MEAT ME

MEAT: A True Love Story, Jenny Dewey: Butcher - Part 2

2012-02-21T07:48:00.000-08:00

Jenny Dewey in front of the Chico Locker & Sausage Co. Inc.

We LIVE there for we LOVE. We fight for peace and we die for freedom, but is fighting really the solution? The more I educate myself about the source of MEAT, the more I realize fighting for the truth is getting me nowhere. Thankfully butcher Jenny Dewey has taught me that my greatest weapon is always going to be information. This combined with passion and the desire to share that information with people that are willing to listen could be the foundation to a movement in the right direction. Fighting people that don’t want to listen never results with a world filled with happiness. Education may just be the key to our evolution.

A goose that has been hunted by Jenny's brother and father.

Part 2 of my personal quest takes me to the Chico Locker and Sausage Company Inc. After seven and a half hours of driving I finally arrived in the small, rain soaked town, of Chico California. All the homes are of a Victorian or Craftsman style. If I did not see the modern cars I would think I was somewhere in the early to late sixties. I made a quick stop at the Roost Café, where it looked like Norman Rockwell left his last paintbrush. I filled my stomach with food and went straight over to Jenny’s butcher shop and deli.

The dining part of the deli.

This is my first time in a small town. I grew up in Los Angeles constantly surrounded by tourist, seeing the same person twice is rare. I am lucky to know my neighbors let alone seeing someone at a local butcher shop. I pulled up, saw Jenny in the window, and right away she knew who I was. I grab handfuls of gear and headed inside. Jenny, looking stressed, says a quick hello and quickly introduces me to the rest of her family and just as quickly they are back to work.

Jenny shakes out the rain from a drenched Chico.

Jenny’s shop isn’t the small town I imagined. It works like a finely oiled machine. The deli counter buzzes like the floor of the New York stock exchange. Customers call out orders as more buyers pile in. I can see beads of sweat on the heads of the cashiers. These people aren’t working hard they are busting their asses to put MEAT on people’s plates. There isn't even room for me to set up my camera. (photos were taken at the end of the work day.)

Some of the many spices & BACON makes everything BETTER products sold by Chico Locker.

Jenny let me know that if I wanted lunch to get the Friday special, which is a smoked Beef Tri Tip sandwich. She said, “Put the order in now cause we’ll probably be out by noon!”

She quickly showed me the back of the shop, the locker where they hang their carcasses, the boxes for the custom orders, and where they grind up all their sausages. She shows me their newest machine which can process up to 100 pounds of sausage in as little as 15 minutes. This task used to take them 4 to 5 hours to complete. I quickly waved to the rest of the employees who only had the time to look over their shoulders, smile and say hello.

Jenny prepares to fill a custom order for a customer.

Jenny is right back to where she left off and I am on my own. I stay out of the way as much as I can, but in such a small space it is literally impossible and it has been this way since 1965. Just think how many foreheads have been wiped? How may hours have been worked? How many tons of food has been put on plates? God knows how many people have been feed since this place has opened.

They offer a variety of jerky and peppers sticks.

Butchery is a skill I am still learning to appreciate. Jenny’s Grandfather (a Master Butcher) has passed his craft down from generation to generation. I had no idea what this craft is until I saw Jenny slice into a piece of beef with her steel sword. I have never seen a perfect slice of meat crest over like a wave onto a cutting board. It takes years to master and every cut is different.

Customers relax and enjoy the Special, Smoked Tri Tip sandwich.

Jenny and her family work 6 to 7 days a week, 8 to sometimes 12, 15 hours a day. They been working this way their entire life and vacations are rarely, if ever heard of. How could someone dedicate an entire life to MEAT, Jenny gave me a chance to ask a few questions and find out.

PLEASE NOTE: Employees where requested to remove any head ware for the purpose of photographs, this is not common industry practice.

Carcasses hang as they age in the meat locker.

MEAT ME: So what is the Chico Locker & Sausage Co. Inc.? How did it start?

Jenny: Chico Locker & Sausage Co. Inc. is a retail meat shop and deli. We also specialize in custom processing and game processing. It really is a unique meat buying experience unlike any other. We have been family owned and operated since the beginning. My parents, David & Linda Dewey, currently own it. My grandfather, Russell Dewey, was actually the first one to start it. He moved here from Hayward in 1964. Russ worked at Butte Meat Company in town as a meat cutter and soon got a job at our current shop which was then called Chico Locker & Storage Company which housed over 600 frozen food lockers. In 1965, he ended up buying up the locker plant and Chico Locker & Sausage Co. was born. In the very beginning, he was just doing custom processing, very little retail. My grandpa, my father, and my aunt all worked there. My dad started butchering at 16 years old, once he had a driver’s license my grandpa said, “Here are some knives and a truck I need you to go out and start butchering for me.”

Jenny looks for the hog of a customer to prepare for a custom order.

My dad was kind of thrown into it and he was trained under two butchers and from them learned of all the ways of the trade. He also used to go over to Chico Meat's slaughterhouse and watched them slaughter. He learned by observation and a little bit of hands on and he has been butchering ever since. In 1981 my father bought the company from my grandfather and evolved the company into where we are today. In 1985, after seeing the potential in a retail store, they opened our deli and retail store. Most of the products we sell are made right on the premises. Some of our specialties include: hams, bacon, smoked turkeys, fresh and smoked sausages, jerky, and marinated tri tips. My father made the decision to join state and national meat associations, which has revolutionized our business connecting us with meat processors all over the state as well as the country. Through these organizations, we have received national recognition for many of our products and have also been inducted into the Cured Meats Hall of Fame by the American Association of Meat Processors, which is a huge honor. At Chico Locker, we believe in not only creating quality products for our customers, but also providing our customers with education: where the cut came from, how it was made, and how to cook it. Our motto from the beginning remains "Dollars Ahead, Better Fed" and that is exactly what we strive to do. http://chicolockersausage.com/aboutus/

Cured Meat that has just come out of the smokehouse

MEAT ME: When did you first get into it?

Jenny: (laughs) My coworker jokes that I was born into this and essentially I was. I was basically raised at the shop. We have photos of me in a playpen in the deli while my mom is making sandwiches. Many of our long time customers have seen me grow up there. They have memories of me in a baby carrier asleep on my father's back while he is hand-linking sausage. I have memories of being a kid there while Dad and Mom are working, Jake (my brother) and I built forts out of the boxes or played store in the deli. That place literally is our second home; I've spent so much of my life there. We always used to joke when I was kid that wherever we were in town, going to dinner or something, that we "ALWAYS had to stop by the Locker". I started working in the deli and running the register when I was 13 on the weekends and during summer. In high school, senior year I only went to school for a half day, and you bet that afternoon I had to show up for work at the shop. And in college, on days I wasn't at school, I was working at the shop. It kind of started from there and now I can basically do everything. It's a unique experience working for your family, in some ways it's one of the hardest things you'll do, in some ways it is easy. But I feel so blessed to be able to be working next to my father, mother, and brother in a business that my father and grandfather has put their blood, sweat, and tears into building what it is today.

Jenny's father David Dewey sharpens his blade before beginning to cut meat.

MEAT ME: What is your role at the shop? Day-to-day?

Jenny: Our shop is very different in that we really don’t have set roles. Our shop is small so the people that work for us have to be able to do a lot of different roles. Because we are so small you’re required to have more knowledge and not do the same task every single day. We are all constantly learning and adding knowledge to our repertoire. I guess when I have to qualify myself I would consider myself the assistant manager of the shop, but I could also be considered a meat wrapper, sausage maker, deli clerk, etc. Basically if there are any problems or any questions, and my father isn’t there, I am the one dealing with all those things and being required to make "executive decisions" as we like to call them.

Dave cuts beef ribs with the meat band saw

MEAT ME: What would you say is your specialty or talent in this business?

Jenny: My specialty has evolved into making sausage. I am the one responsible for figuring out what needs to be made, specifying the meat block (how much meat goes into the batch), weighing the spices, and mixing the meat and spices. We have a book that we call "the Bible", it carries all of our recipes and formulations in it. I have gotten to point now where I hardly have to consult it. I know them all by memory, for the most part. When we have to make sausage, we all know our roles in the process, which increases our productivity and makes it easier on all of us. Sometimes I am amazed at how much product we can turn out in a short amount of time.

Chuck Steaks being cut off a customer's beef

MEAT ME: Have you guys ever thought about putting this “Bible” out there and publishing it?

Jenny: No. We would never release it. It’s our own recipes, many of which came directly from my father and grandfather. Those are the recipes that make our products unique and special to Chico Locker & Sausage Co. Inc. and we like that. Many of our favorite and best selling products are ones that you can only find here, in Chico, Ca. If we sold those recipes, it would take the quality of uniqueness out of it. We sell many of our spices over the counter to people and we’ll give you spices for however much your meat block calls for but we don’t give out the recipes and formulations. Many of our spices are pre-blended meaning that we've given the recipe to a spice company and they blend the ingredients together. It saves us time and energy from having to weight out each individual ingredient. Instead, I can weigh out one spice. We also sell casings and added ingredients like cheese. Home sausage making has been a trend that is picking up in popularity, especially amongst people who hunt regularly. Having a love of cooking, I understand what it feels like to have a sense of accomplishment when you make something delicious yourself and at home. And I encourage those of you wanting to, try and make sausage at home. It's not as easy as it looks and people really come to appreciate what it is that we do once they try it themselves. We don't mind sharing our knowledge or expertise on making sausage, salami, or snack sticks. In fact, we have a public sausage seminar in the works so stay tuned for that! http://chicolockersausage.com/2012/01/11/wordless-wednesday-boys-just-wanna-have-fun/

As a beef carcass hangs to be cut up, Jenny walks out of the cooler with a top sirloin

MEAT ME: What is custom processing? What types of animals do you process?

Jenny: As far as our custom processing goes, we slaughter (yes I said slaughter!) beef, hogs, lambs, and some goats. Which is what the shop was originally known for. What custom exempt processing entails is we have a mobile slaughter truck http://chicolockersausage.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/img_47733.jpg which goes out to the farm or ranch and slaughters the animal right there, on site. Now some people may gasp at this. But let me tell you, what my father does is an art. He has done this for nearly 45 years and is an expert at what he does. His conditions are not a sterile slaughterhouse but there is no denying that his carcasses are clean and free from manure, dirt or debris of any kind throughout the process. And he is the ONLY one that sees the carcass from start to finish during the slaughter process. How many of you can boast that about your meat? http://thebeefjar.com/2011/07/13/wordless-wednesday-a-beef-harvest-2/ He then transports the animals (in the refrigerated truck) back to the shop. According to the law, custom exempt means our shop "can only slaughter and process livestock for the exclusive use of the owner(s), the owner’s family, and non-paying guests". The meat is marked not for sale from start to finish. Carcasses are stamped Not For Sale, packages are labeled with Not For Sale. It cannot be resold once it is processed and packaged.

Blaire wraps some Deer Snack Sticks.

MEAT ME: So what is the process that beef might go through in your shop?

Jenny: So my Dad goes out and butchers the beef. We hang our beef in quarters. Normally they are hung as halves but we don’t have the 10 feet high rails to do that. Our beef carcasses hang in the cooler for a minimum of 14 days. This is called dry aging and I wrote a blog post on it, you can find that here: http://chicolockersausage.com/2012/02/03/fun-meat-fact-friday-aging-beef/ It can hang longer (up to 30 days), but it depends on how large the carcass is and how much cover (fat) it has on it.. We even have some customers that specify how long they want it hung, otherwise we use our expertise on judging when a beef is ready to be cut. After the beef is aged, it is rolled out and the processing begins. On a whole beef, there are two front quarters and two hindquarters. Our meat cutters (butchers) then begin what’s called "breaking" the carcass. This basically means that the beef is broken down into manageable pieces called primal cuts, which will later be cut into steaks, and other cuts. I actually wrote a guest blog that explains everything could you have ever wanted to know about cutting a beef up including photos. Please check it out if you are interested, it's seriously like a semester of meat cutting in one post. http://thebeefjar.com/2011/07/25/guest-blog/ The beef is cut exactly to the customer specifications. My mother takes most of the orders so she’ll call up the customer over the phone and discuss the cuts, thicknesses, and exactly how they want it. If they want their steaks 2 inches thick, they get them 2 inches thick. All of the cuts are vacuum packaged and labeled with the customer's name as well as NOT FOR SALE. It goes in boxes with the customers name on it, usually it will freeze over night. The customer picks it up within the week, takes it home, and on the table it ends up, nourishing their family. Really if you are concerned with where your meat is coming from, custom processing is where to go. Purchasing a half or a quarter of a beef can really be an investment and rather costly, but in the long run it is cheaper than purchasing all of those cuts from the grocery store or butcher shop. And it will feed your family for the year, all from one animal. How much more transparent can it get? It is literally Moo to Mouth.

Want to know where you favorite pork cuts come from...? Find out here: http://chicolockersausage.com/2011/08/25/where-do-your-favorite-pork-cuts-come-from/

Jenny take a custom order from a customer.

MEAT ME: You mentioned previously, you do game processing. What types of game do you process?

Jenny: Hunting is a huge hobby and sport in the Sacramento Valley. I've been exposed to it my whole life, my father has hunted for as long as I can remember and my brother started around the age of 8. And now I am able to join them, this year I passed the hunter's safety course and obtained my hunting license. I deer hunted for the first time in my life this year, it was so exciting. I cannot wait to do it again next year. I know many people have a negative view on hunting but really it is like what I was talking about earlier. It is extremely transparent in the fact that you know EXACTLY where your food is coming from. And YOU are the one doing the work in order to put that food on the table for your family! How cool is that!? You can hunt turkeys, ducks, geese, pheasants, doves, deer, wild hogs, and bear all in this area. And people come from all over in order to do so. The need for someone to process all that game meat is imperative. We process deer, elk, bear, and wild hogs. Depending on the species, the processing varies. Animals come to us already dressed, meaning free of internal organs and skinned. We then cut them up much the same way we do the beef. It is cut exactly to the customer's specifications. We process about 500 deer and elk a season. And on top of processing carcass animals, we also accept boneless meat (deer, elk, bear, and duck/geese) to make specialty products like sausages, salamis, and snack sticks. We also offer the service to smoke whole pheasants, ducks/geese, and turkeys. We started making a boneless turkey bacon roast out of wild turkeys. It's kind of a little known secret (well not anymore), but it turns out delicious! For a menu of our complete game processing charges, download it here http://chicolockersausage.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/image-14.jpg

And for more information about game processing and what is required to bring us a good, clean carcass check out the blog post on it. http://chicolockersausage.com/2011/10/09/a-chico-locker-guide-to-deer-processing-chapter-one/

Jenny is cutting a Chuck roast for a customer in the deli.

MEAT ME: What type of regulations and rules does your shop have to follow?

Jenny: We are under an inspection classification called “custom exempt” One of the main ways that custom exempt varies from USDA is that when my father goes out to do a slaughter he does not have an inspector with him. It is his responsibility to maintain good quality and follow the safety standards. He is required to go through an annual licensed processing inspector course every year. He has to do that in order to stay open for business and do custom processing. What that title also requires is to maintain records of where the animals came from, where the meat is going as well as daily checking our facility for cleanliness, appropriate employee habits, and other food safety standards. Everything is documented and double-checked by our inspector. We have an inspector who is a State employee; he makes sure we are complying with all regulations. He comes unannounced and goes through the plant making sure that everything runs correctly, that there is no cross contamination with products, things like that. He then checks all of our records. He can write us up for anything that needs to be redone. All inspectors have been trained extensively in food safety standards and how to prevent food born illnesses so having that inspector coming in is a great source of knowledge for us on the new advancements and protocols for the industry. He is also there to make sure our retail side is being run correctly. We have to extensively document every product that is made and run through our smokehouse, specifying how much was made, making sure it made it to the appropriate temperature to be fully cooked, etc. He checks all of these documents as well. His department is also in charge of approving labels. For example, when we want to come out with a new product with an ingredients statement it has to be approved though him. He has to see the recipe and make sure that all of the ingredients that are going in it are approved food ingredients.

Dave checks in with Jenny to see if see needs help with an order after he has just come back from duck hunting.

All of this varies from USDA classification of inspection which requires many things. First one being an FSIS (USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service) personnel present at all times while slaughter operations are taking place. Animals being inspected LIVE as well as carcass-by-carcass inspection, organ biopsy sent off for testing to ensure no antibiotic residue, etc. Basically, FSIS ensures that the plant is maintaining the most stringent of food safety standards. Meat that is processed under USDA inspection can essentially be resold anywhere. It can be wholesale, sold to restaurants, or simply put into the retail market. Any meat you are buying from any retail store has been processed under that classification. Food safety is something that whether under any classification of inspection, all plants take extremely seriously. We are constantly taking steps to ensure we can provide our customers, whether it be retail or custom processing, with a quality, safe product. I think one of real myths people have about the meat industry is inspection. Documentaries like Food, Inc. don't explain these things to you. I've said it before and I will continue to say it... I feel confident that our food can be deemed safe and it isn’t something that people should be worrying about on a day to day basis while eating their three meals a day. In fact I've written two blog posts trying to educate people on meat inspection and food safety. And I encourage you to check them out:

A boneless ribeye butterflied makes a beautiful heart for any meat lover on Valentines Day.

Is It Really Something To Be Afraid Of... : http://chicolockersausage.com/2011/08/18/is-it-really-something-to-be-afraid-of/

Meat Myths: Inspection, My Musings: http://chicolockersausage.com/2011/08/18/is-it-really-something-to-be-afraid-of/

Blaire cuts a bottom round for Carne Asada on a custom beef.

MEAT ME: What are the different types of meat sold in your shop?

Jenny: We sell commercial meat. I think sometimes people get confused about what kind of meat we sell. All the meat you buy in our store must come from a USDA inspected slaughter facility, that's the law. So all the meat we sell in our store, we did not slaughter ourselves. But it came from somewhere that slaughters under the classification of USDA inspected, which allows us to purchase that meat and resell it in our shop. We offer all choice or higher. If you aren't familiar with quality grading, I wrote a blog post about the difference between quality grades which you can read about here http://chicolockersausage.com/2011/12/16/fun-meat-fact-friday-quality-grades Most of our boneless steaks are cut to order (filets, new yorks, rib eyes, top sirloins). Rarely do we ever buy anything pre-cut. We like maintaining control of how our chops or bone-in steaks are being cut. Most all of our products like sausages, salamis, lunchmeat, hams/bacons are made by us. For example, we don't buy in hams or bacons. We buy in fresh pork bellies and legs and cure and smoke them ourselves. Same with our sausages, we buy in the pork shoulders, grind them, add spices, and stuff them ourselves.

Jenny's brother, Jake, and butcher, Ken make snack sticks.

Sometimes I don't think people realize that the majority of products we offer are made right there on the premises. We don't have an off location, it's all done right there. You can even come up and watch us. We love being able to give "tours" so to speak, especially to kids. They love it. If there is something you are looking for specifically and don't see it, ask us! We can order in a lot of specialty products. However, when your interested in a specific type of meat, you really need to do your research and find out what makes it that specific type. Don't rely on marketing alone. The grass fed movement is becoming really, really big. We carry a grass fed product from Pacific Pastures. The best way to link people up with a product that is natural or grass feed is connecting them to people like Megan Brown http://thebeefjar.com/ or other farmers and ranchers. Through them, customers can buy specific animals and then have them processed through us. We act as the intermediary between the two. They purchase the animal directly from the farmer and rancher and then we simply process it. And again, that is truly giving people the Moo to Mouth experience.

As the Mercedes (their Handtmann Stuffer) pumps out the snack sticks, they are cut and hung to be smoked.

MEAT ME: What is the future of the meat industry? Where do you see yourself in 30 years?

Jenny: I would love to continue doing what we are doing now. We really provide a specialized market through our custom processing. There are people that my father has been butchering forever since he was 16 and we still butcher for them, or we butcher for their children or even their grandchildren. To cut that out of our business would be a really tragic thing. On the other hand, cutting meat from a carcass is becoming such a lost art. It is so hard to find people that know how to break carcasses and know how to break them down into those primal cuts. It is even harder to find people that can butcher and butcher well. There are a lot of people out here that run mobile slaughter trucks and butcher but their quality isn’t very good. It is not up to the standards that our business requires. My dad learned from people who are no longer with us and that skill has not carried on. The tradesman of being a butcher is not very popular today. Grocery stores and most retail stores do not cut from the carcass, they cut from meat from a box. The fact is that it really isn't cost effective and very hard to use up the whole carcass in a retail setting. It takes some very creative marketing and promoting to be able to use every bit of it without experiencing huge losses. So in the retail market, everything comes in a box.

Josh helps with the snack stick process. Once complete, they are loaded into the smokehouse

Those primal cuts are already broken down. So now meat cutters only need to know how to trim it, make sure that it is free from gristle, and free from some surface fat. It has been hard for us to find people to work for us that have experience in the industry. It is going to get even harder unless there is a big movement in to butchery or old-fashioned ways of doing things. I am not sure what the status of that would be in the future. If we had to cut that out I would have to double our retail and possibly expand, have a larger meat case, more varieties of sausage. We would start making more specialty items that we get people asking for. We have people that come out here from the Midwest and the East Coast and they ask for products like bockwurst, pâtés, or loafs. Those are things that we don’t make and would require additional machinery to make. Right now we don’t have the space to do that but if we were to expand we would have be able to invest in machinery that makes it's possible to make some of the German specialties. That would be something I would look forward to. As far as how our game processing goes, if we were not doing any processing, there would be no reason to staff butchers or meat cutters. So we would offer to make game products but you would have to bring your meat into us already processed, boneless and we would make what ever you would like. That is a huge market for us and I would love to continue providing that specialized service.

Customers look in curiosity as their order is being filled and a master butcher is at work.

MEAT ME: Would you say that the AG Meat industry is predominately male?

Jenny: In shops like ours? Probably. If you go into a big packinghouse or slaughter house you would actually be really surprised at how many female employees they employ. However, those are mostly based out of the Midwest. Packing houses provide jobs for quite population of people and just like a car manufacturing plant, you have male and female. As for small shops like ours I would say, the majority of female employees are more than likely daughters or wives. In the field of meat cutting women are extremely rare in small shops. I really only know of one lady and she is a female butcher.

Jenny slices Carne Asada for a customer.

I only think that it is because some of us are limited in our size and capabilities. For example, a beef carcass weighting 800 pounds contains a chuck (primal cut) on it weighing about 80 pounds or more. It is heavy for a woman to break that off and put on a meat block or band saw. That might be one of the reasons why women typically aren't employed as butchers. But that's not to say that you couldn’t do it if you didn’t have the tools, you would just the correct set up. Being involved in the American Association of Meat Processers, I have been able to meet other women getting involved in the industry and working in the field. I think now more than ever there are more women working in this business where as before it was more male dominated and I hope more people, especially women, start getting interested in working in the MEAT business. In fact, there are some exciting advancements for women I know in the industry, there is a women currently running to be the president of our national association. If she gets elected she will be the first woman ever to be president of the association. I am really pulling for her, not only is she a good family friend, but we also share a lot of the same ideas about being involved in empowering women in the meat industry.

Jenny tends to a customer as the child interacts with the deli clerks.

MEAT ME: You would recommend other women to get involved in what you do?

Jenny: Absolutely! I'd love to work with more women in my field or even my shop!

With so many great choices a customer takes his time ordering exactly what he wants.

MEAT ME: So how would a woman who loves meat and wants to be a butcher get involved in the industry?

Jenny: On a local level it is really hard to get involved. It’s the same for men. We have people that want to work for us, we ask them if they have any experience in the meat industry and they say no. We are busy, we have a lot to do and we really don’t have the time to train people with NO experience at all. Which is unfortunate, we would love to be able to. As far as in our own shop, we would like people to have some base knowledge. They offer courses at the local college on meat science. Take a meat science course so you can at least have the basic knowledge before you go and get into butchering since it can be a very specialized field. It is not like you can start running a restaurant without knowing anything about it. It takes time to learn it. One of our employees has been working with us for 5 years and she is still learning things to this day. We do so many different things I am constantly learning; she is constantly learning it is just so vast. I recommend taking a course, taking a workshop or going in and talking to your local meat shop. You could start out doing something as simple as cleaning at night or being a freezer person. Then maybe move up to wrapping meat. Wrapping meat is a very common skill in the industry. That is where I started and now I do more. It is a fairly simple task but you need to be able to identify cuts of meat, you can’t keep asking cutters what is this or what is that, especially when we are at our busiest and cutting 20-25 hogs a day. It is a lot harder to get your foot in the door in this industry but once you get in, the opportunities are endless. I know many women who write for Meat industry magazines but they still have to have that base knowledge. There is a huge need for female inspectors for USDA and state inspectors as well. That requires some training and schooling but the field is still wide open.

Jenny carries a heavy custom order out to their truck.

MEAT ME: What is it you love about what you do?

Jenny: My favorite thing about what I do is that I love being able to teach people. I love when people come into my shop and they are talking to me about meat and they quote some misnomer or some myth. Or they really aren't educated on what it is that we do. I like when I can be able to tell them, that's cool that you're interested in this and hey, here's what we do! Here's the real story. Even better when I can take them up and I can show them, look this is what we do. Here it is. This is how it happens. I can share with them that knowledge then they can go out. They can share with their family, their friends, whoever it is that they are talking to; and they can give correct information, or they can link to our blog. Something like that. I really like being able to share that this is what our family does. This is what my dad has been doing for 45 years and now I am involved in it, my brother is involved in it. Show people this is our livelihood, so when you're essentially trying to bash the meat industry or put a bad spin on it, that if we didn't have our shop, we would be out of work. We wouldn't be feeding our family, we wouldn't be feeding other people's families. We wouldn't be feeding our long time customers that have been coming to us for 50 years, 40 years. They would be out food as well. So when you're hitting a local business like that, it's really a big deal. And a lot of times when I show people this is what we do, they really had no idea that's how it was. They like the idea that my family are the people that are doing it. We are reaching out to them, we are giving them information. And we aren't afraid to show what it is that we do. We are transparent, and we like that. And that's probably my favorite part of my job, being able to share that transparency with people and being able to share that knowledge.

Jenny gets ready to close up shop for the day.

MEAT ME: What is your favorite type of MEAT?

Jenny: I am just going to put this out there and I keep saying this but short ribs are like heaven! You have to know how to cook them. They have to be cooked for a long period of time much like a chuck roast. But they are worth it and super easy to cook! The Pioneer Woman http://thepioneerwoman.com has some amazing recipes! I'd say that cooked correctly I'd take short ribs over a filet steak. There you have it, straight from a butcher's mouth (laughs). Filets are good but they cost a lot more. If you’re looking for something cheap, delicious, and you've got time to cook them, short ribs are it!

I would like to Thank Jenny and Chico Locker for having me out and showing me and you their amazing family owned operation.

For more information about Chico Locker & Sausage Co. Inc. products and services please check out:
http://chicolockersausage.com/

Join me for Tuesday Feburary 28th, with Erika & Amelia of Lindy and Grundy the 3rd installment of Moo to Mouth MEAT: A True Love Story

MEAT ME
aka Sean Rice

MEAT: A True Love Story, Megan Brown: Cattle Producer Part 1

2012-02-14T00:11:00.000-08:00

The entrance to Table Mountain Ranch

I love MEAT so much I felt the need to have a better understanding of where it comes from. I started with the Moo and followed the process all the way to the Mouth. I drove out to Chico, CA to meet with Cattle Producer Megan Brown. She is an expert in the art of raising cattle to be slaughtered and butchered into the most beautiful meat I have ever tasted. She helped me discover things about myself and MEAT that I did not know existed. People work, bleed, sweat and die all in the name of BEEF. They do this everyday over and over as it has been passed down form generation to generation. Entire lives are devoted to producing a product that only takes me 10 minutes to enjoy. With great appreciation I have learned that it is not just a love I share with these people but a passion, a lifestyle and a culture all dedicated to MEAT.

Megan Browns home and her 2 ranch dogs Hoot & Jinx.

Megan Brown is a 6th generation cattle rancher at the Table Mountain Ranch. The ride up was wet, dark, and cold. My idea of someone living in the middle of nowhere was quiet, slow, and boring. Megan was just the opposite, a fire cracker and may be the most joyful person I have ever met. There was something about this girl, I couldn’t tell right off the bat, but I knew she was special. After the handshakes and hugs she kindly invited me into her home. At first glance it looked like a movie set. Everything in its place including a rifle she keeps bed side. I soon came to realized she doesn’t do this because she has to, she does it because it is what she was born to do.

This is the back side of the ranch where the dogs and chickens call home.

I dropped my things to relax but Megan was all ready to go. We headed out to the rangeland where the local bee keepers keep their bees in the off season. Not to far from there graze the cattle. As we pulled up in the feed truck all the cattle started running along side us. I'm amazed, I have never seen this before. I expected cows to be standing around, but these cows are regal and bold. We get out of the truck and a few cows are curious but most keep distance. Their cow-licked coats shine in the sun and tickle the dusty air as the wind blows. Seeing harmony between land and beast is truly awe inspiring.

Endless grass fields and an irrigation ditch run through out the land.

Shortly there after we left for the house to meet her Mother. Finally someone looked their stereotype and her Mom was exactly that, a Ranch Mother. She had sweet How-do-ya-do's but I could tell this women was tough as nails. In a matter of minutes we were off in the Polairs and headed for the hills. We approached the railroad crossing to what looked like a painting on the other side. I am lost for words nothing I could say would do it any justice. I'm barley religious but if anything it looks like land Jesus may have promised.

Megan's Mom Sharon grabs her gear as we get ready to head out to the rangeland.

We got to base of the mountain and I just stopped and stared at everything my eyes could see. It's as if time stops when there is so much to take in. How neat would it be to wake up to this everyday. My mind wonders what life would be like, I can only imagine. In the distance one of the hills was dug into where they used the clay in the ground for bricks to build some of the original buildings. I am still in disbelief at what I am seeing. It looks and feels like every iconic cowboy movie I ever saw as a child.

This is the truck used to feed the cattle hay.

Megan is used to the sights but is a little taken back by my reaction. She takes me higher into the hills past the the giant tree's. She climbs up on some broken up mossy rock and looks out over the ravine only to point out the Bald Eagle that also calls this land home. If that wasn't mind blowing enough there was a 4 tiered waterfall behind me with all the drinking water the eagle will ever need. I thought how lucky Megan is to have all of this and it only took 6 generations of work to get here.

Megan opens the gate as the dogs get a head start to show us the way.

Megan explained to me that Ranchers are very private people They don't share their land with strangers and they sure don't offer an explanation on how things are done. I am humbly grateful for Megan to have me out and share the very way of life that she considers sacred. Her families relationship to the land is very special. Year after year they respect what it gives them and they give back by protecting it. My intentions here are not to exploit what she does, but share with you what MEAT: A True Love Story is really about.

Jinx lays down on the side of the road out of instinct to let the cattle go by, before she gets up to herd them.

We headed back to Megan’s house and saw the original barn her Grandfather built to slaughter cattle in. It is still equipped with all the original sliding racks and hooks that modern butchers still use today. It was left exactly how it was some 50 years ago. I will never forget this day it is sad it has to come to an end.

Where the local bee keepers keep their bees on the rangeland during their off season.

Before I leave I had the opportunity to sit down with Megan and find out the in’s and out of what she does and how she does it…

Cattle running beside us in excitement for the food truck.

MEAT ME: Where are we?

Megan: We are on Table Mountain Ranch.

This is the "Airport Field".

MEAT ME: What is the history of the Ranch?

Megan: My great grandfather bought the Table Mountain Ranch in the 1930’s. The Table Mountain Ranch used to be sheep ranch, then a hunting lodge, and finally the bank owned it. My Great Grandfather purchased it from them. Like many cattle producers in our area, we move our cattle between two different ranches. “The Mountains” which is in Indian Valley in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and “the Valley” is in the Sacramento Valley, near Chico, California. We've operating our ranches like this since my Family started producing cattle commercially.

The cattle are transported in livestock hauling trucks we sometimes call the “bus”. It’s about an hour and a half ride between ranches. Our winter ranch, Table Mountain Ranch, is not irrigated so the grass dies in the summer, and dead grass isn’t as nutritious, the summer insects annoy the cattle, foxtails and other weeds are prevalent in the valley and cause infections, and the extreme heat is not conducive to weight gain and health. Basically, the cows would have to work too hard and wouldn't be as pretty and the calves wouldn’t have the high weight gain that we are proud of. The cattle have always responded well to this arrangement. They are happy cows.

We also have to deal with fire danger, because in our area of California, summer wildfires can be a very big problem. By leaving the winter ranch empty six months out of the year, it also mimics natural grazing patterns, so we always have grass for our cattle to eat when they return in the fall. We ship the cattle back to the valley ranch when the fall rains begin and the new grass has sprouted.

The ranch dogs sit and wait for their next orders.

MEAT ME: It says on your twitter bio that you are a 6th generation cattle rancher. So I am guessing wasn’t the original ranch?

Megan: No, the Table Mountain Ranch is not the original Ranch. I am currently doing a lot of research right now on the family. What I have found was my 6th great Grandmother immigrated here from Ireland, she stayed in New York and when her Dad died, she immigrated around South America to here, got married, and instead of becoming a gold miner which everybody was doing, they figured if they produced food to sell to gold miners they were gonna make more money and they did. They actually ended up being very wealthy and a very prominent family in Chico. That was the Lucas family. Hazel Lucas married into the Brown Family. Sam Brown Sr came from Tennessee. His family was also a very prominent agricultural family. Lot of history there, its very interesting to find out how much agricultural history there really is there from the very beginning. After Hazel and Sam got married, they moved to Susanville and operated a stagecoach stop. They saved their money and then eventually bought the ranch in Indian Valley and The Table Mountain Ranch.

The cattle is rather curious at to why we are here.

MEAT ME: What is the nationality of your family?

Megan: Irish and German.

The calf is nursing its mother.

MEAT ME: How long have you been a rancher?

Megan: All my life. I could ride a horse before I could walk. My first memories are of me being on a horse with my dad and him holding me as a toddler. I have picture of me on cattle drives. My whole life has been AG so there was nothing normal about my childhood. At 5 years old my teacher called my parents in for a teacher parent conference to tell them that I was a pathological liar because by 5 I had already had my own pony, they had already filmed a movie on the ranch, I already had a broken arm I didn’t know and had to have it re-broke. I was telling these stories about Clint Eastwood packing me around on his shoulders, going on cattle drives. My parents came in and said, no these things actually happened she is telling the truth.

So my life has never been normal. It has had its drawbacks but it has made me a character needless to say… I think I like it.

These are Angus pairs. The calves are about seven months old.

MEAT ME: Are there different classifications for ranches? What type of ranch is this?

Megan: The cattle industry is very segmented. You have cow/calf producers (like me), you have seed stock producers, those are people we buy our bulls from (bulls are the Dads), you have stockers, they add weight to weaned cattle before they go to a feed lot, and finally you have a feed lot.

Then you have hobby ranches versus commercial ranches. We are a commercial ranch; we produce beef that ends up in the grocery store. The meat you buy at Whole Foods, the meat you buy at Raley’s, the meat you buy at Costco could very well be from here.

Hobby operations, usually will just produce meat for themselves, or they will raise a handful of cattle and sell it to the local auction yard. Sometimes those cattle will be bought by stockers or will go right to a feedlot.

We like to have our own genetics, so we don’t buy animals at the auction yards. We have worked very, very hard on our genetics in our herd. Over 20 years of very careful bull selection and EPD manipulation. An EPD is expected progeny difference, one-half of the breeding value in the sire or dam. The difference in expected performance of future progeny of a sire, when compared with that expected from future progeny of bulls in the same sire summary. http://thebeefjar.com/2011/11/08/glossary-of-beef-terms/

More Angus cattle grazing on the rangeland.

MEAT ME: What type of animals do you have on the ranch?

Megan: Commercially we just sell cattle. The ranch has horses, chickens, dogs, we have had goats, sheep, and pot belly pigs, peacocks, guinea hens. Having animals is a lot of work, we’ve slowly been streamlining our animals, to make life easier. I work in town and my parents are getting a little older and trying to make their lives a little simpler. My dad worked hard as a young man, he has a new knee and a new shoulder. He is definitely trying to make it easier on himself. When I get older and I take over the ranch I want to diversify. Even next year I am thinking about getting some pigs, just because I love having my own pork. Plus Chico Locker and Sausage Co. LLC does the most amazing pork products.

This is Violet, she was once a bottle calf on the ranch.

MEAT ME: What is the typical day on the ranch?

Megan: It depends on the season. In the summer you wake up early, you go out and check your calves because it can get cold at night and your baby calves can get sick and die if they catch pneumonia. It’s important to make sure the calves are happy and healthy and with their moms. After you check calves, and then probably go have breakfast, change your water, fix your corrals. If you have somebody sick, or a bottle calf they will need to be taken care of. You also make hay and calve (when the baby calves are born) in the summer. In the fall you drag meadows. That is one of the great things about my life, it is always different. Everyday is different. Everyday is an adventure. Everyday is amazing. Like yesterday we saw a bald eagle, tomorrow I might see a bobcat in the driveway. It’s crazy. http://thebeefjar.com/2011/11/19/new/

In the winter, things are generally pretty quiet. Mainly we just check on everybody, make sure they are healthy and happy. We might feed them some hay every couple of days. It’s less stress than summertime for sure.

These cattle are grazing on native grass.

MEAT ME: What do cows typically eat?

Megan: Grass. Well at our point they eat grass. Pretty much all beef in the United States starts with producers like me. The calves are born on a ranch. They eat grass until they are 800 to 900 pounds (this is just the way my ranch does it, each ranch is different each region of the US is different).

Then they go to the feedlot where they have a ration where it can be corn, almond hulls; silage, again it depends on the region. Here we have fed them almond hulls because we have almonds everywhere. The cattle get better nutrition than I do, I am not joking. These cows lack for nothing. They get minerals, supplements, we bleed them every year to make sure they are getting the proper nutrition so they are happy and healthy.

We head out to check out the mountain side of the ranch.

MEAT ME: What is bleeding out?

Megan: A vet will take a blood sample from the vein, a veterinarian is always here they oversee everything. Then they will send that sample to the lab. For example on this ranch we have a deficiency in selenium and copper and they will make us a special blend of minerals. We put the minerals out for the cattle so they get their nutrients met.

When it rains in the winter, sometimes the grass doesn’t have all of the nutrients that the cattle need because the grass can’t photosynthesize. If that happens we will feed them hay (that we made) and that will prevent them from having health problems. Preventative care is way better than having a sick cow, we want our cattle be fat and happy.

Here Megan is demonstrating how the chute works for working the cattle.

MEAT ME: There are grass feed, grain fed, hay fed what type are you guys and which one is better than the other?

Megan: I don’t think any are better than the other. It really depends on what you are after. The only reason I do grass fed is because I can. It is my little side business. I can do it because I have the grass available. We have a lot of rangeland and our grass has a high protein content in the spring. The meat can marble well, it will have good fat in it, and it is really tasty. People really love the grass fed and they think there might be more health benefits. That has yet to be proven because all grass operations are different. There are pros and cons to grass fed just as there are pros and cons to the grain finished. I actually have friends that do not like my beef. It is just too gamey or grassy for them; they won’t eat it even if I give it to them.

Megan clears her hair out of her face from all of the wind.

MEAT ME: What is the difference between gamey and grassy?

Megan: Beef is like wine… Really. Every ranch, every genetic, has a different taste. It is like Napoleon Dynamite when they were doing the milk tasting, “Oh this cow has been in an onion patch!” You can tell that with the meat. We strive to have a really high quality product constantly. We have worked so hard on our genetics. Year after year you can buy beef from me and rest assured your gonna get the same quality product you got the year before. It is gonna have a really similar taste. If anything, the meat is going to get better and better because that is our goal.

A tired Hoot on the way back to the house.

MEAT ME: What classifies a ranch to produce commercial cattle?

Megan: For me, the word commercial means what we sell to the public. So commercial cattle is what we sell to the public, its different from the custom exempt cattle we keep for ourselves. The commercial cattle we sell through Western Video Market.

We’ve worked hard to establish a name for ourselves. We are a part of a lot of different programs to make sure we are producing quality beef. If we get audited by a buyer we can produce records for anything they want to see. We’ve been through the quality assurance program, we know how to give a shot properly. It is really important to us and it really contributes to the health of our herd that we are following all of the requirements of these programs. We have the same buyers for our commercial cattle coming back year after year because they know we work hard to maintain a quality herd. http://thebeefjar.com/tag/commercial-beef/

MEAT ME: Are there inspectors from these organizations that come out and check in on you?

Megan: Yes there are. A feedlot will buy a truck load of cattle and then the feedlot will contact us and say we need this record, this record and this record and we’re gonna have our person come out and check out your facilities and make sure everything is what you say it is. We have records that are very specific and down to the detail for these people.

The dogs wait for us to take off in the Polaris.

MEAT ME: What happens to a ranch that does not follow or fails to comply with these standards?

Megan: You would not get as much money for your cattle, you won’t be eligible for the value added programs. That is how we have survived, we have evolved into what the consumers have demanded of us. That is why we get good prices for our cattle and that is why we have return buyers. If you don’t follow the standards you will not have a good product, you will not have a good-looking cow. The buyers are going to know that. They can tell you what percentage of your cattle is graded as prime choice and if your cattle didn’t perform they are not going to buy from you. If people aren’t buying your product you are not going to have a ranch.

This is the field they call "Above the Tracks".

MEAT ME: How would a Safeway or a Vons know that it is not receiving someone’s sub-standard meat?

Megan: All meat is graded. Prime, select, choice, etc. If your beef grades poorly, these supermarkets aren’t going to buy it. It is all USDA, they have inspectors in these packing plants and they are not going to grade bad cattle prime, it’s just not going to happen. So if your cattle doesn’t grade it is not going to end up in our food supply. USDA over sees all of these plants.

RUN! Get out of the way we are coming on the Polaris!

MEAT ME: How many certifications do you have to have?

Megan: You don’t have to have any certifications. It is just a value add. I know people that are not the best cattle producers. They are producing but they probably won’t be for very much longer. Most of the cattle producers that I know, and this is paramount, are producing the best cattle we can, listening to the consumers, and we’re doing what you guys tell us to do. It does take us a while, it takes a good 2 years to get a beef from pasture to plate. The trends do take a while, but we do listen.

MEAT ME: What would make a ranch natural or certified organic?

Megan: Well certified organic is through the USDA. An agent from the USDA would come out and certify that you are following the USDA guidelines. We are not organic, so this is something I’m not an expert in and don’t know much about.

Natural is more of a marketing term. We do have guidelines, but there is no government involved. We are certified natural though the auction we sell our cattle through. To be considered natural through our third party certifier our cattle have to follow a certain set of guidelines. We have so show our records, have a person come out to the ranch to verify we are doing what we say.

MEAT ME: So in May/June and the cows are ready to be processed?

Megan: Slaughtered! Just come right out and say it Slaughtered!

This is facing West where we can see bald eagles in the distance.

MEAT ME: This is for custom exempt slaughter?

Megan: Yes. Our commercial cattle in May go to the summer ranch to go have calves and be cows. The heifers or the steers that my Parents give to me get slaughtered in May or June. http://thebeefjar.com/2011/07/13/wordless-wednesday-a-beef-harvest-2/ We call Jenny Dewey to make your appointment and Dave Dewey will come out. We generally do the slaughter in May or June because of the grass, because it has high protein. The cows will have a really great flavor, healthy fat and the carcasses are just beautiful… Beautiful! So Dave will come out and slaughter. Its custom exempt, so that means it is only for my consumption, or my families, or I will trade with it. I love having freezers full of meat. It is very heart warming. Dave is an artist, the death is very quick, it is painless. He takes the carcasses back to his locker, he hangs them for 21 days, I call him and tell him my order, how I want it cut and wrapped. Then I go get my boxes and put them in my freezer and I am good for a whole year.

The exit right under the railroad tracks.

MEAT ME: What is the process of commercial production?

Megan: The commercial production focuses on our calf crop. The calf crop is sold in June or July, depending on their size and what type of feed year it is (if we have a lot of grass or not). We sell them via video auction, the calves never leave the ranches until they go to a feedlot. There they will be finished until they reach 1,100-1,300 pounds, usually under 100 days.

A full day of rain can leave tons of standing water.

MEAT ME: So I am guessing the cattle industry is a very male dominated industry?

Megan: It is. One of the jokes in our industry is ‘every successful cattlemen has a wife that works in town.’ This is usually true. The wives usually have the health benefits, and a steady income.

The 4 tier waterfall at the edge of the Mountain tops.

On our Ranch my Dad has always liked to have girls out here. We are easier on the cattle, we are smaller, we are more empathetic, and we are easier to train there is no attitude. I get the cowboy attitude a lot… I grew up with it. It’s the “I’m gonna grab my crotch, spit, and have my little lady go make me dinner!” That was one of the issues I had with my Dad. I would work all day like a man and then I was expected to go make lunch or cook dinner, and serve everybody. Then I had to go back out there and work like a man and then go do the dishes. It wasn’t cool for me, doing two times the work.

I am the only child. I’m a girl. I grew up on a commercial ranch. I pulled my weight. It really drives me crazy when someone not familiar with me, acts like I am inept because of my gender. “I can do anything a man can do,” I might do it a different way but it’ll get done. My Mom works right along side my dad. She is just as tough as he is, actually she is a lot tougher. I was really lucky to have positive women role models in my life so the fact that it is male dominated didn’t factor into my world until I got a little older. Even now, we still get some salesmen that won’t talk to you unless you have a penis.

Heading over the irrigation ditch back to base camp.

MEAT ME: So you do feel that you get treated differently?

Megan: Ohhh, Yea! The “little lady” syndrome pops up occasionally. For example there are salesmen that will disregard me. Or truckers that will try and force me out of a corral full of cattle to ‘protect’ me. I’m part of the business. I am the only child, and they have been grooming me since birth to take over. I am here and it pisses me off when I get the “little lady” syndrome. Don’t like it.

Megan checks on her cat Jack in the old abandon school house.

MEAT ME: How would you recommend other women, who are interested in being a cattle producer, get involved?

Megan: It is really unfortunate because this is a really hard industry to break into. Most of us are here because we have been grandfathered in, it’s multi-generational. Buying land is expensive. Getting this knowledge is hard. Some things they didn’t teach me in college, they didn’t teach me in beef production. I learned from my Dad, he learned from his Dad. The best way to learn about cattle is to find somebody and just work. You can get an AG degree and that definitely helped me, it definitely gave me a new perspective. I needed it. It is something I use daily.

I think if a non aggie person wanted to break into ranching, going to school for that ag degree is going to be the best way. You are gonna meet people like me in those classes that have these connections to production ag. You are going to be able to network, that is a huge part in finding a job in ag. I am really realizing the value of being able to network and talk to consumers and producers, that is the beauty of social media and networking.

Left: the skull of a bull that has been slaughtered. Right: The old slaughter house her Grand Father built.

MEAT ME: Where do you see the future of cattle producing?

Megan: There is part of me that is terrified. Especially in California with all of the legislation and the people that think that they have our best interest at heart but don’t talk to us. They just talk AT us. They don’t ask us what we need. They are tying to pass more laws, it is actually really scary and something that I pay attention to. You have this new movement where everybody is interested in where their food comes from, and people like you that are talking to us and its amazing, and it gives a lot of hope. I think…Yea, (Fist held high) Yeaaaahhh!!! I think ranching is something where I am going to have to be very innovative. I have to have a really good team of people around me. If I need help I can trust them to ask, and get their opinion, that I can value. I want this ranch to continue. I want my great, great, great, grand kids to be sitting here talking to someone just like you saying the same exact things. Hopefully, I will be innovative enough, I will be smart enough, I will learn enough to keep this place going not matter what it costs. If I have to get a job in town to support it… So be it. That is paramount to keep this place going. I would die if I was the 6th and final generation. If I was the one that lost it! Could you imagine the guilt? Oh my God! No. That has never been an option. I was born to do this, I was raised to do this, I was told I was gonna do this. This is what I am going to do!

The swing Megan used as a little girl.

MEAT ME: Would you consider yourself a true COWGIRL?

Megan: Yea, I guess you could use that term. Dale Evans has a really good quote, “Cowgirl is an attitude, really. A pioneer spirit, a special American brand of courage. The cowgirl faces life head on, lives by her own lights, and makes no excuses. Cowgirls take stands, they speak up. They defend things they hold dear." My definition of a cowgirl has changed a lot as I have grown up. I used to think it was just horses and cows, but with technology changing like it is, being a cowgirl is so much more than cows and horses.

Yea I guess I am a Cowgirl… I like Cattle Producer. A Cattle Person, Yeah! I am a Cattle Person. Yea I like that gender neutral.

Her Grandfather laid the board down so she would be able to cross as a child.

MEAT ME: What are some of your favorite Cowboyisims?

Megan: Most of them aren’t’ appropriate.

When Megan rides her cattle she carries a gun to protect herself from bears and other animals.
The symbol on the belt buckle is the brand of Table Mountain Ranch.

MEAT ME: They better not be!

Megan: “Slicker than two snails fucking in a bucket of snot.” - "Tougher than a $2 steak.” - “If all his brains were dynamite, there wouldn’t be enough to blow his nose.” - “Sucking the hind tit’” - “Colder than a witch’s tit in January.” - “Don’t be a woman that needs a man, be the woman a man needs.” - “More hat than cowboy.” - “Happy as a pig in shit.”

Here are some more of her quotes… http://thebeefjar.com/2011/09/15/cowboyisms/

Hahaha. I have a very foul mouth I grew up with truck drivers and that was the other thing. There was a constant battle with the truck drivers. They would get the “Little Miss” syndrome “Here let me protect you!” and they would get in with my cattle and hot shot them and really get them going and that is when it is dangerous.

All the spices Megan might use to prepare her MEAT.

MEAT ME: What’s Hot Shotting?

Megan: Hot shot is like a cattle prod. I don’t like that. That is not called for, and that is not ok. We have since changed truck drivers but I would get in there with the truck drivers and just start yelling at them and send them the cab because you can’t upset the cattle. That’s when I get hurt. I have a way with the cattle, I like to be very calm. (talkin’ about the cattle) Come on girls let’s get on the bus, let’s do our thing. If you are calm and you work slow and you work with the cattle you’re not going to get hurt. I have had your average cow kicks and accidents, but I have not had to go to the hospital for getting run over, or anything serious… I think that is really rare. I am very cautious. I try and listen to the animals. Temple Grandin wrote a lot about that, she is one of my idols. Hand’s down she has changed how I look at animals.

Megan's home is filled with images and icons of Cowboys.
Her rifle is kept bed side with 4 nail polish marks at the base indicating her deer kills.

MEAT ME: Who is she?

Megan: She is an animal scientist at Colorado State she lives with autism. She uses her autism to look through the cattle’s eyes. I get to go see her speak next month and I am just, like, losing my shit over it.

Megan doing what she does best... Being Cattle Producer Megan Brown.

MEAT ME: Last but not least what is it that you love about being a Cattle Producer?

Megan: It’s a way of life. It’s a culture. It isn’t really one thing that I can point to. It is just who I am, it is who my family was and is. It is this way of life that is amazing. You get this freedom and you get… You get… I don’t even have words. It’s awesome! I suck at being poetic. Everyday is different. I get to go see birth’s and death’s and help with those birth’s and help with those death’s. I get to help feed the world! I get to always learn, always change and always do my own thing. I get to work and be with my family, my animals, and my land.

Megan: You can check me out on my blog, I also have a scholarship fund that you can donate too…. http://www.beefjar.com/

You can also follow Megan Brown on Twitter @Megraeb

I would like to Thank Megan Brown for sharing her wonderful life with me and you. I am so grateful for all the hard work and effort that goes into being a Cattle Producer. I only hope that you too can appreciate and understand what goes into a piece of Meat.

Please check back next Tuesday, February 21, 2012 for Part 2 featuring,
Butcher, Jenny Dewey of Chico Locker and Sausage Co. LLC, Chico, CA

Happy Saint Valentines Day,
Sean Rice
aka, MEAT ME

INTRODUCTION: Moo to Mouth MEAT: A True Love Story

2012-01-30T22:51:00.000-08:00

Today I wanted to release all of the teaser posters for Moo to Mouth MEAT: A True Love Story. To clear up any confusion this is not a movie. As much as I wish it was (we'll see what kind of feed back I get, you never know what the future holds) it is a written photo documentary and interview.

I have been doing MEAT ME for a few months now and I have met a lot of people from all over the world involved in various aspects of MEAT. People have shared with me all the wonderful ways they love MEAT, as well as all the ways that they don't. I seen everything from blogs on how cattle producers and butchers put in countless hours of blood, sweat, and tears towards their love for MEAT and at the other end I have heard from vegans and animal lovers who scolded me for eating MEAT and supporting the horrible way animals are being treated, not to mention the chemicals I am putting in my body. After a while I really didn't know what to think or who to believe. People have asked my opinion and I didn't have an answer for them. I thought how could I have a blog about MEAT and not know what I was eating or where it was coming from.

At this point I realized I needed to find out for myself and for everyone else where our MEAT was coming from. What was I really eating? I dug deep into the resources that I had available to me; Blogs, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. I research into the AG (agricultural) industry. The opinions were end less and the facts were few. It looked like their weren't very many women and that the AG industry was a very male dominated industry. Soon after digging a little deeper, to my surprise, their were a lot more women than I thought. These weren't your typical working women. These were hardworking, innovative, and passionate women armed with change for AG industry. Their LOVE & PASSION was bigger than anything you or I could ever imagine.

I could not think of any other way to get the real truth about MEAT than through these 4 women "Cattle Producer" Megan Brown, "Butcher" Jenny Dewey, "Butcher" Amelia Posada, and "Butcher" Erika Nakamura. These women don't just LOVE MEAT, they live it.

So with great pleasure and respect I invite you to join me on Saint Valentines Day as I share with you an intimate look into the lives of four of the most hard working, innovative, and passionate women in the MEAT industry today. A four part series with:

"Cattle Producer" Megan Brown - Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

For more information on Megan Brown go to http://thebeefjar.com/

"Butcher" Jenny Dewey - Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

For more information on Jenny Dewey go to http://chicolockersausage.com/

"Butcher" Amelia Posada - Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

For more information on Amelia Posada go to http://lindyandgrundy.com/

"Butcher" Erika Nakamura - Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

For more information on Erika Nakamura go to http://lindyandgrundy.com/

"A True Love Story" Summary - Tuesday, March 6th, 2012

I can not encourage you enough to please leave any questions

you would like answered in the comments section.

Learn to Love,

MEAT ME

MEAT ME: Chico That's A Wrap! 14of14

2012-01-22T20:55:00.001-08:00

Date: January 22nd, 7:30pm

Location: Sacramento, CA

Video: 14 of 14

That is the end of the third and final day in Chico. I'm headed back to LA for Lindy & Grundy in West Hollywood. I would like to give a special THANKS to Jenny Dewey of Chico Locker and Sausage Co. And Megan Brown of the Table Mountain Ranch. I would also like to thank all of you who tuned in.

Look for the story to go live on February 14th 2012.

Meat, Love and Happiness,
MEAT ME

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:West Side Fwy,Stockton,United States

How your BEEF gets to the store! 13of14

2012-01-22T16:46:00.001-08:00

Date: January 22nd, 4:30pm

Location: Table Mountain Ranch Chico, CA

Video: 13 of 14

I start my interview with Megan Brown (Cattle Producer) as she explains process of how her cattle gets from her Table Mountain Ranch to your local grocery store.

MEAT ME so hungry! She also carries a rifle and hand pistol when working on her ranch because of bears and coyotes.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Table Mountain Ranch Rd,Oroville,United States

Interview with Jenny Dewey - 12of14

2012-01-22T14:58:00.001-08:00

Date: January 22nd, 1:30pm

Location: Chico, CA

Video: 12 of 14

I had a chance to sit down with butcher Jenny Dewey of Chico Locker & Sausage Co. LLC as she tells me what she loves about her job!

MEAT ME

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Rio Lindo Ave,Chico,United States

Cattle & Dogs: How that all comes together! 11of14

2012-01-21T18:41:00.001-08:00

Date: January 21st, 2:00pm

Location: Chico, CA

Video: 11 of 14

Now it was time to meet the cows! The dogs normally wrangle when the horses are around so they were a bit confused but none-the-less still very impressive.

MEAT ME meeting MEAT!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Ceres Ave,Chico,United States

Here is where they keep the Bee's

2012-01-21T17:58:00.001-08:00

Date: January 22nd, 7:30pm

Location: Sacramento, CA

Video: 10 of 14

That's right they have Bee's here and you can see how excited the dog is about it!

MEAT ME with Honey on Top!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I'm sorry did you say, "MOO" - Table Mountain Ranch 9of14

2012-01-21T17:48:00.001-08:00

Date: January 21nd, 2:30pm

Location: Chico, CA

Video: 9 of 14

Yep, I did it! Finally got to Hung-out on Megan Brown's ranch with her cows. The same cows that end up in your stores and in your mouth! The same beef that I am made of today!

MEAT ME

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Floral Ave,Chico,United States

Megan Brown: Table Mountain Ranch 8of14

2012-01-21T16:05:00.001-08:00

Date: January 21st, 1:30pm

Location: Chico, CA

Video: 8 of 14

She has her own river and water fall Megan Brown the Cattle Producer of The Table Mountain Ranch which we will see later.

MEAT ME

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Table Mountain Ranch Rd,Oroville,United States

Worst Western - Chico Day 2 7of14

2012-01-21T10:48:00.001-08:00

Date: January 21st, 10:30am

Location: Chico, CA

Video: 7 of 14

Good Morning,

After a few issues with the computer we are off to breakfast to go shoot Megan Browns Ranch.

At least the weather is awesome today!

Fuck Hotwire,
MEAT ME

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Myrtle Ave,Chico,United States

Pepper Sticks 6of14

2012-01-20T17:33:00.001-08:00

Date: January 20th, 4:30pm

Location: Chico, CA

Video: 6 of 14

Check it out so here is how they make pepper stick! Slim Jim ain't got nothing on The Chico Locker & Sausage Co!

MEAT ME or PEPPER MEAT ME?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:E 14th St,Chico,United States

Chico Locker & Sausage Co. LLC 3of14

2012-01-20T15:35:00.001-08:00

Date: January 20th, 11:00am

Location: Chico, CA

Video: 3 of 14

Finally arrived at the Chico Locker and met Jenny Dewey. So amazing what they do over here.

Enjoy their MEAT

Hungry yet?

MEAT ME

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:E 14th St,Chico,United States

The Roost Cafe 2of14

2012-01-20T10:10:00.001-08:00

Date: January 20th, 10:30am

Location: Chico, CA

Video: 2 of 14

I am here FINALLY! in Chico CA at my first stop The Roost Cafe. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros.

Next stop is The Chico Locker & Sausage Co. LLC to meet up with Jenny Dewey & Megan Brown for the first time.

MEAT ME

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Cypress St,Chico,United States

PACKED and READY to GO! 1of14

2012-01-20T00:27:00.001-08:00

Date: January 20th, 2:30am
Location: West Hollywood, CA
Video: 1 of 14

Ok got everything ready to go let's get snacks gas and hit the road! Quite people are sleeping!

Don't forget to post your questions you would like Jenny and Megan to answer below. Enjoy!

MEAT ME Live on the Road!
Be sure to check out the other videos.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:N Flores St,West Hollywood,United States

When should “SPICY” be considered “Fetish Food”?

2012-01-16T21:18:00.000-08:00

I really do not know. When is hot, too hot? How about when you can’t feel your mouth anymore? Or when you are in so much pain you can not taste anything? After about 10 bites I had to call it quits. Every Saturday and Sunday on Sunset Boulevard there is a line of about 30 to 50 people waiting to eat at The Griddle Cafe. After a few recommendations I decided to suck it up and check it out.

I got there early during the week so the wait would be short and on a cloudy day in LA no one wants to sit outside anyways. Plus, as much as I would love to have an audience watch me eat, the people standing around are going to drive me crazy.

I walk in and notice that everyone has giant pancakes on their plates so I am slowly guessing that this is what they are known for. What to do? I want MEAT not a fluffy pancake.

The server sits down with us and I explain to him my situation. I need MEAT. Whatever they are known for I need it in MEAT form. He mentioned a few things but kept coming back to the “Too Hot to Handle”. It was a burger with grilled jalapeños, jack cheese, chipotle sauce, pico de gallo, and avocado. I was torn this point. I wanted something impressive and BIG. This was supposedly the “IT” thing to get, but not the GINORMOUS that I was looking for.

I thought about the Stray Cat Café and how I the waitress had me turn down the spicy challenge sandwich because I wasn’t going to enjoy it. Why not find out what hell I was missing. So… I ordered it.

In the meantime Laura got the coffee. It came in a lovely French press and, from what I could understand, was very gourmet like. I always stick with the epic “diet coke”. The service wasn’t bad and the vibe inside is always very exciting. The people standing around did begin to feel a bit “cattle like” but I was over it once I couldn’t feel my face (hold on I’ll explain).

Sooner rather than later the food was here. Laura ordered the Oreo Pancakes aka “Black Magic” and it was already looking more impressive than mine. I took one look at mine and I could feel myself start to sweat. You could see the jalapeños peeking out from under the bun. It was like they were taunting me.

I got comfortable and took my first bite. Not to bad. It was reasonably tasty. I took a few more bites and after the 5th bite it hit me. I was miserable as fuck. My mouth was on fire… Why the fuck would people want to do this to themselves? My scalp was sweating, eyes were watering and my mouth was burning so much I couldn’t feel it, let alone taste anything.

This was my own fault. I wanted to see what I was missing and now I can barley see anything. This must be the “S&M” of food. Why would someone want to be in this much pain? It must take a certain type of person to eat food like this and enjoy it. Like the people that who have their entire body covered in tattoos or whip each other when they are bound and gagged. The only other person I know who has does like stuff like this is covered in tats. This is “fetish food” it has to be. It is just not for everyone and should be categorized as such. If my grandma ate this she would fucking die. There should be a special place the menu called “S&M Food” or “Fetish Food”. It should not be on there with the rest of the other food. Plus as someone who works in branding if you bring special attention to something like this, something no one else is doing on their menu (hint, hint) more people are inclined to order it.

It falls under the “You want what you can’t have…” category.

So with that said I am determined to finish this fucking thing. I take a break for 2 to 3 minutes and go right back at it. I can only get a bite or 2 in at a time between breaks. This is not fun at all and I am not enjoying the French fries because I can’t taste them.

I get about half way through the burger and I have to call it quits. It is just not worth it. I don’t have any other solutions as to how I am going to finish this burger. At this point I feel bound, gagged, and beaten.

“I can not do it anymore!”

Laura’s Oreo pancakes were nowhere near as painful and were compared to that of a ballet, beautiful and decadent. She also admired the crunch of the Oreo mixed with the fluffiness of the pancakes. The sausage and bacon were wholesome and satisfying, just as meat should be.

The price was about right for that much food but this was not something I was going to take home. Except for the pancakes, she snacked on those for days, so that was well worth it. I am going to have to try this place again and find something more rewarding on the menu. I know it is there I just have to find it…

It’s too HOT I am out of here… MEAT ME!

For more about The Griddle Café:
http://www.thegriddlecafe.com/
Twitter @thegriddlecafe

Say No to Fire,
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

MEAT: A True Love Story - Valentines Day

2012-01-07T22:31:00.000-08:00

Look For It on St. Valentine's Day - It may just be more MEAT than you can handle.

31 Days of Food - A December Recap

2012-01-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

That is Right! 31 Days of Food. Last December I had so much going on with being booked almost everyday for work, becoming a mad obsessed baker, and friendly get togethers filled with excitment I really didn't have time to blog that much.

I do not like to disappoint so I decided to share with you my 31 days of food, fun and frustration. I hope you enjoy!

December 1st - I heard about this local butcher shop Lindy & Grundy. Found out they had Pork, Beef, and Lamb Bacon along with ground beef & bacon. They don't know it, but they are soon to become my best friends and will be featured in my "Moo to Mouth Meat: A True Love Story!" Coming out on Valentines Day so look forward to that. Check them out at: http://www.lindyandgrundy.com/

December 2nd - While I was at Lindy and Grundy I noticed Fat Dog. They had tasty mini burgers, a spicy lobster mac and a ferocious 18" hot dog that ended up at the bottom of my stomach. Check that post out at: http://meatmeblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/im-not-leaving-without-sticking-that.html#.TwT2O5jntRs

December 3rd - I had become sick of those pies in the grocery stores and decided to start making my own apple pies. Being a visual person I discovered Chef John's apple pie on his blog Food Wishes Video Recipes. Best site for people who love classic American dishes and have no idea what they are doing. It took forever to cut the apples, I had no idea my oven was 50º cooler than it said it was, and it boiled out all over my oven because I forgot to put it on a cookie sheet. None the less it was retarded good(even though it was a little soupy from being under baked but I totally recommend his stuff. Check him out at: http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2009/11/classic-american-apple-pie-warning-this.html

December 4th - Finally got out the the beef & bacon meat I got from Lindy and Grundy. Grilled myself up some burgers on my Griddle and it was mighty tasty. More flavor than I could have ever imagined. It is probably the only burger that could stand on it's own with out any bacon. Of course that is only because it is in the MEAT. Winning!

December 5th - I don't know what I was doing here, but I ended up making apple sauce. I took Chef John's (from food wishes) recipe for Strawberry Sauce and subbed the strawberries for apples and added cinnamon. This is what I ended up with. I tried another apple pie, it is still soupy, and I haven't figured out the temperature issue yet. I still strive for perfection so I try again.

December 6th - I had to go back to Lindy and Grundy for some of their Beef and Lamb bacon that I cooked up to go on top of a pasta dish. It was delicious. It is so nice to experience flavors that you have never tasted before it is as adventurous as going to a place you have never been before. It's exciting!

December 7th - I was not kidding I am totally obsessed. So I decided to make the same pie again. This would be number 6 and I decided to try out Chef Johns favorite apple pie receipt along with the classic apple pie. Only this time I used the Pillsbury premade dough for the new recipe. Peeling apples is killing my hands I discovered the most beautiful contraption "The Apple Thing That Peels, Cores, and Cuts Apples!" All at the same time. This was amazing something that took me 90 minutes now would only take 12 minutes. I also found out that if you put a tablespoon of salt in a bowl of water and throw your cut apples in they would not turn brown. Amazing. Unfortunately the new crust didn't cook all the way but the classic pie finally made it as I left it in the oven a little longer. Only one in the trash and the other in my mouth, and my apron was so dirty I had to use the girlfriends. Here is the Chef John's favorite apple pie receipt: http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-favorite-apple-pie-recipe-getting.html

December 8th, 9th, and 10th - Time for a break to enjoy some apple pie. I went to Detroit Style Coney Dog on Sunset and that hit the spot as usual. I made a sandwich in the oven and of course more apple pie. Check out Coney Dog at: http://meatmeblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-put-ketchup-all-over-my-coneys.html#.TwUUMJjntRs

December 11th - I had an extra apple pie left over so I took it over to Lindy and Grundy for them to enjoy. I ran into Egg Slut the breakfast food truck. Their food was amazing. I was told that if I had gotten there earlier they make an eggs benedict that is made in a jar. It takes 20 minutes to make so next time I will have to get there a little earlier. You can follow them on Twitter @eggslut

December 12th - It's birthday time. It was my friend Esther the hair stylist's birthday. If you have seen my fashion work on her website you can see she is pretty awesome at what she does. We decided to celebrate at El Cholo in Los Angeles a fun Mexican restaurant and I had my first shrimp fajitas which where way better than I expected. You can check out Esther's work at: http://www.estherharville.com

December 13th - Short Order nice organic burgers and fries at a price. Yes it was very very good but a little on the pricey side. But the shake I would have paid twice what it cost it was that good, made with custard to top it off. You can check out this write up at: http://meatmeblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/dont-get-frustrated-with-your-food.html#.TwT-zpjntRs

December 14th - Time to get the christmas tree. Got to Home Depot nice an early and found a great tree for $40. The key was getting there early so you don't have to wait in line. Then I am off to work at the Auto Club Speedway in Pomona to work on the new Ford Mustang Catalog. As a digital tech/retoucher I am often stuck in the motor home. Don't feel bad they leave we with all the catering food where all the magic happens.

December 15th - Finally after my 5th try at The Burger Lounge they were open. Very well worth the wait. Organic food at a great price. Nice and affordable and super delicious. Nothing to hide here they have a giant window into the kitchen so you can see everything they are doing. Check out this review at: http://meatmeblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/go-with-your-gut.html#.TwUAHpjntRs

December 16th - Another day on the job in the motor home but this time in the hills of Malibu. If there is one benefit to working on location it's the view. So after I leave the beautiful beach and hit the depressing ride home I cheer myself up with the juiciest burger in town at Hole in the Wall Burger Joint. This place is slowly becoming a favorite of mine. Their custom thousand island dressing is to die for. Check out this review at: http://meatmeblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/remeat-hole-in-wall-burger-joint.html#.TwUA8JjntRs

December 17th - Let the holiday parties begin! I went over to my friend Kara's place who is also a foodie friend and as always loaded with party treats. If there is one benefit to rarely ever drinking it is getting to eat all night at these events, deviled eggs, dates wrapped in bacon. It never ends. I also decided to try the "sunrise" strawberry cheese cake on Chef John's site. Guess what I under cooked it. Well, one of them at least, and that was the one I took to Kara's party which ended up in the trash. The cheese cake that was cooked was absolute heaven. I learned that it should brown a little on the top and you can stick a fork in the middle and if it comes out clean it is done. Here is the receipt for the cheese cake: http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-york-style-sunshine-cheesecake.html

December 18th - FINALLY! I bought a fucking oven thermometer and guess what... 50º off. Sometimes, other times it was dead on. So i have to check every 5 minutes but I did it. The strawberry sauce on Chef John's site was not what I was looking for until I stumbled upon a GLAZE on someone else's site. I didn't really like what everyone else did so I made my own from different sites. I wanted something thick and shiny and poured all over the strawberries and cheese cake. I used 2 lhs of strawberries (tops cut off), 1 cup of sugar, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Boiled for 10 minutes while mashing strawberries. Then straining juice from strawberries and returning to pot, I added 3 drops of food coloring and 3 tsp of corn starch dissolved in 3 tbls of cold water. Add bring to a boil and let cool in fridge to thicken. Put your favorite strawberries on top and pour slowly until satisfied. At this point I am just making apple pies in my sleep and this time there was no soup-y-ness it was perfect.

December 19th - Break Time! Girlfriend's turn to cook and she made fried chicken and gravy. She gets her recipes from the Food Network. It is nice to be fed and she is really good at it. I could just sit back and enjoy!

December 20th - I decided to go to The Griddle Cafe which will be my next review so I don't want to spoil it... Stay Tuned. Laura was on such a role with cooking she made chili from The Better Homes and Gardens cook book. She added a little sour cream and cheese to show me some love on top. The only issue... She could not stop crying because of the onions. So i suggested the snorkeling goggles. As ridicules as it looks, it worked, so don't knock it till you try it.

December 21st - Another day on the JOB except this time it is advertising and it is for Russian Marlboro Cigarettes... Who would have thought? Aside from the fact that I was stuck in an out door tent in Downtown LA all day, the catering is always at it's best on advertising gigs. As boring as it may get I have the luxury of stuffing my face. I know your jealous!

December 22nd - Day 2 of Russian Marlboro and were in San Pedro and it is early. I don't mind getting up before the sun as long as there is a giant tub of bacon waiting for me when I arrive and there was. Heaven I tell you, can't get enough of this great food. In the evening I had the opportunity to try and stir up twitter with my fake UFO photos but no luck with that.

December 23rd - I am exhausted. Long work days and now I get a box of meat in the mail and I have to shoot my first YouTube video with no energy. I met Petit Jean Meats through Twitter and they sent me their Dallas Cowboys meat package and I just had to do an opening for them on YouTube. Of course it arrived the night before at the end of a long day and I don't want it to go bad. The very next day I cooked up some of their peppered bacon and smoked ham and made myself one of the best home made sandwiches ever. My friend Dan saw Santa Clause at a bar in North Carolina and I couldn't resist sharing it with you... He likes beer by the way, so don't waste your cookies. Check out Petit Jean Meats at: http://meatmeblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/gift-of-meat-petit-jean-meats.html#.TwUJr5jntRs

December 24th - Time to hit the road for Laura's parents house but not before revisiting the Burger Lounge on the way out. Hot Damn their food is good. Once on the road I notice to men behind us with mask's on. How ever people want to travel is up to them. I am guessing they had Tommy's for lunch and they are just being respectful to one another. That's all I can think of. Buddy is always up for a trip.

December 25th - Christmas! My favorite holiday and let's be honest it s the only day I get stuff. You can always tell which gifts are mine because they are wrapped in BACON!

December 26th - Jack Pot! Got exactly what I wanted. My own fryer! I am quick to make french fries and fried chicken. I think... It is nothing like what the girlfriend made the other day but it looks cool. I got all the fried chicken stuck to the fryer basket cause I just let it sit there. Lesson learned. I could not get the chicken to cook all the way through with out the fried part turning black. The fries were not even close to crispy. I tried 8-15 minutes with the chicken at 370º with no luck. Still working on it. The fries are supposed to be slightly cooked at 250º and then cooked all the way at 350º to be nice and crispy... All still a WIP.

December 27th - After spending 4-5 hours cleaning up after the fryer I decided to go back to the left over chili and add the sausage that I got from Petit Jean Meats and make a sandwich too. All together it was a tasty success. My parents gave me a box of Poppycock which still cracks me up. I guess it has been around forever but it still makes me laugh that at some point in that product development meeting someone said this is it... This is our next product. How they even came up with that name makes me laugh even more.

December 28th - Time to get down and dirty with Grandma aka Baka. That is Croatian for Grandma, it is what we call her. It was time to figure out how to make the family apple strudel and Cream Puffs. The strudel was awesome turned out great I will post soon on how to make it. Turns out the Cream Puffs were from a magazine and made with vanilla pudding. Which blows me away because it was my most favorite thing in the world. I did buy a french fry cutter but had the same results as before with the chicken. Someone told me the frier was too small to do whole chicken but was more effective with smaller items like buffalo wings... I have a feeling she's right.

December 29th - Back to The Waffle for my favorite shake and biscuits and gravy sub the biscuits for waffles and I am good. Can't get enough of this fabulous master piece. The girl and I were shopping and walked by the Godiva store they had that mountain of goodness so I just had to share it with you. Check out more of The Waffle: http://meatmeblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/remeat-waffle.html#.TwUR3JjntRs

December 30th - I sat down with my fishing buddies at Chabuya in Santa Monica for some lovely asian cuisine and remade Chef John's favorite Apple Pie... Again. Nailed It! I also got a book of 175 cheese cakes to make for Christmas and lets just say it is getting there, but at least the temperature is spot on. This was supposed to be Chocolate Fudge, Caramel, Pecan, Cheese Cake. It was mud and when I cut into it, it bleed fudge like a pig. The second one I made was a success so it is possible.

December 31st - Finally it is New Years! I made a Peanut Butter Fudge Cheese Cake which was also a stepping stone to a better cake some other time. My friend Dan loved it and at the party my Apple Pie was a hit which couldn't have been better described by my friend Niki, "Save that foodie bullshit for Yelp mother fucker and cut me a piece of your fucking apple pie!"

I look forward to a NEW YEAR of MEAT!

Screw Resolutions,
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

"THE GIFT OF MEAT!" - Petit Jean Meats

2011-12-22T14:25:00.000-08:00

Please note: The football packages are only available at their sister company: http://www.kountryspecialties.com

Don't be that JERK this Holiday Season. I get Deluxe Dallas Cowboys Meat Package form Petit Jean Meats http://www.pjmeats.com. I just think they are a great gift idea for people who love meat!!!

Here is their Facebook Page!
http://www.facebook.com/petitjeanmeats?ref=pb
Go get it PEOPLE!

Happy Holidays,
MEAT ME!

Go With Your GUT!

2011-12-19T22:34:00.000-08:00

Well it is that time year! No, not the holidays that’s for everyone else. I am talking about Fantasy Football! By now you have a pretty good idea of weither or not you are going to make the playoffs. I am not. This is always a given right after I draft my players. I usually look at my roster and think. WTF! What the hell happen what was I thinking. Like this year the only player that really worked out was my kicker. It is only my 3rd year and I am still learning, spread sheets, and all.

Ladies I am sure you are wondering why should I keep reading from this point on. The answer is, from one patient listener to another you need to know the stress that us MEN face on a daily basis. It’s important that you are sensitive when we break down because Jamal Charles is out for the season or Plaxico Burress won’t be playing this season because he shot himself in the leg. ESPN is our TMZ, Aaron Rodgers is our Kim Kardashian. We have a lot more in common that you think. Sometimes we need you to be our bro and not our problem solver.

So now it is that other time of year. Like I said last week burger joints are popping up everywhere and on Sunset Blvd you now have the wonderful Burger Joint. I figured I would make this fun and do a sit down with my friend and rival Matt Fite. I knew somewhere inside this, 6 time champ and 12 team fantasy owner, where some solutions to how one might make it into the playoffs.

I pulled up and walked in and this place was looking fresh. It has the fun of a burger stand and the vibe of The Standard Hotel. Very! Very! Fun! It was a place you would take group or individuals to go eat some midday lunch or a meet up for dinner before a night of dancing. I grabbed a seat there was no need to wait or ask for seating. After I sat down and turned around an entire team of UPS drivers were dying to get their burger on!

Soon enough my nemesis walks through the door! I can tell he, like I, needed to eat. We get in line and I notice right away these employees are lovin’ their jobs. There were so excited and bubbly to greet us and get exactly what we need. I look up at the menu and all their beef burgers are made from grass feed beef, the buns are made with unbleached floor, and the cheese is white cheddar or American. The soda’s are also all their own. I decide to get the beef with cheddar, grilled onions and the half and half of fries and onion rings. Fite decided on the Turkey Burger (health nut) with the Mexicane Soda and of course got the diet soda. Anything else? Of course I need the chocolate shake. All of this food for just under $40 bucks. Now that is want I am talking about. Normal pricing. Take that Short Order!

We get our number and went right to our table. They have this little device that you put the number in and pull out. It lets them know what table your at and if you need anything you just press the service button. Brilliant! I need one of these in the bedroom! Just kidding, Love You Honey!

Once settled I got right to the Fantasy Football questions…

MEAT ME: "When did you first find out about Fantasy Football?"

Matt Fite: "Wow... you're taking me back. It was my first year in California 1994. I was invited by a roommate to join the California Dream League. A league I am now the commissioner of. There have been so many changes since then. I remember my first draft pick of any fantasy draft ever; it was WR Jerry Rice and it was the 6th overall pick."

MEAT ME: "What was it about Fantasy Football that sucked you in?"

Matt Fite: "I like the idea of managing a sports franchise; albeit a virtual one. All sports fans have thought at one point or another. If I were the GM of "that team" I could turn them around. Whether it be while watching Free Agency periods of the draft. In fantasy football you get the opportunity to be the power broker... It also gives you something to root for or against in virtually EVERY NFL game.. not just the one's your favorite team is involved in."

MEAT ME: "So with that said most people (i.e. me) have a hard time managing just one fantasy team. How does one get involved with 12 Fantasy Football Teams?"

Matt Fite: "Well it doesn't happen over night. For over 10 years I only managed 1. Then I did two. Then 3. Once I hit 4-- the transition to 12 wasn't all that difficult. Most of my leagues are CBS gold leagues with $30 buy ins and $200 winner take all payouts. You just check in once a day when you have time... watch the waiver wire etc. It helps when you can work from home and set your own hours. That's for darned sure."

*note: My chocolate shake came at this point and it was so delicious that this point I am mumming the questions to Matt. It was not super rich. Just Right! Nice and thick like a shake should be.

MEAT ME: "How much time would you say you put in per day/week doing research, setting line-ups, and trades for your fantasy leagues?"

Matt Fite: "It's tough to quantify that on a day to day basis... preseason draft prep is the most time consuming. During the regular season? Maybe an hour on average... but some days none at all. I mean I'm not a professional fantasy football player."

MEAT ME: "If you, a 12 team fantasy owner does not consider yourself a "professional" what would you consider yourself? What does it take to be a professional?"

Matt Fite: "I guess it isn't about how many leagues your in as much as how much is on the line to me. A "professional" in my eyes could make a living off of his winnings. My leagues are relatively low stakes. It's like playing poker to me. Playing a $20 a week even if you play it online doesn't make you a professional. But playing in big stakes tourneys is the determining factor to me."

MEAT ME: "So it’s Sunday morning it is 9:30 am and you have all 12 line ups set. How do you know you have made the right decisions?"

Matt Fite: "My friend Eric who is a number and stat obsessed money manager and fantasy football rival in two leagues and I always argue over player values. I tell him routinely that while I prone to vote Democrat in elections that my approach to fantasy football is right out of George Bush's neocon playback. I don’t need no stats or facts. I go with my gut."

MEAT ME: "How many championships have you won with that GUT?"

Matt Fite: "Yikes... I dont know if I remember... 3 CDL, 1 XGL, 2 CBS Gold Leagues... so at least 6... and still in the running for 3 Gold line leagues next week."

MEAT ME: "So what are the most titles you have won in one season?"

Matt Fite: "I've won two leagues in a season before. Getting to the playoffs takes a lot of skill and a little luck. However winning the championship game takes a lot of luck and a little skill. It's all about winning two weeks in a row against two of the other best teams in two of the most unpredictable weeks of NFL action what with team having clinched playoff seeding in some cases and resting star players."

MEAT ME: "What is your most memorable Fantasy moment?"

Matt Fite: "Winning my first title for sure!"

MEAT ME: "Was it a close call or did you win by a mile?"

Matt Fite: "My first title? I believe it was a healthy margin without quantifying it as "a mile."

MEAT ME: "What advise would you give someone interested in getting into Fantasy Football?"

Matt Fite: "Oh that's easy. Try to pick players you like whenever possible, avoid chronically injured guys, and have fun. It's a game."

On that note the food came. Matt and I waste no time and dig right in. It's really, really good. Matt is very satisfied with his Turkery burger and I am just loving mine. This is what you can expect from cows that are grass feed. This is a fattier beef and that just tastes better. There is no need to over season, the beef will flavor itself plus the onions were just the right touch! Matt says his Turkey burger was just as tasty. It is nice when you don’t feel like you are suffering by not ordering beef. The onion rings and fries come in a paper cup. A little rings on top, fries in the middle, and more rings on the bottom. Love That. They are very nice and a little crispy. Not over or under crispy, just right. I hate places that leave these items sitting in the frier because they are busy doing other things. At this place they care.

The atmosphere is awesome. It smells of success and I wish Matt the best of luck in the rest of his leagues in the playoffs. I am being nice because he is in last place in my league (laughing inside). The experience was awesome and with all that shake left I am going to have to “Go with my GUT!” and finish it another time. Be merry and MEAT ME!

For more information on Burger Lounge go to:
http://burgerlounge.com/

Find our more about Matt Fite at:
http://www.marketinggigs.com
http://www.funeraldirectoryusa.com

No Guts, No Glory,
MEAT ME!
aka Sean Rice

Don’t get frustrated with your FOOD!

2011-12-14T21:41:00.000-08:00

Yes don’t! You could ruin your experience. You might as well take your food, throw it on the floor, pick it back up and try and eat it. Good luck with that. I see burger joints popin’ up left and right. I mean they are everywhere. This trend definitely has Los Angeles by the balls. In LA restaurants open and close as often as your mouth. One day something is open the next it is closed. It is really hard to keep track of. Often it’s the same owner, they open up, get bored, close it, and open something else. Gotta be on trend I guess.

So last week I was driving on Sunset Blvd and I saw a place called the Burger Lounge. I went back the next day and found out it was not open yet. One of the construction guys said it would be open this Friday. I emailed the owner asking him when it would be open he said Monday, and he would love to get me some food on the house for my review. I politely declined and said no worries my reviews are not just about the food, they are about the experience. I got it, and if you don’t figure out its me with the camera I will leave you my card on the way out.

So I went back a 3rd time on Monday, I even twitted to them that I was going. I got there and they were still doing construction. Some one guy said to me that they are open tomorrow. Today is that day. I went down there for the 4th time around 1:13 pm and I still see them working on a few things, but they have servers now. Probably training but they told me they would be open tonight… Sorry I just can’t do it. Maybe Friday like the original guy told me. I don’t blame them completely but what are you going to do. Uggggggg! It is what it is. Nonetheless I am frustrated.

I did read a review from http://foodlatio.com/ (awesome blog by the way!) about Short Order that opened (When I did The Farm I was looking for it. Turns out it was on the other side of the Farmers Market, I know I am a tard!) at the Farmers Market. So I decided to go there. It is Holiday Season so the parking lot is full to the brim so I have to park at The Grove and walk all the way back.

By this time my already hungry girlfriend is starving and is now in hunting mode. So I am sure you can guess my frustration level is like an 8 out of 10 now. I am even walking faster. We arrive and I of course need to take pictures of the outside. So I try to avoid the eager beaver from getting in my shots, well saying it in the nicest way possible of course!

So I snap a few off and we head in. Now they have an upstairs that we did not check out, or this little out side area. I figured I would pick the closest possible seat to avoid sharing any decision making. Plus the lighting was very nice so that made it easy too.

We sit down and how nice the place matt is the menu and I notice right away that this is one of these fancy themed restaurants that likes every little thing to be trademarked to their brand. Also they are out the butt organic. This place is great so far just remember I am frustrated! So they have all their own organic sodas. Not the normal Diet Coke that I was hoping for (its like my crutch) so I stay positive and think of this as an opportunity to try something new so I get the Cream Soda and a water. It comes in one of their fancy jars… Lovely.

Now at this time it is cold (to the girlfriend) and the wind is picking up equaling more frustration because now we have to strap down whatever comes to the table.

One thing I did notice around me is that wither people were eating or waiting for food everyone was really happy. The people that worked there were very pleasant which is very nice to experience and easy on my frustration. It is time to order and I go strait for the “What is your most awesomest thing and they said… blah blah blah with bacon and I said I will have that! It is the Nancy’s Backyard Burger. A beef blend with artisan bacon, comté, avocado, tomato, onion, iceberg, spicy mayo. Laura got the Tuna Melt described as being flaked albacore, mayo, chives, cheddar, comté. At this point I need food. I don’t care what it is. I need to eat before I punch someone in the face! Sooooooo I also get the short order spuds, “old school” fries, and a chocolate flavored custard shake to help myself feel better.

In a mater of minutes that shake is on my table and in my mouth! That shit was heaven! It was an absolute spot hitter. It was a sexy, heavy, Strauss Dairy, SUPER SUPER rich chocolate custard shake. To be honest after a few sips I never got it back from the girlfriend (My fault I was taking pictures.).

It could have been a minute or two later and the food was here. Great service always makes me feel better. You would be proud of me for the second time in a row I had them leave the vegetables, but after Jim Gaffigan’s tweet of, “Lettuce on a cheeseburger is like a fat guy in shorts.” I think that trend with me is fading fast. Who knows we’ll see.

I made Laura wait so I could grab some shots of her tuna melt (which is fresh albacore poached in house) and lets just say that it was the equivalent of putting a raw t-bone in front of a lion and telling him to pose for a picture. It is a bad idea and someone is going to get hurt. Especially when they have not eaten all day.

We both took our bites and looked at each other and it was like we fell in love all over again. Tasty, juicy, flavors, after every bite, a real party in my mouth. Some crunch from the veggies but that’s ok. I tired Laura’s T-melt and it was, as she said, “Really light and fluffy!”

The tuna and the bread really complimented each other well, and it wasn’t pack full of vegetables like I hate. So this was probably one of the best I have ever had. The burger was everything I wanted it to be. Even though Laura was so cold she was almost wearing all of my clothes, with rising blood sugar, the outlook on life was looking a lot better.

The fries and spuds were delish and super duper crunchy too. They really did a nice job with the spuds. Crispy outside and soft squishy inside, just like me. It was kind of the perfect meal.

Yep except for a few fries the entire table was demolished and soon was my wallet. I got the bill it was $47.03 with tip $55.03 total. Ouch. I was not expecting that at all… May be high $30’s but I guess I ordered a lot of stuff, and I am paying for organic.

Trust me I love organic. Fatten those cows up I want that juicy beef, but it hurts me to have to pay for it. So until I can make some more money to afford more food you can go and MEAT ME!

You can find out more about Short Order at:
http://www.shortorderla.com/
They wanted me to share with you that they are now offering an Adult milk shake called "Charlie Brown"
Vanilla Custard Peanut infused 114 proof Old Grand Dad, house made chocolate ganache & salted peanut sauce, finished with toasted peanuts.

Shut up and EAT,
Sean Rice aka MEAT ME!

“I’m not leaving without sticking that Schlong-Dog in my mouth!”

2011-12-10T22:26:00.000-08:00

I was in shock. It was the biggest fucking hot dog I had ever seen. I walked into to The Fat Dog and I asked the waitress what food they were known for? She mentioned a few things, we ordered, we sat down and the guy sitting next to us gets this GINORMOUS hot dog. I’m in shock! He looks at me and says, “Yea want to take a pictures of this?”

I pointed my camera in the air snapped a few photos and when the waitress came back I told her I needed to have one of those.

It was a nice Thursday afternoon Laura and I decided to get out. Tons of people have been telling me about this butcher shop on Fairfax called Lindy & Grundy and that I needed to go check it out. The shop opened up about 8 months ago and is run by two young women. The idea is that all the meat is organic and prepared right there in the butcher shop. This place has everything. Lamb bacon, pork bacon, beef bacon, as well aged meat they prepare right there on the spot…

I have been interested in doing an interview with Amelia and Erika to launch my pod cast next year. So I wanted to introduce myself and see if they would entertain the idea of me doing a blog post, photos, and a pod cast. They were a bit busy at the time so Laura and I decided to get something to eat. Next door was a coffee shop called the Commissary and then right next to that was The Fat Dog. Screw it! Let’s check it out.

It was only 3pm so it wasn’t really busy but I could imagine on a Friday night that this place would be hoppin’. We checked out the menu and I saw meat so it was good enough for me. The server said to sit wherever. The booths were nice and big and long. Perfect for the big boys like me.

I asked the server what they were known for on the menu. She said everything was very good, she pointed out the Jalapeño Mac and Cheese. So we got that; you can add hickory-smoked bacon and crab, so of course I added both. She also recommended a dish called “The Flight” it was 3 different mini burgers (1) Bacon & Guacamole (2) Mushroom & Swiss (3) Caramelized Onions & Gruyére. We got that as well and decided to wait and see how we felt afterwards to decide if we might want more (I always want more but she is in charge!).

Our drinks came quick Laura got the Coronado Islander (IPA) and I of course got the epic diet coke. I was told the beer was tasty with a kick but smooth on the way in. Medium, not too heavy, a great compliment to the food, and a perfect excuse for a nap afterwards.

The vibe here is really nice and laid back. They have wifi (password is the phone #) it is not too busy, not dead, but just enough people watching to entertain you while you work. The food came quickly and it looks marvelous. The mac and cheese was nice and stringy with chunks of bacon, minimal crab, and just enough kick to remind you there are jalapeños in it. It is not too wet or dry, but just perfect. Eat it too quickly and it may get a little spicy. Very little crab, not enough for me to get excited over but just enough flavor for sure.

The burgers were nice little handfuls of tastiness. There is a hint of extra flavor in each burger, just enough to go well together, but not enough to have to take a break between. The fries were crisp, thin, and simple. You could tell lots of love went in to those dishes and the cook wanted you to know that.

So as we where sitting there eating I see the waitress walk over to another table near us with a GIANT (at least 18”) hot dog with a bunch of little topping dishes next to it. I mean it was huge… This was the John Holmes of Hot Dogs. You knew it meant business and at the same time couldn’t stop thinking about how phallic it was. I knew right away I wasn’t leaving with out sticking this Schlong-Dog in my mouth. So the second I saw the server I said, “Yea, I need to have what he is having!”

In minutes I had the most hung hot dog I had ever seen right in front of me. Lets just say yea Laura was jealous. She was already full from all the food so sneaking a bite wasn’t an option. The dog came with a side of ketchup, mustard, onions, pepperoncini, relish, and jalapeños. The flavor wasn’t anything special, it was your typical beef hot dog and standard bun, but all in all it was a complete blast.

The whole experience was awesome. The fun getting to take on something that everybody is starting at. That is what I call “Shock Food” people come from all over just to see someone eat it. The only issue is more often than not it ends up being all about the shock value and not about the flavor. I just wish there was some flavor pay off to eating this gigantic hot dong.

If I am going to get stared at for shoving something that big in my mouth I at least want the taste to be the pay off. Unfortunately I was not able to finish, but left with just a few scraps on the table.

So if it is not always about the prize, and more about the journey along the way I recommend you journey to The Fat Dog and see if you can finish this impressive beast of a hot dog… And if you can’t you can go MEAT ME!

For more information on The Fat Dog go to:
http://www.thefatdogla.com/hollywood.html
Twitter https://twitter.com/thefatdogla

I went back to Lindy and Grundy and they are totally into the idea of doing a feature with me. So make sure you look for that next month. In the mean time you can check them out at:
http://lindyandgrundy.com/index.htm
Twitter https://twitter.com/lindyGrundy

Me Love You Long Dog,
Sean Rice aka MEAT ME!

The Story of the Lettuce and the Hair…

2011-12-05T21:53:00.000-08:00

Could vegetables make my meat taste better? I have been in denial for so long. I had even avoided the combination on vegies and meat at the same location/restaurant. I just hated it. Literally could not stand it. Every cheeseburger I have gotten since I could remember was just beef with mustard, mayo, and cheese. All that and it was heaven. Until NOW!

Laura, my girlfriend (Yes! I finally said her name, I am tired of coming up with pronouns to describe my better half.) and I were out trying to have lunch at the much talked about Animal on Fairfax (BTW why does the northern part of Fairfax look like a dump?). Well couldn’t find it and when I called they were closed for a private party. So that was the end of that. I figured we would head to the “Grove” down the street and see what they had. I knew there was a burger place opening up, in the farmers market. Of course it is not open till the 18th. I can’t remember the name. So shit out-of-luck again. I remembered something about The Farm Restaurant, Beverly Hills right next to the movie theater, I heard it was not bad so third time is a charm.

The weather was not to chill so we sat out side… My nice camera was with my friend Tony in Japan (that thing has been more places than I have) so I am stuck with my little Canon digital elph. I need as much light as I can get. They sat us outside and my chair was right on top of a pole. So we moved everything over. I am a big guy and the place was pretty open so they stick the fat guy in the tight corner between the post and the table. Back in the day when I hosted we actually thought about people. We didn’t just stand there on a smart phone spewing out insecure garbage to random people on Facebook hoping someone will like me. We were aware of people’s personal space and how they would be most comfortable.

The menu here is pretty basic and they claim to use only the freshest farm food locally and organically grown. Even the hair that comes with it! (Hold on I am getting to that.) I could not find anything that really grabbed my eye so I asked our waiter what was the shit on the menu (You know what there known for!) He recommended… The Ahi 3 ways, boring had that before. Something else (can’t remember, it was boring and then the Buffalo Blue Burger… Organic buffalo, melted blue cheese, fresh and oven-roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, butter lettuce & mayo on a King’s Hawaiian sweet roll. I stopped for a second. Now I could take all the veggies off, I always do that but what would it taste like if I left everything on … Fuck it! I can always take it off.

Laura got the Pear & Brie half sandwich with a cup of cauliflower soup. Drinks came quick service so far, pretty good. FYI they clam local and organic which I am not doubting, but I can’t remember the last time I have seen an actual Buffalo in the area of LA so I am guessing locally caries a wider definition than mine. I am not nit picking, just taking note (Laura says they have buffalo on Catalina Island).

I look over and this seven foot black women walks buy and there are 2 paparazzi following her clicking off camera’s going nuts. They follower her all the way up to the door harassing her with questions. She goes in and they stand outside and wait for her to come back out. It looks like stalking. Now I have no idea who this is (if any one knows tell me) but it just seems crazy to live like that. You must really have to love what you do to put up with that. Cause let me tell you there are days that I am out-and-about in a horrible mood (when I am haven’t eaten of course) and if someone even looks at me in a weird way I snap. I could not imagine having that type of self-control with people that in-your-face!

Most of the time “The Grove” is a very nice and peaceful place. This is the first week in December and this place is pretty chill. Even the babies are pretty quiet, probably because they know Santa is watching. In general this is a great place to come and enjoy a nice day. The music is always season appropriate.

The food comes and this burger is stacked, Laura’s sandwich is oozing sex. I mean look at it that is a sexy sandwich. Yes I am talking about the sandwich. My burger is so gorgeous. It really is colorful. The whole presentation overall is very exciting. I pick it up and I kid you not. It was like holding a little puppy. I loved it but I was so unsure with all the vegetables. It looked like a lot of veggies. I had the same feeling I did as a kid right before I might dive into a pool for the first time… Scared to death! So I bit in. Laura said my eyes opened wide like I had pooped my pants. It was like I discovered something for the first time. It happened, this burger was bully I finally confronted. It wasn’t that the buffalo meat had no flavor, it’s that the cheese and veggies made it so much better. There I said it!

It was the difference between watching Avatar on a 16” television in standard definition versus watching it in 3D on a 72” HD television. The movie itself is awesome but in 3D on a big television in high definition it’s fucking captivating. Just like this burger. The French fries were like that kiss you get right after sex. The perfect compliment.

Laura’s sandwich just about melted in her mouth. All except for the bread, it was tasty and she let me have a bite. Her soup was described as tasting just like Christmas. So between the location, the temperature, and the flavor nothing could be better.

So I am done right? No! I am finishing off my fries and I look and notice a big ginormous hair. It gives me the chills just thinking about it. I finally found a place to enjoy a nice day and then the record scratches and it is all over. Why? Why did it have to end like that? I really wanted to believe that it was mine (I can feel the acid building in my stomach that’s how grossed out I am) but my hair isn’t black and neither is Laura’s. So it had to be theirs.

I could have complained but everything was just so perfect. My newfound love for meat and veggies together was so exciting and I didn’t want it to be about this stupid fucking hair. GOD I have goose bumps writing about this. I did not say a word about it. I just tipped and left. Sure, if I wanted to make the meal about one horrible hair I could but that was up to me and I decided to make it about the meat. It should always be about the meat!

I figured eventually people would call me on it and I would have to eat my meat with veggies anyways (They do rave about it sometimes). At least this way I got to do it on my own. So this week I encourage everyone to try something they haven’t eaten since they were a kid. In the way that the people we grew up with look different now, may be flavors will taste different in your mouth.

Please share your renewed food stories on Facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/meatmeblog I would love to hear about food you hated as a kid but love now or you can go MEAT ME!

You can find out more about The Farm Beverly Hills @
http://thefarmofbeverlyhills.com/

Make it about the MEAT,
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME

"I put ketchup all over my Coney's!"

2011-11-29T02:08:00.000-08:00

The second Darin did that Jim’s jaw dropped in shock. I guess it is the equivalent of dipping an Oreo in mayonnaise… You just don’t do it! With the LA auto show wrapping up Darin the creative director from Car and Driver Magazine and Jim Fets the Audi photographer, both from Detroit, were only here till last Sunday. I was on a mission to make sure they went out in style. I knew the Wings were here in town so it was only fitting that I take them to the Kings game at the Staples Center.

That morning at 9 am Darin hit me up for breakfast to watch the Michigan, Nebraska game. Both Darin and Jim were staying at the London just across the street form the Detroit Style Coney Dog. It was only fitting that we all start the day off with 2 giant chili dogs and some chili cheese fries.

10 minutes after I got off the phone I left to meet up with them. As soon as I arrived I looked in the window and some how they were all ready eating. My only guess was that being on Detroit time was still working to their advantage. I entered to the smell of fresh hot dogs. That smell woke me up faster than coffee (I don't even drink coffee). I turned around and there they were giving me shit about wearing a Kings jersey and they hadn't even said hello yet. Fuckers!

I sat down and the first words out of Darin's mouth were "This is awesome!" "Who would have thought I could travel half way across the country and find a place that would make me feel at home."

Darin was telling me there is a place in downtown Detroit called the Layafette Coney Island in downtown Detroit made by Winter's Sausage in Eastponite, MI and taste just like this hot dog. This restaurant truly was all out authentic. Family run and very hands on. I spoke to the owner and it turns out everything is sourced right from Detroit. Actors Adam Sandler and Tim Allen are some of the investors. How cool is that! This is the reason I love living in Los Angeles. The entire city is made up of people from all over the world. You could have two places right next to each other and both are authentic. One could be Indian and the other NY Pizza. It truly is a blessing living in such a culturally diverse city!

After sitting down for a few minutes Darin has these 2 chili dogs with mustard and onions on top. They were, and I hate to say it, too darn cute… Cute enough to stick right in my mouth. The waitress then asked what I would like. I didn’t even have a chance to look at the menu and I said the obvious… “I’ll have what he is having!”

I got the Coney Dog and the Coney De-lux. Both are chili dogs with mustard and onions, just one has the ground beef in the chili. Normally in LA I feel at home with my Kings jersey on but not around these two. Little did I know it I was gonna feel like a bullied kid. ALL. DAY. LONG. Thank God the food came it was time to take one for team "Sean’s Stomach".

These dogs were awesome. Just a pure mesh of chili, onions, mustard, and of course hot dog. I have an issue with a lot of hot dog places out here most of them are really rubbery. You have to bite hard and almost pull the hot dog right out of the bun. Places like Pinks and Carney’s are a lot like this. This hot dog was no work at all. It was a real pleasure.

Now I had always held my Coney Dog from the bottom before I put it in my mouth. Jim was quick to point out that I was holding it wrong. I was supposed to hold the hot dog from the top, not the bottom. How stupid could I be! This was not explained to me but I am guessing it is so the topping falls on my plate instead of my hand. I am sure if Jim knew me a little better he probably wouldn’t have wasted his breath. It doesn’t matter how I hold my food it is guaranteed to get on me no matter what. Sure enough before long I had chili all over my Kings jersey. I was hoping it was good luck but later I found out it was not. Damn you CHILI!

After I finished the regular Coney I went right on to the de-lux. The 2 really complemented each other. Normally I don’t like onions on anything but thanks to this blog I have been pretty open to trying new things. The onions really made this meal complete. They added a richness and a spice that kept the flavors alive.

Jim ended up ordering a plate of chili cheese fries that quite honestly looked like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I really didn’t know what to say. It is over whelming when everything is this good. How do you top perfect with perfect?

Great college football, Michigan ended up beating Nebraska. Their selection of beer was right on with what they have to offer in Detroit. An epic meal and with rowdy company how could you go wrong? The Kings lost to the Wings 1-4, that's how. I had to hear about it all day long (I think I can still hear it now).

If you are looking for good college football, great hockey and the best chili dogs in Detroit. I recommend the Detroit Style Coney Dog. Spend 30 minutes here, you’ll get the best Detroit has to offer without having to go there.

I still want to go to Detroit to see what all the hot doggin' is about and hopeful watch the WINGS go MEAT ME!!!

Find out more about Detroit Style Coney Dog at:
http://www.coneydogla.com/

Hold your fuckin' hot dog right,
Sean Rice aka MEAT ME!

“Fuck Thanksgiving that’s a good lookin’ burger!” – Steve Cooper

2011-11-24T04:54:00.000-08:00

That’s exactly what I was thinking. I wish thanksgiving were about hunting for my own food, skinning it, barbequing and then celebrating with the men I hunted with. Don’t worry the women there too… they’re were just pampering us (I know… It’s a wish remember?). Instead we dress up a turkey, sit around a table with a bunch of people we can barley tolerate, and complain about the people who aren’t there suffering with us. Just shut up and EAT.

I had no idea that there would be so much pressure around the holiday’s blogging about food, especially with the biggest foodie holiday being Thanksgiving. I had not prep time and no idea what to write about. I didn’t have holiday tips or tricks. My job is to eat the food and that’s it. So I invited my good friend Steve Cooper out to have lunch with me and shoot the shit over some BBQ. Steve lives in Burbank, CA not exactly a place known for great BBQ let alone great food. To me Burbank is known for places like Bob’s Big Boy and the Coral Café.

The only place known for its BBQ is The Handy Market. It is a deli and they only BBQ on Saturday. So I went strait to Yelp and typed in great BBQ in Burbank. A few places came up and The Hollywood Way was one of them. The pictures of the food were not doing this place any favors. I had lived in Burbank for about year and never heard of it so I was a little skeptical. I texted Steve our options and with out a doubt he chose The Hollywood Way.

We decided to meet on Tuesday around 3 pm right after he was done recording his radio show. I pulled up an the parking lot is attached to car wash. I got out and started taking pictures. It was kind of a mess out side. I am not gonna lie a little dumpy looking but since I am aiming for a good review will call it “divey”.

As I am standing there waiting I see this guys pull up in his Lance Armstrong bike and helmet and walks right in. Only in the valley do people exercise and then and then drink in the same hour… Drinking and well anything go together. At this point I am hoping he made the right decision.

Steve pulls up in his… lets just call it a red car. His head shiny as ever and it looks like he is ready to eat some good food. We walk in and it’s a little empty but that’s to be expected. I see the beautiful waitress come and greet us as we walk in. I look right at Steve and I am thinking, "Did he pick this place because of the view or because they actually have good barbeque. Oh well I am sure I’ll find out."

We sit down and get our typewriter style menus. We got to chatting and right away the waitress comes up and I ask her the usual what are you known for on your menu. She said the, “ Pulled pork and the Tri Tip!”

They have those items pretty much any way you want them tacos, quesadillas, and sandwiches. I ask her what am I going to get the most meat out of and she recommended the center stage, which is just a big slab of meat. She also said their sandwiches are pretty good size. As she is building up this food I can see Steve’s eyes getting bigger and bigger. "If you’d like I would recommend the Memphis Burger", she says, “It’s a Cheeseburger with BBQ pulled pork on top of the beef with grilled onions!”

It was like my brain hit a wall. What did she say? Pulled pork on top of a cheeseburger! How the fuck was this place barley empty? This idea was so genius I had a hard time hearing anything she said after that. I was still trying to wrap my mind around this phenomenon. Steve looks at me and says, “I’ll have whatever you order!” He's pretty much overwhelmed at this point.

I can see it in his eyes. The meat humbled him. So I ordered the Tri Tip sandwich and the Memphis Burger. Of course at a BBQ joint you have got to get an appetizer and that has to be a meat as well. You can only complement meat with meat... It't the MEAT ME way! So I order the Rib appetizer. At this point I can’t wait...

Steve has an online radio shot called Cooper Talk at http://www.925kyhy.com on Wednesday’s at 4 pm you should check it out. Steve has a lot of celebrity guests and he’s one of the funniest guys I know.

We spend a little time catching up and in minutes the ribs are here. You can really tell right out of the gate that they really take the time to smoke these ribs and do it right. The taste was spent on with what great ribs should taste like. The hickory flavor can be strong but these were just the right amount. We dipped the ribs in the sauce and it was pretty much quite time after that. We both had a nice umm… umm… umm… conversation back an fourth until the main course showed up.

Our waitress shows up and the first words out of Cooper’s mouth are “Fuck Thanksgiving that’s a good lookin’ burger!” This burger was amazing. The burger got the same look Steve gave the waitress when she walked by a few minutes earlier. To me that was all the confirmation I needed that he was happy with what I ordered. The sandwich and the burger were just amazing and totally worth dying for. We decide to share halves of each sandwich and if Steve wasn’t such a nice guy I probably would have eaten his halves when he wasn’t looking.

Aside from the fact that he hilarious (I almost chocked) he’s a good spotter. I couldn’t count the amount of times this guy said, “Your dripping!”

How often have you been out and come home with an entire meal on your shit? I don’t think I have a completely clean shirt in my closet. My girlfriend gave up on me long time ago. So thanks to Steve she have to ask me about my day rather that just look at my shirt.

Not only had this place earned my respect it was affordable too. Steve was so put in his place he was ready for a nap and a colonic! Why was he screaming for a colonic? Who knows some people just can’t handle their MEAT.

You can find out more information about The Hollywood Way’s website @:
http://thehollywoodwaybbq.com/

You can check out some of Steve Comedy! http://www.925kyhy.com

I'm thankful for Steve,
Sean Rice aka MEAT ME!

LOOK FOR IT! Tomorrow Thanksgiving with Steve Cooper!

2011-11-23T13:32:00.000-08:00

reMEAT – Hole in the Wall Burger Joint

2011-11-22T02:27:00.000-08:00

I could not resist not knowing what the burger would actually taste like with the BACON in it. Ever since I posted "Where's the BACON?" at the Hole in the Wall burger joint, it has kind of become a big deal. The blog post soared to the top of my charts. I thought that going back there and taking some nicer photos would help give it the respect that it deserves.

Rather than degrade the images with my words I will let them speak for them selves. I ordered the beef burger with the pretzel bun, chipotle mayo, cheddar cheese, apple wood smoked bacon, and French fries.

I got their custom made ketchup and thousand island sauce. The thousand-island sauce is so unbelievably amazing that it could be used as currency. I am that fucking serious!

Remember just like In-N-Out Burger get a spoonful of the thousand island and put it on the burger before each bite and you can never… ever... go wrong. It’s a sin to not do this.

Soak it in!

I know I am sure you are wondering, "If I am making it all about the food then why are there pictures of me in there?"

Because! You need to know that this food even makes me look good... Thats how good it is.

You can read the first review at:
http://meatmeblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/wheres-bacon.html#.Tst1SGBhpRt

For more information and locations check out;
http://www.holeinthewallburgerjoint.com/

Remember - CASH ONLY!

Don't even think about it... Just MEAT IT!,
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME!

Wolfen Down Burgers with the FETS!

2011-11-16T22:22:00.000-08:00

These burgers fell under the category of “bigger doesn’t always mean better”. A lot of places start out great and get so comfortable with a constant flow of customers that they forget to do a quality check. The day you open you explain to the head cook exactly what Wolf Burgers is all about. After a few years and a few chefs later, you walk in to only see the numbers and get lost in the everyday operations. Forgetting that there is a customer behind those numbers.

I do these write ups for fun. They are my hobby and what I love to do. For my real job I retouch and composite digital images, serve as a digital tech and on the occasion… Production assist for car photographers. This week is the LA Auto Show. Working here from Detroit is my good buddy and professional photographer Jim Fets. Jim has shot for numerous car companies and created endless amounts of beautiful imagery. This man has a vision and he only brings you the best.

Jim may not consider himself a foodie… But I know deep down in his bear of a heart, he is. I meet Jim in 2005 we did some retouching together for some magazines but hadn’t really met in person. On one job Jim flew out from his hometown Detroit, MI and we met up for dinner. That is when he told me he made it a point to hit up an In-N-Out every time he was out here. It almost seemed religious as he spoke with so much passion. This man might even change a flight just to make sure he doesn’t miss that burger. From this point on I knew he was the type of person I always wanted to work with. This was the beginning of a beautiful relationship (that involved amazing food).

Yesterday Jim and I had some shots to take in Pasadena, CA. The home of Art Center College of Design the college we are both alumni at. It was only a matter of time before we started reminiscing about the good ole’ days. He remembered all these amazing places that he ate at. I only remember beer, more beer, and Top Roman Noodle Soup. I spent so much time at the campus I never really experienced any of the food Pasadena had to offer. I let Jim take the lead on this one… Actually he was paying so he takes the lead most of them.

After tossing a few ideas around it came down to Wolfe Burgers. Jim had remembered it from back in the day and the place had opened right around the time he started college. We walked in to a huge menu and a place buzzing with excitement. That was until I saw how big it was. Most of the time at a new place I ask what they are known for but this time the place said “burger” on the outside and that’s exactly what I was going to have.

The crowd was your usual business lunch. Jim ordered the double burger with jack cheese, grilled onions and a side of onion rings. I got the double chili cheese burger, french fries, with mustard, chili, and cheese only of course.

We waited about 10 minutes max and the food was ready for pick up. The presentation was not all that great for a burger joint what was I to expect. My chili came on the side. Normally I like to control the amount of chili in each bite but I was tired enough to just pour it all on top.

At this point I was ready for the food to start pleasing me. I dove right into the fries, scooped up some ketchup and they turned out to be very nice. They were a great introduction to the burger. Nice and soft… Almost like snowflakes, not too hard with just enough crispiness to hit the spot. This initiated the consumption sequence. I took a big bite of the burger and it was like the entire patio got quiet and the audience in my head said, “ohhhhhhh!”

Not the fire works show I was hoping for. The chili really lacked any luster. It had the same look and consistency as Tommy’s but no zest. Just kind of a Blah. The burger definitely had that charbroiled taste to it, just was over cooked. You can tell when the meat wants to stick to itself. If you grab a burger by both ends and tear it apart it should come apart slowly. If it stretches and then snaps… It has been cooked to long. Spongy… Very rubbery.

I was bummed that I wasn’t amazed. Jim on the other hand was totally content. Not to much, not to little… Just right. Then I start thinking I ordered the wrong thing. May be I set myself up for another disappointment. On the ever-determined quest for burger perfection… I have failed once again.

It is the next day and at this point I was planning on posting this review. I didn’t think the write up was complete, but I had to leave. So I left it for when I got back. I needed to head down to the LA Auto show to meet up with Jim for Press Day. Because of parking the client had me driven down to the convention center in one of their cars. On the way down I explained my dilemma to the driver. I was still stuck on my theory that the restaurant overtime, had let itself go. The menu was exciting and offered so many cool options for a burger. Not to mention the layout was huge like they were expecting a lot of people. Some of the counters and doors were worn down and in some area’s it was down right disgusting.

As it turns the driver George turned out to be a retired policeman that worked in Pasadena. He worked there from the time Wolfe had opened till a few years ago. The restaurant opened during the 80’s by a Mexican woman named Josephine. 10 years ago she was diagnosed with cancer and had to sell the restaurant. Unfortunately since then the restaurant had gone down hill. George explained to me that she was a very kind and sweet women who cared so much about the quality of the food and the services she was offering.

Unfortunately things change because this place was happening back in the day. Oh well MEAT happens!

To check out awesome Jim Fets photography go to:
http://www.fetsphoto.com/

Here a really cool video about Jim Fets

You can check out Wolfe Burgers at:
http://www.wolfeburgers.com/

Stay hungry,
Sean Rice aka MEAT ME

Secrets Revealed: The Path To Chili Enlightenment

2011-11-15T18:35:00.000-08:00

Featuring Doze the guest master himself. Ever since I was in high school I have always had a love for music. Some of my fondest memories were in band. I played the tuba and I was proud of it. I was not your typical band dork (at least I like to think that). I was in great shape, on occasion I rode a motorcycle and I carried the appetite of the entire band on my shoulders. On Wednesday nights we had band practice from 5 to 8:30pm. What was a high schooler to do with all that time? Study? Nope, EAT!

My band director and mentor Marcos Mendoza (aka Doze) shared my love for food and music. Often times there were only a hand full of us hanging out after school waiting for practice. Doze would offer to take us out for food. These places included McDonalds, In-N-Out, and Tommy’s. I remember on one occasion I wanted to get a 9 by 9 at In-N-Out Burger, he thought I as crazy and said, “If you eat the whole thing I will pay for it.”

Not only did I finish this thing I got French fries and a drink to show I had the gut for glory. I have so many fond memories of not being able to move during practice because of what I ate for dinner. Like any champ I never had any issues with it coming back up. Unless you count the time the wrestling team turned me upside down into a trash can (which was not by choice) I had a perfect record. The unfortunate benefits of having the band room next to the weight room.

Thanks to playing tuba any cool factor I may have possessed was gone. Food challenges were nothing to be ashamed of. In high school you might be able to make fun of me but I could have devoured your lunch before you were done beating me up.

Since I have started this blog I knew it was missing something and that thing was advise of Doze. He taught me everything I know about eating at Tommy’s. When I was a young freshmen in high school we often went on afternoon trips to Tommy’s. Being the noob that I was I would order the double chili cheese burger with extra chili, chili cheese fries, and a large diet coke. Doze would sit there and laugh at me as bite after bite the chili would fall right off of the burger. This often left me with barley any chili and more meat and cheese than I new what to do with… I would look at Doze and say, “I don’t get it... what am I doing wrong?”

He said, “Oh you have so much to learn young grass hopper!”

And I am thinking what is this guy talking about? He said, “Sean you’re doing it all wrong. Don’t order extra chili on your burger. Your just going to waste it. Order the chili boat (a side of chili) and grab a spoon. Peal back the burger paper, get a spoon full of chili, and put it right on top of the burger before each bite. Do this each time and every bite will be filled with happiness!”

It was like the clouds opened up and I saw the light. From that point on my life had been changed forever. Not only that, but I had extra chili for the fries that did not have any on them. Never was I robbed of chili again.

With eyes wide open I could see the genius that was Doze. I had no idea why all these kids followed him around doing whatever he wanted them to do… The myth of the legend was true... Doze Knows. This man had the answers to everything, and being the sponge that I was... I needed to know.

So what better way to honor and respect him than break chili burgers and diet cokes over dinner. Having read the blog Doze agreed to do dinner and let me share his secrets of chili enlightenment with the world. I arrived around 8 pm and he was about 30 minutes late. Which is normal and would not have been the same if he was not. We ordered the trifecta. Double chili cheeseburger, mustard, chili cheese only, french fries, and a large diet coke. Not to forget the chili boat with cheese only (for me). In a matter of minutes the food was ready and we carefully escorted it to the table. Doze, the master that he is, grabbed the paper towels. It was bad enough we forgot our bullet proof vest to this part of town… No paper towels could have been fatal!

Step one: Pull the burger paper back. Step two: Get a scoop of chili. Step three: Place the chili right over the area where you are going to bite. Step four: Enjoy! Step five: Repeat steps one thru five. It was awesome! It felt just like that musical montage from Zoolander where all the male models are laughing hysterically and pouring gasoline all over each other. I felt just like that. We looked and smiled at each other after every bite visually confirming the epic-ness of our oral satisfaction. After the second scoop I said, “This is just like reloading a gun…” he replied, “Pointed directly at your heart!” We both laughed.

Tommy’s is so life changing that everybody and there mom is trying to rip them off. There is Tomy’s Tommies, Tomee’s the list goes on forever. There is only one way to know you are at The Original Tommy’s. When you get the chili boat let it sit for about 60 seconds, you will notice a 1/16 of an inch layer of grease over the top of the chili. That is Original Tommy’s. That is the sign of perfection. Not to mention about an hour after you have eaten... you should feel a slight chili hangover. The sign is being a little sluggish in your step.

Our dinner eventually came to an end. As sad as it was for both us, happiness was consuming every ounce of joy on our tray. As time passes some of the best memories I have were over food. To be honest I would not trade it for anything anything in the world.

Who knows what memories our future will hold until we MEAT again.

To find your Original Tommy’s Locations go to
http://www.originaltommys.com/

Meat Memories,
Sean Rice aka MEAT ME

Where’s the BACON?

2011-11-14T19:18:00.000-08:00

This burger was so amazingly juicy that I was 90% through it before I realized there was no bacon. I turned around to the happy go lucky owner Bill and said, “I think they forgot the bacon?”

He said to me, “Really there is no bacon?”

I said, “Yea!”

He turns around and looks right at the cook and says, “Thank you… Thank you so much! He’s here to write about the restaurant and you forget the bacon!”

I just about died laughing! Bill, the owner of the Hole in the Wall Burger Joint, said this in the sweetest possible way. He’s a funny guy, Bill! Probably the nicest owner I have met till this day. Trust me… I was not dying with out the bacon. If it needed it, I would have noticed and saying something sooner.

My girlfriend and I set out to go get something healthy from Whole Foods. That lasted about 4 to 5 blocks. I looked over and saw this new place called The Hole in the Wall Burger Joint. It grabbed our attention, we looked at each other, and knew it was meant-to-be.

We walked in around 3pm it was nice, clean, and all to our selves. Not to mention new, it has only been open for 3 weeks. This place was as exciting as morning on Christmas Day. Who knows what it was going to be, but I could not wait to get it.

When I go out to eat I never tell people I am writing about the restaurants until I am on my way out. There is not point. I do not want special treatment; I want to be treated just like everyone else to bring you the most real experience possible. If I tell them it can influence the experience and change the out come. I am not doing this for FREE SHIT! I am doing this because I LOVE food and I want you share the best experience possible.

Bill, the owner, picked up on me right away. I walked in, took one picture, and knew exactly what I was doing. After about 30 seconds he asked, “You a blogger?”

I said, “Yep!” Gave him my card and we talked the MEAT. I found out he is very in tune with his customers. He kind of reminded me of a retired NY fire fighter who knew what people wanted and just wanted to give that to them. Enjoy life and skip all the bullshit.

I looked at his menu and it reminded me of the Counters but it did not give me the 250 ways to screw up a burger. It had 3 – 4 options in each section. It was perfect. I could order in under a minute and I wouldn’t have to pull my hair out trying pick all the options!

I got the beef burger, pretzel bun, chipotle mayo, cheddar, bacon, and the fries. Bill was kind enough to offer drinks on the house. My lady kept it safe and ordered the Burger of the Week not to mention the beef is all natural.

The food was done before I even had a chance to finish talking to Bill, under about 5 minutes, and my girl had torn into hers before I could get a picture off. The burgers came in cute little brown bag with a sheet of paper to throw the fries on.

Everything here was made from scratch, from the burgers to the sauces. They cared enough to make every option perfect. We dipped the fries in each sauce and were getting up to get more before we could even finish.

It only took a few bites to realize I had found something special, or that something special had found me. The bun was a super fluffy pretzel that hugged the meat in between. To top it all off the burger was as juicy as ever. JUICY! That was it! This is what I had been missing for so long. I forgot that burgers were supposed to be juicy. You could even see the thin layer of juice between the meat and the bun. It was every carnivore’s lubricant and the holy water of all sacred meat!

The fries were the perfect compliment to go with the juiciness. Between all of the amazing sauces, the thousand island was my favorite. I was in total bliss! Not only was I going home fat and happy, I had made a new discovery along the way. I was dipping my burger in the thousand when I finally noticed there was no bacon.

Normally I would kill for bacon, and at some places visualize myself picking up throwing them out of disrespect. Not this time, bacon had something to compete with. What are you gonna do bacon? Huh Huh? That’s what I thought. I was having such an awesome moment and I did not want the bacon to rain on my parade. I tasted it, it was great, and I was back to my burger the way a mother protects her child.

With that said, I cannot wait to go back and neither should you. Get there… Get there now, before it is too late and there is a line down the street. Bill knows what he is doing, and he came loaded with a serious burger to prove it.

On my way out I thanked Bill for such a wonderful burger. Out of BACON guilt he throw me some of his pudding. As full as I was… I knew I could not pass up another chance to feel special. I did. The pudding was like a hug and a kiss on the way out the door. It reminded me of decadent chocolate ice cream. It was beyond creamy and everything pudding should be.

So I don’t care if you are in an igloo in Alaska or in a box under a freeway… You cannot die without trying this burger. If I don’t explode I hope we MEAT again.

For more information and locations check out;
http://www.holeinthewallburgerjoint.com/

CASH ONLY!

Feel special,
Sean Rice
aka MEAT ME!

Are you up for THE FITE?

2011-11-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

I sure am. It’s time to do lunch with Mr. Fite! Probably one of the coolest guys I know, but also one of the most opinionated motherfuckers I know. It’s a blessing for all of us that this guy doesn’t have a Podcast or he’d run all of our ears into the ground.

Not only is this guy a political opinionator, he is a fantasy football workhorse. He is currently a member of 12 fantasy football leagues. To top it all of he has a system to all of his madness and plenty of passion to tell you what your doing wrong. How he has time to do anything is besides me.

If I were to check my Facebook every 20 minutes I could almost guarantee a new post him. Each one more important than the last. Almost always they are politically related with the comments section going for days. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was easy to ruffle his feathers I don't think he'd be that much fun to hang with. He just takes everything so damn serious (sorry, love you dude).

Despite all of that I figured it was time for lunch with THE FITE. Lately I have been struggling with reader interaction. I never get any feed back from you people so it was time to come up with a new strategy. I figured the best way to meet with Matt was over food. At least with his mouth half full we could keep the subject matter focused (sorry dude! Still love you).

We decide to meet at The Counter. I was in the mood for a good tasty burger and knew they would not disappoint. I show up and after the first round of fist bumps the first thing out of his mouth is, “How much did you regret giving up Sproles for Meachem?” At that point I knew what I was in for and I could not wait to order.

The Counter has a multi-option style of menu, you get to check-off a list of what you would like on your burger. Having the option to get a 1-pound burger was something I was not going to pass up. The only problem is that it takes a little over 20 minutes to make, and with all the talking Matt could do I knew we needed an appetizer.

I ordered the 1 pounder with chili, cheese, jalapeños and mayo. Matt got the ½ pounder with grilled onions, peppers, coleslaw, jack cheese, and pickles. With those options you'd think he'd closed his eyes and randomly pencil dropped the options on his burger. To start we got the chili cheese fries just as they come. Here you have to order the fries separately because they do not come with the burger.

The appetizer came and it is solid. Bite after bite of home made chili goodness. Normally I don’t like onions on anything, unless it is added as minimal flavor (it is a texture thing or me). Luckily these were chopped up nice and small. As you can see as we each took turns digging until we got to that uncomfortable food bridge when neither person wants to touch the other persons food. Personally I don’t care, more for me.

The server brought our food as if she was herding the cattle all by herself. Big meat requires lots of work. She must get very tired. As a bonus... It didn’t take too long and the burgers were cooked to perfection. In the past I have had issues with how they cook their meat. Normally I like it medium rare on a half pound or smaller, and medium on anything larger. Instead I have gotten rare to almost not cooked in the middle but it looks like that issue has been taken care of.

I was a little surprised after first bites Matt did not have much to say. I guess that means the food did it's job. Normally I yell about where are my jalapeños but they are hiding under the massive cow sitting on my bun. You would think a place that serves a massive 1-pounder would have chili pouring off the top of the burger. Not this place they give you a tiny little (Mexican salsa) cup of chili. That is all! And Yes! You are actually paying extra for that tiny ass side of chili.

I feel that places that get super duper fancy with all the sides, toppings and add-ons really suffer when it comes to the main objective a really “Tasty Fuckin’ Burger!” They get so caught up in having tons of options that they end up lacking in the most perfect possible out come.

As much as I believe in customization and making everything your own, the customer shouldn’t have to be the cook. I am sure most people get over whelmed when they see all these options and more often than not come up with combinations that don’t work together. I think it helps to have a starting point, like they do, and offer ready to order burgers on the menu. The customers will always change things to work in their favor.

His burger and mine turned out to be pretty delightful. I got ¾ of the way though mine and the MOUTH only finished ½ of his. For some odd reason I felt the need to get dessert. I have a soft spot in my stomach for a giant cookie under a scoop of ice cream. This thing was perfect. It touched me in places I haven’t been touched in a long time… And it was good.

So it turns out Mr. Fite’s strategy for multiple feedback isn't really my style. He believes in being controversial and overly opinionated about absolutely everything. My fantasy league can vouch for that. Fortunately for me there are certain things I just do not care about... Kind of how he feels about foodies.

So just keep in mind that the jack-of-all-trades can also be the jack-ass of none. “Mr. Fantasy Football owner who is 3 and 6 in my fantasy league.” So MEAT ME!

You can check out The Counter locations @
http://www.thecounterburger.com/

Despite the fact that he is extremely opinionated he is actually pretty good at what he does.

You can check out Matt Fite @
http://www.marketinggigs.com/ a FREE job site for Marketing Professionals
http://www.FuneralDirectoryUSA.com/ for all your post death needs

Stay Focused,
Sean Rice aka MEAT ME!

How am I going to even fit that in my mouth?

2011-11-09T02:39:00.000-08:00

Yes it was that fuckin’ big. I woke up this morning with one thing on my mind. All I wanted was a Napoleons and an Éclair from Café Tropical. Located right in the heart of Silverlake, CA. I know… It is not meat, but it is sweet and that rhymes so that is how I am justifying it. Plus I promise I will not disappoint. If you were driving by this place you would not think much of it at all. You might even even consider it a dump, but trust me you don’t want to judge this book by its cover.

I have always associated Silverlake with a city filled with culture. It is kind of like Hollywood, but without all the tourists and occupied by ethnicities that actually give a shit.

At every restaurant or shop they are always planning an event to get the community involved. If it is not an art show every place always has that little something extra that makes it feel special. At Café Topical everything is bigger and bigger. Yea, that is not a typo. Their shit is GINORMOUS.

Café Tropical is a great place to start the day. They have wonderful coffee (so I’ve heard, sorry not a coffee drinker) great breakfast options and a cozy space to stop, sit and enjoy the internet. There are little knick-knacks all over the place so if you even forget your laptop you’ll have plenty to keep yourself occupied. Plus with the AA type meeting room next door the people watching is never ending.

Normally when I am out I take all my pictures with my little Canon digital elph. Which at first I did, but after I saw the lighting, I knew that camera wasn’t going to do this any justice. It was time to bring out the big guns. Having gone to Art Center for photography I knew this was inevitable. This glorious food was in need of serious photographic respect. Just those cookies are 7 to 9 inches across.

As you stroll through the café all you see is giant over sized food. I literally feel like I am walking through Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. It truly is a marvel. The breakfast they offer is not as huge but just as tasty. They also serve a variety of meaty Cuban sandwiches. With that said, you can see I am not straying too far from my meaty roots.

With so much going on 12 minutes had gone by before I even got to ordering. I do not live in near by so I never know if they have specials or events going on, but if anyone knows… please feel free to drop some hints in the comments section.

I finally make it to the counter, and they are quick. If you don’t know what you want you will start feeling like your wasting their time. Deciding not to get too fatty I ordered the éclair and the napoleon. After all it was just the first meal of the day. Keep in mind each is so big that they get their own box. Having paid I needed to get home as fast as I could to photograph these delights.

I made the mistake of using a large plate (8"x 14" to be exact) to photograph the Napoleon. That was all it would fit on, so you really don’t get just how big this beast really is. It is 2 and a ½ inches wide, 3 and a ½ inches tall and over 6 inches long. I swear it had to weigh a least a pound. The éclair was a little shorter than I was used to, but wider in the middle. It came in at 3 and a ¼ inches wide, 3 inches tall and over 6 inches long...

I urge you to take a moment to fathom how big this really is. I got smarter with the éclair and put it on a desert plate. It is so massive it crumbled, creamed and oozed all over my mouth (Yep, I just got excited!). It almost died but I only took one bite of each so I wouldn't spoil my lunch. Plus I am attempting to enjoy this in moderation, but that is probably not going to happen.

Even as I think about it now, I really can’t take it any more. Once this is up I’m straight for the fridge. I will probably cut off about an inch on each piece. Put them in the same bowl with 2 scoops of Ben and Jerry’s Cheesecake Brownie ice cream, sit on the couch and try and figure out what to stream on Netflix.

I know… I can hear myself getting fatter… So until I allow myself to eat again, MEAT ME!

Look for the image of my dessert on Twitter @meatmeblog

You can find out more about Cafe Topical @
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-tropical-los-angeles

I do not believe they have a website.

Sweet Jesus,
Sean Rice aka MEAT ME!

How To: Smoked BBQ Pork Shoulder, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, and BBQ Sauce from Scratch – Recipe

2011-11-07T22:33:00.000-08:00

Enough of other peoples food, now it is time for my BBQ. I rant all the time about the difference between Grilling and Bar-B-Que. So today I am going to show you how to Smoke BBQ a Pork Shoulder from scratch and make your own BBQ sauce to use with a Pulled Pork Sandwich. Here is what you will need to barbecue:

Barbecue Checklist
1 Charcoal Smoker with a side Fire Box (Horizontal or Vertical)
1 Pair of Gloves
1 Pair of Tongs (if you don’t want to pick up the charcoal with the gloves)
1 BBQ lighter
1 Bag Hickory Wood Chunks
2 Bags Cowboy Brand Charcoal
1 Bottle of Lighter Fluid
1 Painters Bucket (Half full with water)
8 pound pork shoulder (bone on or off)
1 bottle of French’s yellow mustard
1 spray bottle filled with apple juice
1 container of Rancher’s Reserve Tender Beef All Natural Savory Roast Rub

By no means am I a professional barbecue’er. I would consider myself a novice beginner at best. I have a history with smoked pork ribs, beef ribs, chicken, pork butt and shoulder. I still hope to get my hands on a full pig and a turkey before the year is over. The end result is always unbelievable smoked goodness, but there is always tons of learning along with way. One of the hardest things you will learn is how to control the consistency of the smoke with the temperature.

Before I leave to Home Depot to get supplies I pulled the 8 pound pork shoulder out of the fridge. I want it room temperature before I put the salt rub on. At this point you want to change into clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and smoky. Your clothes will stink and so will the laundry basket you put the clothes in. For courtesy points I would put them in a plastic bag. Don’t be surprised if you still smell barbecue in your nose the next day.

I did not grow up with barbecue, I was taught by avid smokers and restaurant owners. Though some of the best things I have learned were from books. Being a visual person, after about 5 minutes in a conversation, I am usually lost. For a great BBQ book I recommend “How to Grill” by Steven Raichlen. It has great tips and teaches you how to smoke out of pretty much anything. This book is a very easy read and has a shit ton of pictures to help you out.

So to get started I have a Brinkmann 40'' Barbecue that I will be smoking/barbecuing out of. This can be purchased at Home Depot check your local hardware store for availability. I also have a vertical wood smoker but I always struggle with the temperature. It could just be me but I find the horizontal smoker a lot easier to control. They have electric smoker’s that make BBQ so easy that most competitions consider it cheating.

I get my supplies at my local Home Depot. To smoke, I only get the Hickory Wood Chunks. For smoking I recommend the wood chunks over the chips; they seem to smoke longer. You can also get Apple or Mesquite flavors. Some combine Apple and Hickory. I do not combine anything with Mesquite, I have heard it is not recommended. Get a bottle of lighter fluid any brand will do. After 20 to 30 minutes it burns off anyways.

For the charcoal my Home Depot only carries Cowboy Brand Charcoal. I get 2 bags (you can get away with one). The charcoal at the bottom of the bag brakes down to really small pieces. I like to use the medium to large chunks. They seem to help keep the temperature up and not burn too quickly. You want your charcoal to look like “black as night” burnt wood. You do not want coals, stay the hell away from Kingsford charcoal, especially the presoaked in lighter fluid. If you use these food is almost guaranteed to taste like chemicals. Yes I have actually done this and you think you are going to get sick. So save your mouth and trust me.

Before you leave the store you may want to grab a pair of their $1.99 garden gloves to handle the charcoal. They are going to turn black after one or 2 uses.

Now the second I get home I put half the bag of the wood chunks in a bucket of water. Put the gloves on and put 3 to 4 handfuls of charcoal in a pile in the firebox. Try to keep the charcoal on the grate and off the bottom of the box you want the air to be able to circulate in from under the charcoal – plus the heat of the charcoal wears down the bottom of the box. Over time charcoal will fall thru the grate and hit the bottom, it is inevitable but its better to start off on top. Squeeze about 3 seconds worth of lighter fluid on the coals and use a BBQ lighter to light it. Keep your distance. Once lit let the lighter fluid burn off for about 20 to 30 minutes until the charcoal has turned grey. Leave the firebox open during this process.

20 to 30 minutes is the same amount of time you want the wood chunks to soak. I let them soak the whole time I am barbecuing and take them out as I need them. This way they are always wet before use. It seems the wetter they are the longer they last. The idea is to get them to smoke.

My 8-pound pork shoulder should now be out for about 30 minutes the resulting in room temperature. If you rinse it, dry it with a paper towel before going onto the first step. I am going to apply my Rancher’s Reserve Tender Beef All Natural Savory Roast Rub. Before I do that I need my bottle of French’s Classic Yellow Mustard. Squeeze the mustard directly onto the pork and rub it in all over the meat (don’t worry it won’t taste like mustard). Remember you want just enough mustard to cover the surface area. You don’t want it dripping. The reason for the mustard is to get the rub to stick to the meat.

Once the mustard is consistent all over you want to apply the roast rub. Start by pour it out shaking it left and right as you cover the entire surface area. Don’t be afraid to be generous you can always put the left over back in the container. Do this to every side of the pork shoulder until the entire surface is covered. You should have a nice consonant layer over the entire surface. If it is NOT, it’s ok, BBQ is like horseshoes and hand grenades… close is good enough. Once this is finished you can place your meat in a tin container. You want a container large enough that the smoke will touch as much of the surface area as possible. If the container is touching any of the sides of the meat then those areas won’t get smoke. Eventually you are going to cover it with foil and put in the oven. So make sure the walls of the container are high enough. I also recommend something disposable, when you are done smoking the entire container will become black. If it is metal or glass it could take hours to clean. I say fuck that throw it away.

Some people like to marinade their meat overnight (12 – 24 hours). You can use anything from Italian dressing to beer. Its totally up to you the options are endless. You can also make your own salt rubs. There are millions of combinations, in the end it is totally up to you. The idea behind my set up is to have the least amount of prep time as possible.

Now you are set! Place your pork shoulder that is in your tin on the grate inside your barbecue. Get is as close to the smoke opening as possible. Close the cover and open the smokestack damper halfway. At this time you will want to grab 2 to 3 wood chunks, shake off the dripping water, and place them over the hot grey/red coals. Using your gloves (or tongs) place the wet wood while spreading out the hot charcoals in the firebox and close the lid. Some wrap the wood chunks in foil and poke holes in them. I have tried this; the wood does smoke slower, but takes longer to get smoking. I stopped using it.

Make sure the firebox air shutter is open all the way. The air shutter mainly controls the temperature. The more oxygen your fire consumes the hotter it will get. After the lid is closed it should take about 10 to15 minutes for your temperature to get between 175 and 205 degrees. This is the range you want to be in when cooking with your smoker.

Smoke the pork shoulder for a total of 6 hours. I usually go back and forth every 20 to 28 minutes adding 2 – 3 wood chunks and a hand full of charcoal. Only add it to the center of the firebox, over time the ash pile will begin to spread out. I always worry about replenishing the fire and smoke too early, but I forget that the whole idea is to keep the temperature and smoke consistently up and not down. The fire may look like it doesn’t need it. Trust me add more.

Keep the barbecue cover closed as much as possible. The more you open it the more you let all the heat out. Every other time you replenish the wood and charcoal rotate the tin 180 degrees. To keep the meat from drying out fill a spray bottle with apple juice and spray down the meat until it starts running off the sides. Make sure the bottle is on spray and your not using a brush. Every time I tried to use a brush I would take all the salt rub off the meat and that drove me insane.

If it is windy you will have trouble keeping your temperature consistent. Unfortunately there is not much you can do about that. If you are having trouble overall with temperature play with the charcoal/vent combination. More times than not it just needs more air. In the event your charcoal almost dies out. Open the firebox side door for a few minutes while adding more charcoal. This should get it going again. Try not to play with your set up too much, its easy to kill a fire by not letting it do its thing.

In that case start on the barbecue sauce. To me, this flavor is your classic BBQ sauce. It is not too sweet and its not to spicy, and you can adjust it to your liking. This mix makes about 5 cups of sauce, more than enough for what you need. Store it in a sterile glass container and it will last you for months. You are going to need the following ingredients below;

Barbecue Sauce
4 cups of Heinz tomato ketchup
½ cup of Heinz apple cider vinegar
½ cup of Worcestershire sauce
½ cup of C&H Pure Cane Brown Sugar
4 tablespoons of Grandmas Molasses
4 tablespoons of French’s yellow mustard
1 ½ tablespoons of Tabasco sauce (add ½ tbls for medium and 1 tbls more for hot)
2 tablespoons of the Rancher’s Reserve Tender Beef All Natural Savory Roast Rub
4 teaspoons of Wright’s liquid smoke
1 teaspoon of black pepper

Through all these ingredients in to a pot on medium to high heat and bring it to a boil. Once boiling time it for 10-15 minutes and stir with a wooden spoon the entire time. Once complete mixed let it cool for an hour or two, then store it in your container.

I have noticed that while I am boiling it. It seems really spicy, especially if you place your nose over the steam and breath in. Your eyes may even water up but once it cools, for some reason, it is not as spicy. You will have to do some guessing at this point. Some people blend together different peppers and spices, feel free to make it your own.

Now I am at 5 ½ hours of smoking and its looking pretty dark, but the internal temperature isn’t even close to the recommended 177 degrees. So start the oven up at 400 degrees. It should take half an hour to get up to temp. Once the pork shoulder has smoked for the full 6 hours cover it with tin foil and stick it in the oven for 60 minutes at 400 degrees. Your covering it in foil to keep the moister inside while it cooks the rest of the way. After 60 minutes pull it out and you will see that the meat has shrunk about ½ to 1 inch off the bone. This means it has done. A good test is if you grab the bone with a pair of tongs it should slide right out. The meat is now juicy, moist, and perfectly ready for enjoyment.

With most meat if its pink it's not done yet. With BBQ pork it that equals perfect. You should have about ½ to ¾ of an inch of pink from the black crust in towards the middle of the meat. The pink is the smoke. The more pink the meat, the more smoke flavor it has. You can extend your smoke if you like. I have smoked these at 185 degrees for 12 hours and not had to even use the oven. It really comes down to how much smoke you can take.

To make the sandwiches you want to use a nice full French bread, something a little crunchy and crispy. Let the pork shoulder cool for an hour. There is no easy way to pull the pork apart you just have to use your hands. I just hurt’s less when the meat has cooled off. I did try using tongs and a knife, but I failed horribly.

My friend Jay was over so I whipped him up one. You don’t come by when I am barbecuing and not leave with a full stomach. I put about 1 ½ to 2 cups of pulled pork in a bowl and add about a ¼ to ½ a cup of barbecue sauce. I mixed it up with a folk and stuffed it in the French roll for Jay to enjoy. I can’t tell you what he said after his first bite but lets just say it translated to something along the lines of, “Damn Man that’s some fucking good shit!” Jay doesn’t use words like that (he’s like Jamie Hyneman from Mythbusters) so I knew he felt things he’s never felt before.

Thank you Jay I am touched.

I wish you all lots of luck in making this man grunting epic meal. It is tons of work and well worth the journey. I ask that you use caution and as much as I have guided you, “Bar-B-Que at your own risk!” and use common sense.

Please feel free to email me with any questions… I am always open to suggestions but if I don’t like them I will probably tell you to go MEAT ME!

Barbecue is Love,
Sean Rice aka MEAT ME!

Got to get my MEAT on!

2011-11-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

“Yep. Yep. Yep.”, that’s all she had to say. I ordered the Caramelized rabbit leg, scallops and prime rib. Not a... Is that all? How would you like that cooked? Nothing! She was a bit bitchier than I usually like my bartenders but what do you expect from a hangover.

So it’s Saturday and this week my GamerFood partners and I launched GamerFood.com. We offer snack foods that are enfused with caffeine and taurine made specifically for us Gamers. With that all wrapped up my girlfriend got us tickets to Comikazie in downtown Los Angeles. I never usually go to events like these. This is mainly because of the “uncomfortable geek” factor. It is not that I am any better (Geeks Rule, I am one!) but as a Geek I relate better in smaller groups – and at this event there were hordes of them… in costume… acting in character. The convention, I believe, is attempting to be the LA version of Comicon. For its first year out, not bad, but it has a ways to go. It honestly felt more like Halloween at Costco.

Being that we were all ready in downtown my lady wanted to try something new. Someone from her work recommended the Lazy Ox Canteen. I could not wait. After all of that walking I needed to get my MEAT on. We parked in the lot next door and walked right over. We did not know we needed reservations but they were kind enough to offer us dinner at the bar.

This place had a really cool look to it, a very rustic vibe. To be honest I felt like a real cowboy as I mounted my bar stool. It was a little tight but that is usually expected in restaurants downtown. We were handed menus.On the top it said Diner Menu and in the middle it said Chalkboard Specials. I had no idea if the top was appetizers and the bottom was main dishes. It was not very clear but the chalkboard on the wall said Chalkboard Specials. I asked the bartender if I had the dinner Menu she said, “Yes!” She was quick to ask us our drinks and repeatedly wanted to know are order. Giving me the impression that she wanted us to get it over with.

I asked her what kind of meat they were known for and she explained that the menu changes daily (with the expatiation that I was already supposed to know that) but she did recommend the whole roasted branzino and the scallops. Both are seafood dishes in case she “didn’t already know that.” But maybe… I wasn’t specific enough... so that ones probably on me.

On her 4th time around we finally (how dare us) ordered the caramelized rabbit leg, 10oz niman ranch ribeye, and the seared bay scallops with parsnip. As I ordered she replied, “Yep, yep, yep!” So pleasant! As she’s putting in the order I had to yell, “Can I get that medium rare?” Guess what she replied? “YEP!” She obviously did not want to be there, nor did she want us their either. She was being some what of a Lazy Ox if you know what I mean...

The overall restaurant was awesome I can’t wait to go again, but that bartender’s hangover could have ruined our whole night (over heard her explain it to a regular). Its one thing when your drinking ruins your own night, but when it starts to ruin the customers… Someone needs to double check their priorities. I get it if you like to go out and get fucked up, I am totally for it, but do it when you don’t have to work the next day. I believe that falls under the “Drink Responsibly” umbrella.

As much as there is a customer code of ethics, there is also a bartender code of ethics. By this I mean, not only was she rude and short, she had a co-worker giving her a nice shoulder rub down by the register. I wanted to throw something at them! Are you serious? This is a nice restaurant (For $110 it better be)… Come on! Just as much as I am supposed to hold myself back from, saying “Bitch, What’s with the attitude!”, throwing something at her, or having a full on make-out/rub-down session with my girlfriend. I expect the wait staff to at least be pleasant and act professional.

Thank God the food came because I was about to throw up in my mouth! First the Rabbit, which was amazing. I joked about it tasting just like chicken. The lady friend was bit worried about bunny flavor, but it was very pleasant. Then came the ribeye and the scallops. The presentation was fantastic. It was so beautiful it made me feel respected. Almost as if the food was looking its best for me. After the first few bites I couldn’t stop the motion of shoving meat into my mouth. It was probably the juiciest piece of meat I have ever had (seriously)! Then I hit the scallops. They were like squishy buttery balls of goodness. The spices in the butter made me want to stick a straw in it and start sucking. I could not get enough. At this point I was dipping everything in it. I was in heaven and it felt like at least the chef had respect for me.

The bartender had become more and more attentive throughout our meal. So quick to refill my diet cokes she was slowly winning me back. Now with a full stomach and higher blood sugar she didn't seem to be all that bad. I guess we are all entitled to bad days.

Overall it was excellent! I can’t wait to go back and try something that actually has some OX in it. May be in the end it was just me. I guess I will never know and you’ll just have to find out for yourself.

No one is perfect, and yes if it were my restaurant I would have fired that person (or given them one hell of a talking to!). Cause for one, the customer pays your bills and does not deserve any attitude - second don't bite the hand that feeds you. With that said... MEAT ME!

P.S. I tipped more than 15% because technically... the service wasn’t bad, it just came with an attitude.

You can find out more info on the Lazy Ox Canteen@
http://lazyoxcanteen.com/

It's the truth,
Sean Rice aka MEAT ME