Where to buy meat in St. Louis?

Question

I know there is Schnucks, and I know there is a Whole Foods. Schnucks is no butcher, lets face it, and as for the latter...well I am not wealthy enough to purchase meat from the overpriced meat counter. My wife is from Ste. Genevieve, and when we visit her family, I always stop at Oberle meat market. They have freshly cut meat. Good meat! Anything you need. Natural sausage casings, pork belly, etc. Is there anything like this around St. Louis? I recently found a recipe for a provencal pork daube. It calls for Berkshire hog. I know I probably won't attain that quality, but surely I can find some good, marbled pork. Can anyone help!

Answer

I am very happy with the beef and butchering done at Straubs. 
Baumann's( not too sure of the spelling) now in Manchester just west of Brentwood was always a reliable source for prime beef and unusual cuts- although it has been a bit since I relied on them.

Answer

I don't think the beef carried at Baumann's is Prime. At Straub's it is, and nothing available retail come near it in the St. Louis area. It is expensive but worth the cost.

Answer

Before they closed, I was a regular at Olive St. Meat Market and Deli. When I was after a picnic shoulder, the butcher there would sometimes put in a call to Miller Ham in Soulard and get one put aside for me.

John's Butcher Shop on Walton Road in Overland has done real well when I have gone in with unusual requests: beef navel, skirt, hanger steak, tri-tip. They do cut up cows there, so they're able to do things a cryovac "butcher" can't.

For prices on beef, I think it's hard to beat Josephville Meat Processing. I got a whole beef shoulder clod and a whole pork shoulder there for a club BBQ last spring. They don't deal with ATM cards, and it's best to order in advance, but they are processing whole pigs and cattle. I don't think you'll beat their prices on steaks. 

It's a little out of the way if you live in town, but Brown's in Winfield has great pork prices. Collared picnics are $0.99/lb, bulk or linked sausage is $1.99, their own smoked bacon is excellent, and they can do anything up to whole pigs.

Last time I cooked a whole pig, I think it came from a little meat market on Manchester in Ellisville or Ballwin.

Global Foods in Kirkwood may be worth looking at to see if they can do what you want. I have bought whole beef tenderloins there before for a reasonable price, and was seriously eyeing the veal breast I saw there not too long ago.

A couple of things I like to get at Straubs are the lamb patties and turkey thighs, both seriously good deals. The thighs require calling ahead so they save them out of the ground turkey. And their marinated lamb shoulder is sinful.

There was also an article in Sauce about a farmer/sausage maker out of Cape Girardeau area who peddles at some of the local farmers markets.

One other lead, periodically someone advertises meat direct from the farm on craigslist.

Answer

I'm a big fan of Hanlen's on Manchester Road in Kirkwood. There's also The Bull Market/Savage Foods in the Chesterfield Valley, although I think all of their stuff is cryo. (One of their specialty cuts is teres major, which is a lot of fun to cook with.)

Answer

There was an article in the Daily Sauce today about a source for grass-fed beef. 

www.americangrassfedbeef.com or call 866.255.5002

American Grass-Fed Beef
"we got hooked on the samples of jerky and summer sausage that the folks from American Grass Fed Beef were doling out." 

This small veterinarian-owned-and-operated, 4,000-acre grass farm, located in the south central Ozark area of Missouri, has made an international name for itself by raising, producing and shipping nothing but free-range, natural grass-fed beef. Dr. Patricia Whisnant and her husband, Mark, are more like natural food and environmental proselytizers than cattle ranchers. The couple and their six children personally care for about 1,200 head of cattle, rotating them between different grass pastures, which allows the land to naturally replenish itself (no fertilizers or pesticides are ever used). Rotating also reduces the amount of parasites and diseases that feedlot cattle are exposed to, therefore AGFB never uses antibiotics, hormones or steroids in its feed or water. 

Because grass-fed beef is extremely lean, the Whisnants dry-age their beef for a minimum of 14 days, making it more tender and "beefier" tasting. But all this deliciousness doesn't come cheap; land, individual attention, longer raising times, dry-aging and processing mean the end result is more expensive than your average beef producer. 

Order online or by telephone. 
www.americangrassfedbeef.com or call 866.255.5002

Answer

I find it hard to believe that Kenricks off of Bayless hasn't been mentioned. I have had very god results with almost every cut of meat I have ever purchased there.

Answer

Come on across the river and try some of our local country butcher shops:

Schuberts Packing: http://www.schubertspacking.com/

Wennemans Meat Market - Saint Libory Illinois
7415 State Route 15, Saint Libory IL 62282 -( 618) 768-4328 

Behrmann Meat & Processing 
Address: 303 E State Route 161, Albers, IL 62215 
Phone: (618) 248-5151

Answer

WOW I'm glad I found this thread! My father is from Ste. Gen (the Mueller bros). He dated Cindy Oberle in HS and although vaguely related to the Oberly Meat family (ie not a direct daughter), it was still always fun to joke that if he had married her I could have had all the oberle dog I wanted! (oberle dog, the oberle cheese, and their pork loin being my favorites!)

I've heard good things about Kendricks, but am glad to have so many other places to go to. Thanks for everyone who posted in reponse to wodicker.

As for Cape - forgot Celebrations, its so-so. Try Saffron's for thai (although they aren't as good as Manee used to be), Dexter BBQ for BBQ, or better yet go out to Marble HIll for Jay's BBQ (better than the one in Jackson). Also, I can't remember the name, but for an AWESOME pizza (many variants, as well) check out the newer italian place out in Marble Hill (Mario is the name of the owner, lives in Cape).

Also, I believe that the grass fed beef company had an articale in the SE Missourian sometime in the last month.

EDIT: Please tell me you eat at the Old Brick when in Ste. Gen!? Mmmm nothing like their fried chicken, liver dumplings, green beens and roast beef.

Answer

I know this is an old thread, but LeGrand's Market and Catering on Donovan in south St. Louis is great. They butcher half cows, and can get specialty cuts, including whole hog. I worked there for a year and a half (about 15 years ago), and I still go there to buy meat. Plus, Jim and Joe are just all around great guys.

Answer

Is Mateker's still around? Used to be up by Concord Plaza if I am remembering correctly. Out in Gray Summit there is Zena's (I believe that is what it is called) right on Highway 100. Can't miss it if you take Highway 100 from Wildwood down until it runs into 44 at GS exit.

Answer

drove by Piekutowski's last visit home without time, still kicking myself for not going in:

http://www.saucemagazine.com/article/1/167

http://www.saucemagazine.com/article/1/87
 http://stlouis.citysearch.com/profile/5736289/saint_louis_mo/piekutowski_s_european_style.html

"The brothers use the original 75-year-old stuffing machine and still smoke their sausages in built-in brick ovens in the back of the shop."

just below N. Grand, near I-70, classic. don't let the area scare you, been haunting places around there for 25+ years - don't believe the hype. seen worse.

Answer

I don't know if these are Berkshire but definitely great quality. I learned not that long ago that the darker pork is the better. On their website they mention that their pork is dark.
http://hinkebeinhillsfarm.com/index.htm 
I usually pick up meat at the various farmer's markets.
Bill's Meat and Market on Bellefountaine gets sides of beef so that you can get a chuck roast or sirloin steak with a bone. All their meat is good.

Answer

You can also get Berkshire Pork from the Newman Farm in Myrtle, MO. I believe they don't sell direct from the farm but you can check out their website at http://www.newmanfarm.com/

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Perhaps you should try G&W Bavarian Meat market on Kingshighway. While I was picking up some brautwurst, a woman was picking up a whole side of pork belly for her hsuband who made his own bacon. She did have to call ahead for it.

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My husband owns a Meat Market at the corner of Bellefontaine and Chambers Rd. called Bill's Riverview Market and Meats. I can honestly tell you they have the freshest, best-selection of meat in St. Louis-believe me no other meat I've tasted comes close tasting as delicious as the meat my husband brings home-and I'm not even a big meat girl! They make homemade sausage, brats, stuffed chops, etc. They carry all the local favorites. Bill and his dad are just awesome butchers who take care of their customers like no other! If you'd like, give them a try at 10009 Bellefontaine Rd. St Louis, MO 63137 314-868-0400

Answer

If you're looking for a really convenient option, www.farmergirlmeats.com has 100% Grass Fed Beef, pasture raised heritage pork, and free range poultry. For any St. Louisans looking for for really great quality meats, Farmer Girl Meats home delivers all around the St. Louis area. Being completely transparent, I do work for the company, just trying to provide a resource though! Sorry if this update is a little too late for OP, but I hope it helps someone out!

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Where to buy meat in St. Louis?

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