When you visit our meat counters, you get quality meats that meet our strict animal welfare standards. This dedication to animal welfare at farms and ranches and the level of transparency in our stores help you make informed choices about the meat you eat.

I’ll never forget the first time I pulled a whole roasted chicken from the oven. Juicy and golden, it was a beautiful sight. I almost didn’t want to eat it (but I’m glad I did)!

Whole chickens are one of the most popular items at the meat counter, and options span free-range to organic to pasture-raised and more. So what makes pasture-raised different?

Pasture Makes Perfect

I’ve long had an appreciation for smoked meats — sausage, brisket, ribs, etc. — but only recently did I decide to step up to the smoker and try my hand at this cooking method.  

Three years ago, while attending a National Cattleman’s Beef Association trade show, I learned about a new generation of growth promotants for beef cattle. The discussions left me feeling concerned as the conversations were all focused on red meat yield per animal. While I wasn’t very familiar with the term beta agonist (which is a type of growth promotant), the mechanism that was being discussed reminded me of performance enhancement drugs commonly used by athletes.

We embrace the lean, adaptable slab of brisket as a springtime favorite, but look to it year-round to inexpensively feed a crowd. You can go several ways with brisket – slow-cooked pot roast-style with root vegetables, smoked and slathered with barbecue sauce (burnt ends please!), blanketed in lemon slices and simply roasted. You really can’t go wrong with this versatile cut, but we here to make sure things go very right.

At Whole Foods Market®, we’ve got Kosher cooking basics from salt to olive oil and holiday essentials from gefilte fish to grape juice. You’ll also find less traditional but no less important Kosher finds too.

Though deli meat ham is a lunchtime treat in its own right, nothing beats a beautifully lacquered, whole baked ham – except maybe the next day’s leftovers.

The marriage of meat and seafood is a match made in heaven. Whether you want to highlight one or both on your plate, our meat and seafood departments have the best ingredients you need to make a spectacular dinner for your sweetheart.

I handle PR for Whole Foods Market®’s Meat Department, and last Thanksgiving I gained a profound appreciation for what it takes to get turkey on the table.

Looking for the lighter side of the meat counter? Try these tasty options for the new year.