily accessible, FREE escape from the bustle of Manhattan. It provides 172 acres full of parks, beautiful views, historic buildings, and a 2-mile promenade where you can take or rent a bike. This is an oasis not to be missed if you find yourself wanting to get away from the city, even if it’s just for an hour.
