by Cathy Starita
Looking for some delicious, locally raised beef, pork, and lamb- perhaps even goat, for your cozy winter meals? The Amsterdam Meat Shop, 6680 Amsterdam Rd., (across from Danhoff Chevrolet) in Manhattan, is the place to go. The Meat Shop works with a broad variety of local farms and ranches to bring locally raised meats to local families, restaurants, grocery stores, and guest ranches. Whether a customer seeks grain-finished, or grass-finished beef, the Meat Shop sells beef and pork by the Half or Whole carcass.
Fresh? Nothing can be fresher than to eat the first filet off an animal that was grazing in the field just a few days ago— in a field that the buyer drove past just last week! In these days when more and more customers want to know their farmers, the Meat Shop continues to do what it has for over 20 years- connect families and farms with healthy, locally raised foods. There are no electronic National Animal Verification tags needed for this beef, pork, lamb, or goat. Every animal is known from birth, and a handshake between buyer and producer is possible any day. The Meat Shop uses as much of each carcass as possible, salvaging all allowable products from each animal. This reduces landfill waste, and also provides more human and pet food from each animal. In addition to the traditional steaks, roasts, and ground meat one usually expects, organ meats— heart, liver, and tongue— are also available for retail sale at the Meat Shop. Soup bones for making tasty stock are available in 5 lb packages. Beef fat, useful for rendering into beef tallow, for adding to wild game meat, cooking, cosmetics, and soaps is available in 5 lb packages. Pork fat, excellent as another additive option for wild game sausage, is also available from locally raised hogs. On the pet side of the food aisle, the Meat Shop has Dog Bones- both grass and grain finished, along with Beef Heart, Liver, and Tongue for those who prefer a raw food diet for their cats and dogs. The Meat Shop also saves all meat and fat trim from the beef carcasses— the dry outside covering of a beef after the 14 day aging period- available in frozen 5 lb packages as well. Many pet owners have found that their pets benefit from a raw food diet, which can reduce arthritis and skin ailments in some animals. To reserve your Half or Whole Beef or Pork, or bones, organs, or pet scraps, call the Meat Shop at 406-282-7800. True mailing is Manhattan, not Amsterdam. Not sure many folks know where Amsterdam is! •
