In Tastemakers 2012 we toast the visionaries who are making our lives so delicious
Don't worry about how butchers--in all their tool-belted, tattooed glory--became the food world's new rock stars. Just accept it, then go ask them what cut you should cook tonight. Here are a few that are raising the bar from coast to coast:
Executive chef and co-owner Paul Kahan (Publican, Blackbird) has the exclusive on the grass-fed Belgian Blue cattle raised by Iowa farmer Ken Kehrli. "I love the chuck eye roll," says Kahan. "It's a chef's cut: packed with flavor and inexpensive."
Co-owner Morgan Weber's family owns farms two hours south, where they raise four breeds of heritage pigs and eight varieties of heirloom chickens for the butchery.
Advice is part of the butcher's trade, like offering a cheaper tenderloin alternative. "If you're cooking for two," says co-owner James Peisker, "try a teres major cut, a.k.a. shoulder steak."
Olivier Cordier cuts everything to order to preserve flavor and freshness.
Says Erika Nakamura, co-owner: "All of our meats come from farms that are USDA exempt, meaning they produce too small a quantity to require certification. If my farmer's truck breaks down, I'm going to pay to fix it so we can get our pork." --Andrew Knowlton
**