We’re looking for a few (more) good butchers. Can you help?
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My story about the return of good butchers drew a couple of email responses that made me think.
Wayne DeBord commented:
‘I can’t tell you how I miss the corner butchers that were in every corner grocery when I was a kid. Maybe down the road the Times’ food department would consider an investigation to uncover some real butchers in the greater area outside of L.A. proper? We’re out in the east San Gabriel Valley (Covina), and had South Hills meats for many years, but they shuttered their doors nearly twenty years ago. Finally found the Corner Butcher Shop out in LaVerne -- not bad, but a bit on the pricey side, but even that’s not really local to us. I figure there must be some jewels out this way, but I sure don’t know about them. My absolutely favorite butcher shop is Don & Joe’s Meats in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, but it’s bit far to drive for a Sunday roast.’
Reader Asim Desai said I overlooked her favorite butcher, San Pedro’s South Shores Meat Shop on Western Avenue at West 25th Street. Then I heard from Craig Faustus Buck, who loves Alex Meat Market, ‘a.k.a. Carniceria Argentina on Victory just west of Lankershim in North Hollywood. Ask for Hanibal. They only have beef and chicken, being Argentine, but it’s all hand cut to specification, and they’ve got everything you need for a great asado, including chinchulin (braided, of course) and mollejas.’
I did my best to round up high-quality butchers for the story, but obviously I missed a couple. So how about it? Do you have a favorite butcher? Someone who really knows how to cut meat, or someone who provides great customer service? Let’s crowd-source this and make my list better. Just write your response below.
-- Russ Parsons
