Meat in Ocean/Monmouth County

[rluke2286]

I am looking for a good butcher in Ocean/Monmouth County. Looking for specialty meats like mutton, game and offal meat. I would also be interested in finding a good place to find pasture raised meat and poultry.

[MGZ]

By now, I have either visited or called each of the places mentioned. As for "free range," "pastured," or (most difficult to find) heritage breed chickens, none of them carry such birds. They do all carry good, organic, pesticide-free, or whatever, fowl. Certainly better than Purdue, but without that different flavor dimension added when a chicken eats what it finds, not what it's fed.

I did find free range poultry at Whole Foods. The chickens were predictably expensive at about $15 a bird and I was dissapointed by how they seemed to have the typical factory fowl large breasts/small thighs proportions I was looking to avoid. Be warned though, contrary to what the staff might tell you (or at least what one guy told me), all of the chickens are NOT free range or pasture fed. Instead, an inspection of most of the packages revealed the phrase "barn roaming," which is not the same either as to condition or feed. e.g. http://www.billingsnews.com/index.php...

[MichelleM131]

This is similar to how much of the produce at Whole Foods features the word "conventional" on the sign in tiny letters.

[Molly186]

Call Monmouth Meats they could get you anything,just ordered venison loins no problem

[chefMD]

MGZ---
try running bug farm down old route 9 in bayville. heritage, free range, the right stuff (where i buy my eggs for the house)
whole food does carry simply grazin products http://simplygrazin.com/.
all pastured, 100% grass fed, certified organing, etc, etc.. stuff is not cheap. the chicken is not a heritage breed but i can attest to its tastyness!

[MGZ]

We haven't been down that way in a while. Now I have a reason to go. Thanks, MD - think I'll try that the farm when we get back.

[jrztomato]

I recommend Sabato's in the Belford junction. There web site is below and they have a rich history. Two of the butchers are avid hunters and they know a lot about game.

http://sabatosprimemeats.com/5.html

[scrappyone]

Good call on Sabatos at the Junction. They also have great foot long hot dogs along with foot long rolls. I may stop in for some this weekend.

[Mr. Bingley]

i fear you may go hungry scrappy:

WE WILL BE CLOSED FOR VACATION ON:
MONDAY 08/09/10 - MONDAY 08/23/10
REOPEN TUESDAY 08/24/10

[J M S]

I recommend Pats Meat Market in Lincroft. Incredible.

[MichelleM131]

Ahh, Pats! Yes, I haven't been there in ages. We used to always get out meat there when I was little. I think the last time I had bologna I was waiting in line there and always looked forward to getting a slice! Great meat, great family, too.

[equal_Mark]

http://patsmeat.com/

[Mr. Bingley]

i live in maine now?

good thing i just bought a snowblower...

[J M S]

This is a link to a place in Maine...

[equal_Mark]

Damn. Got that link from Google Maps (click on the link that appears in the popup on the map). Must be a Chinese plot...

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&...

[Mr. Bingley]

hehehe, or a conspiracy by the other area butchers...

[sockster]

A big +1 for Sabatos- A GREAT butcher!!

[J M S]

Also +1 for Sabatos. Great family owned meat market.

[MGZ]

I almost forgot about Cherry Grove Farm. They sell pasture raised beef, pork and lamb. They are not in Mon/OC, as the farm is close to Princeton, however, they do sell at the Red Bank Farmers' Market on Sundays.

http://www.cherrygrovefarm.com/

-----
Cherry Grove Farm
3200 Lawrenceville Rd, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

[MGZ]

I suppose I should add that they only sell certain cuts. For example, the only roasts available are beef eye round and pork Boston butt.

[scrappyone]

We've always been very happy with Citarellas in Red Bank.

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=...

[MGZ]

Citarella's and Monmouth are certainly great shops, but neither really carries much offal, game, or pastured poultry. Allen's and Bell & Evans are fine birds, but someone in the Mon/OC must have something free range???

[Mr. Bingley]

What about Godek's in Marlboro?

Godek's Farm
100 South Main Street (Route 79)
Marlboro, NJ 07746-1823
Phone: [phone]

I've never been there but I know someone (a Greek guy) who got a whole dressed goat there one time for a lovely spit-roasting.

[Mr. Bingley]

I've gone to Monmouth Meats in Red Bank a few times and always found it good. The ground lamb he made for me was out of this world.

[equal_Mark]

Monmouth Meats has a website: http://www.monmouthmeats.com/

[MGZ]

This is an excellent topic and I look forward to any new information anyone may share. I have found that true "free range"/pasture raised chickens, for example, are nearly impossible to find. I used to get them at supermarkets, but they have been replaced by the "hormone free" etc. birds that taste just like Perdue.

D.A. Barsch, "The German Butcher," in Toms River is the best butcher shop I am aware of in the area. I would think that they would provide you with most offal meats, but a phone call is probably prudent.

There is a place in Asbury Park that typically sells mutton. I think it may be called "Meat n More," and is located on Main Street.