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The Butcher's Block  Chesapeake Foodie visits the Butcher's Block in Annapolis. If you’re vegan, you should probably
stop reading right here. Not that this store doesn’t have lovely things for you. They do. Fab olive oils, artisan breads,
delicious spreads and sauces. I even found dried truffles.
But let’s be honest. The Butcher’s Block, really, is all about the meat. It’s about every cut of beef you could ever want. Fresh pork. A couple of dozen different kinds of sausages. Prosciutto and serrano ham and sopressata. Fish and fowl and fois gras. Heritage turkeys and ducks. Artisan bacons and many, many cheeses.
This is a “best damned steak you can find” store. It’s for the people who know that,
in 2008, kobe beef is out and wagyu is in. It’s for “red meat kinda guys,” as a friend of mine describes
himself. (Although, frankly, I find the gender thing a non-issue. Some teenage girls I know are as frighteningly carnivorous
as they come.)
The first time I visited the Butcher’s Block, Chris LeBarron was cutting and trimming a two-inch thick porterhouse for a couple of guys who were firing up the grill that night for the best meal they’d had since…well…since the last time they’d been there.
The Butcher’s Block opened almost two years ago on Harry S. Truman Parkway South, just off Riva
Road in Annapolis. A family affair, the store is owned by Steve LeBarron and his wife Nancy. Their sons, Chris and Matthew
are also part of the team. And they know their stuff. In an hour, you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about what
makes for a great piece of beef: Prime vs. choice. Marbling. Cornfed. Premium cuts. Dry-aging. Wet-aging. Hand-trimming. Flavor.
Tenderness.
It’s a level of quality you’ll find in the finest steakhouses, but which is simply unavailable at supermarkets — for many reasons. First, there’s the issue of USDA grades. Most supermarkets offer USDA select, or at best, choice – prime is simply unavailable. Steve says that only 1% or 2% of all graded beef qualifies as prime. Most goes to restaurants, and the demand is growing. Or it comes to the Butcher’s Block.
Second, there’s the issue of aging, a process which breaks down the tissues and makes the meat more
tender. Beef is shipped quickly from the meat suppliers and is seldom aged beyond the time it takes to get to the supermarket.
At the Butcher’s Block, all beef is wet-aged (that is, in its own juice) at least three weeks. Dry-aging in the low-humidity
cooler takes an additional four weeks. A piece of beef will lose moisture weight during dry aging, which is one reason that
dry aged beef is more expensive. And finally, supermarkets don’t hand-cut, inspect and trim your steaks, so that you get more of
what you’re paying for. And they certainly don’t grind meat fresh to order the way the Butcher’s Block does.
Steve points out that many supermarkets don’t even have the equipment to grind beef. But at The Butcher’s block,
if you want ground chuck or even ground brisket, they can accommodate.
[By the way, here’s an interesting tidbit. Did you know that prime rib doesn’t necessarily mean prime graded meat? It simply refers to the cut. You can get choice “prime rib” for example. Or if you want, you can get prime dry-aged prime rib. It is arguably the finest piece of beef you can find, commanding a price of $34 a pound. Yes, a pound.]
So how do you choose a really great piece of beef? Well, like everything else in life, it depends. The
LeBarrons will ask you a lot of questions. What’s your budget? How many people are you serving, what do they like? Are
they rare or medium-well sort of people? Is the meat going to be cut, plated and served? Or will it be more buffet style,
where the meat will be sliced and your guests help themselves?
And perhaps most practically, how good a cook are you? The better the cut of meat, the less of a problem it can pose. “If you’re an okay cook, don’t overcook it, don’t overspice it, don’t get all ‘TV’ on yourself,” says Steve. “Or, if your guests all want ‘brown,’ then you’re going to need a cut of meat with a little more marbling, so it stays juicy longer.
Ready for that great roast? Okay, you’re going to do it — serve a great piece of beef to your family and friends. Here are a few
tips from Steve LeBarron. He suggests about a pound per person. If you’re serving prime rib, eight people would require
a four-rib piece of meat. Tenderloin and also roast sirloin is a great cut. Preheat the oven to 400º to sear the meat for 15 to 20 minutes. (Rib roasts should be cooked bone-side down.) Reduce to 325º, and go for an hour. Check the internal temperature. It should be from 125º to 135º, depending on how well-done you like your meat. Don’t let the internal temperature go higher than that. The meat will gain 5º to 10º while resting, and should rest at least 10 to 15 minutes. During that time, you can deglaze your pan with some red wine, stock or water for your au jus. And there you have it. Serve to accolades. Just want a great meal? Especially with the sign in the window that Butcher’s Block is applying for wine and beer sales. Could a gourmet carnivore be any happier? I can’t imagine.  The Butcher's Block 302 Harry S Truman Pkwy, Suite K |
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