MEATS

El Chaparral Meat Market
2719 N. Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-276-8336; 7202 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church; 703-207-1777
Check locations for times.

A word of warning to those who’ve never stepped foot in a Latin meat market, much less sought out a Latino butcher: There will be blood … sausage, that is. Morcilla is just one of the specialty chorizos and salchichas handmade by El Chaparral’s in-house meatpackers, a spiced pork parade which includes: longaniza (spicy-sweet), Salvadoran chorizo (hot), Honduran sausages (savory) and more. Fresh beef is shipped in nearly every other day from out west (Colorado) and hand-carved into familiar cuts (bulky roasts, lean skirt steaks, knobby ribs). Meanwhile, adventure seekers can indulge in a host of oft-featured variety meats (beef liver, disturbingly large bags of tripe) or special orders (suckling pig, fresh goat).

Two Fat Butchers
239-C South St., Front Royal; 540-635-6900; www.twofatbutchers.com
Open 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

Self-effacing butchers Roger Smith and Kyle Loyd don’t do boutique meat. Their beef is from Midwest slaughterhouses, poultry gets plucked from Edinburg, pork arrives from Southern Virginia/North Carolina, and venison (they processed around 600 deer last fall) is marshaled in by local hunters.

As such, the shop specializes in mixed protein variety packs (half hog orders (pre-cut/wrapped for easy storage), steak samplers (porterhouse, NY strips, ribeyes), “freezer filler” beef medleys (150-175 pounds of carnivorous wanderlust), weekly meal bundles (breakfast sausage, varying dinner options), six-packs of premium proteins featuring 6 pounds each of ground chuck, chicken, link sausages, bone-in pork chops, roast tip/London broil plus rotating cuts) galore.

The duo also produces just over half a dozen homemade sausages (Smith claims they sell a couple hundred pounds of sausage per week) and assorted jerkies.

Home Farm Store
1 E. Washington St., Middleburg; 540-687-8882; www.homefarmstore.com
Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily.

Home Farm—the retail arm of neighboring Ayrshire Farm—stands ready to serve those both new to the humanely raised movement or accustomed to the pleasures of pasture-raised meats.

Retail manager Susannah Carney and her in-house butchers are always available to discuss the nutritional/psychic/sociological benefits of their heritage breed beef (Scotch Highland), pork (Gloucestershire Old Spots), veal (Rose) and fowl (free-range chicken: routinely; turkey, pheasant: seasonally).

Their core constituency, however, remains enamored with red meat.

“People really are looking for steaks,” Carney says, touting their hand-carved filet mignons, ribeyes and portherhouses as perennial favorites.

Though they are converting others.

“Once people find out that humane veal is available, they go crazy for it,” she maintains.

The Organic Butcher
6712 Old Dominion Drive, McLean; 703-790-8300; www.theorganicbutcher.com
Open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.

Marketing gurus-turned-meat slicers Don Roden (runs the McLean store) and Ryan Ford (tends the Charlottesville shop) burst onto the scene in November 2005 and have been charming gourmet protein hounds ever since. Their ability to corral some of the most mouthwatering cuts around is nothing short of astounding, whether they’re sourcing grass-fed beef (Polyface Farm), Kurobuta pork (Pennsylvania), elk (South Dakota) or Alaskan wild King salmon (“less than 24 hours out of the water,” according to Roden).

Roden lists hanger steak, house-marinated chicken breasts and Berkshire pork ribs as brisk sellers but noted that they are perfectly inclined to field any special requests (pork cheeks, beef ribs, quail, organ meats). Next up: organizing butchering classes for spring 2011.

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Packin’ Meat
Think you love protein? These artisan producers have made quality meats their life’s work.

Grace Brock
Ole Pioneer’s Kitchen; www.opkfoods.com
When retirement proved unfulfilling, Brock began digging into her history. Her journey of self-discovery led to some long-lost recipes, which rekindled an interest in butchering (a one-time family business). Today, Brock specializes in over a dozen different sausages, bacons and marinated meats, including her multifaceted Argentine salchicha, spicy Mexican chorizo [PEEP BROCK'S RECIPES AT: www.northernvirginiamag.com/pm] and Buckboard shoulder bacon (“to die for” in homemade BLTs, she says).

Lothar Erbe
Lothar’s Gourmet Sausage; 703-677-2731
An artisan master butcher from Bavaria, Erbe claims to have roughly 900 sausage recipes rattling around in his skull. He honors his heritage with tastes of home—Black Forest bacon, thick-cut, paprika-rubbed pork ribs (excellent grill fodder)—but thinks globally (Croatian cevapcici, American-style farmer’s sausage) as well. Add his seasonal spiessbraten (pork loins stuffed with bacon and onions for summer; bacon, onion, dried apple and cinnamon in winter) or Tuscan lamb steaks to your arsenal—NOW.

Stanley Feder
Simply Sausage; www.simply-sausage.com
Given his penchant for travel (Feder wintered in Spain and Italy in order to study with native sausage makers) and new challenges (he created a Boerewors recipe for some South African buddies), it’s no wonder Simply Sausage turns out so many must-tries. Feder enjoys his Merguez any time [PEEP FEDER'S RECIPES AT: www.northernvirginiamag.com/pm], while friends scramble his Greek sausage with eggs (breakfast) or crumble SS butifarra in marinara (whenever).

Nathan Anda
Red Apron Butchery; www.redapronbutchery.com
A true, nose-to-tail disciple, Anda launched Red Apron to spotlight off-menu delicacies. Though he’s happy to have folks flock to his baconwurst (think: gourmet half-smoke) and cured hams (speck rocks), Anda’s pork spreads—N’Duja breathes fire, Ciccioli flaunts elegant spice, Cuiscolo does a citrus-licorice dance—are gamechangers. Next up: mastering Northeastern pork roll and Chicago-style Italian beef.

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Shopping key
(CSA) Participates in Community-Supported Agriculture
(DS) Direct to Consumer Sales
(FM) Available at Local Farmers Markets
(O) Online Sales
(R) Available at Local Retailers
(YR) Year-Round Operation

Amity Halal Meat & Groceries • 10372 Lee Highway, Fairfax; 703-591-2900
Angelic Beef • Remington; 540-439-2019 (FM)
Belle Meade Farm • 353 F.T. Valley Road, Sperryville; 540-987-9748 (DS)
Croftburn Farm • 16190 Germanna Highway, Culpeper; 540-825-9044 (FM, O, R)
Farm Buyers Club • Amissville; 540-937-7977 (O)
Fields of Athenry Farm • 38082 Snickersville Turnpike, Purcellville; 540-687-3936 (FM, O)
Forlano’s Market • 6483 Main St., The Plains; 540-253-5456
German Gourmet • 5838 Columbia Pike, Falls Church; 703-534-1908
Lebanese Butcher • 113 E. Annandale Road, Falls Church; 703-533-2903
Let’s Meat on the Avenue • 2403 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria; 703-836-6328 
Logan Sausage Company • 4116 Wheeler Ave., Alexandria; 703-212-6677 (DS, R)
Maple Avenue Market • 128 Maple Ave. E., Vienna; 703-957-9348 
Martin’s Angus Beef • The Plains; 540-253-5264 (O, R)
Meadow Green Farm • 210 Popham’s Ford Road, Sperryville; 540-987-8445 (DS, O)
Milcreek Farm • 37964 Long Lane, Lovettsville; 540-822-4181 (DS, O)
Mount Airy Farms • 9541 John Mosby Highway, Upperville; 540-687-9790 (FM, O)
Mount Vernon Farm • 206 Mount Vernon Lane, Sperryville; 540-987-9559 (DS, O)
Olde Towne Butcher • 405 William St., Fredericksburg; 540-370-4105
Sharieff Halal Meat Market • 5135 Lee Highway, Arlington; 703-536-4322
Springfield Butcher • 6310-B Springfield Plaza, Springfield; 703-245-0111
Stachowski Brand Charcuterie (R)
Super Halal Meat • 7046 Spring Garden Drive, Springfield; 703-866-2024
S. Wallace Edwards & Sons • Surry (O, R)
Touchstone Farm • 140 Touchstone Lane, Amissville; 540-937-6124 (O)
Valentine’s Country Meats • 1326 Locust Grove Road, Orange; 540-672-1296 (FM)
Virginia Meat Packing Company • 7205 Centreville Road, Manassas; 571-292-2002
Walnut Hill Farm at Elm Spring • 449 Kellogg Mill Road, Falmouth; 540-752-2909 (FM)
Woodtrail Farm • 19643 Woodtrail Road, Round Hill; 540-554-8665 (DS)
WOW! Fresh Meat • 14215 Centreville Square, Centreville; 703-266-6328