Noel Hendrickson via Getty Images If you’re a meat eater shopping for dinner ingredients, heading to the butcher counter or refrigerated aisle at the grocery store is often the most convenient and affordable way to stock up on proteins. But according to professional butchers, the meat quality available in a grocery store or supermarket often falls below the standard that you’ll find at butcher shops that specialize in well-sourced animal products. “ The main difference between a butcher shop and a grocery store is the attention to detail that a butcher shop provides, beginning with prioritizing sourcing quality over the price,” said Mike Saperstein , co-owner of Sunshine Provisions in South Florida.
Advertisement As Saperstein suggests, buying meat from specialty butchers can be a pricey endeavor. However, James Peisker , co-founder of Porter Road, reminds us the higher price tags exist because “small butcher shops all over the country do a lot of extra work to seek out farms that take care of the land and the animals, which makes a better-for-you and better-tasting product.” Specialty butchers also have the skill set to cut meat more precisely than their grocery store counterparts.
“The skilled tradespeople have worked hard to know and understand the different cuts,” Peisker said. “That knowledge and quality should be worth paying a little extra and supporting.” Advertisement When we spoke with professional butchers, they generally acknowledged that most .
