Defiant Imagination

Meat is back, Part 1

Meat is back. Of course, it never totally went away. Montrealers still lined up in front of Schwartz’s deli, even in the coldest temperatures, Oprah still indulged on Seattle’s Ezell chicken, and the kitchen still smelled of bacon every Sunday at brunch time. But meat had become a guilty pleasure. By eating it, we were condoning animal cruelty, climate change, food poisoning and chronic health problems exposed and vilified by years of vegetarian activism and investigative journalism. A bunch of smart-ass chefs, butchers and other food-lovers are changing all that by bringing the ethics and pride back to animal foods.

There has been a bit of controversy in the food scene here in Seattle, where I’m writing from. A couple of weeks ago, The Stranger, a local alternative weekly, published a severely critical piece about Bill the Butcher, a beloved local store chain specialized in organic and local meats. The stores aren’t as transparent as they claim, the article argues, and some of the meat isn’t really organic.
Bill, the owner, defends himself. The chain never pretended to be 100% organic, he says, and it doesn’t mean its products don’t meet high standards. “It takes a substantial investment and a period of years to get an organic certification and many local farmers and ranchers just cannot afford to pursue this,” reads an open letter published on the chain’s website.

This is just another episode in the meat saga that is well under way on North America’s West Coast. As the organic and locavore movements grow in popularity, so does the demand for meat coming from animals that have been raised ethically, fed with grass, and slaughtered in decent conditions – all within a reasonable distance. For those who could never bring themselves to vegetarianism, this is salvation. They can eat meat while keeping their conscience intact.

The return of the butcher

Flickr user misterjamin

Bill the Butcher stores aren’t the only ones of the kind. Over the past couple of years, a number of high-quality butcher shops have been popping up accross the continent. New York City has Gramercy Meat Market, Chicago has Prime Meat Market. Stores that specialize in natural and local products remain few, but highly successful – Vancouver’s Sebastian & Co. Fine Organic Meats has been a constant figure in local media since its opening three years ago.
Where was the animal raised? What did it eat? How many pounds should I get for tonight’s dinner? Your ethical butcher, who has a personal relationship with the farmers and years of experience, provides the answers that supermarkets can’t give and offers the choice farmers markets don’t have. Europeans, who’ve never really given up on their neighbourhood stores, know that going to the butcher’s is all about trust. You go to him for advice and quality products, and if he screws up, you can hold him (or her) personally accountable. North Americans add their personal touch to the formula: ethical and local meat.
The ethical butcher is young, smart, and absolutely loves his job. Think third-wave coffee entrepreneur in a white blouse.

Take Berlin Reed. His cap and numerous tattoos would easily get him a spot in hipster heaven. A vegetarian for 14 years, 27-year-old Reed rediscovered meat after taking a job at a butcher store in Brooklyn out of necessity. He has since launched a blog called The Ethical Butcher and works in Portland as a butcher and chef with sustainable meat. Reeds visits the farms that sell him animals and makes sure they’ve been well-treated and well-fed. When he talks about meat and butchery, it is with obvious love and respect. What he ultimately does is celebrate food, eating, and the relationship humankind has established with animals over thousands over years. And bringing its dignity back to a much-hated industry.

Watch this video of Reed butchering a pig:

Next: DIY butchering + The rediscovered art of slaughtering

Links:
The Ethical Butcher
A profile of Berlin Reed on Good’s website
Bill the Butcher
The Stranger’s article about Bill the Butcher

Main image: Smoked reindeer heart. Flickr user The Hamster Factor.

Read the second part of this series about meat: Meat is back, Part 2