Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here's the most common questions our Butchers get...
Early in the process of breaking down cattle, government graders give that animal a grade based on a number of metrics, including marbling (or “frosting” as it is known in Japan), which tends to indicate better flavour, as well as the age of the animal, the size and the shape of each of the muscles, the amount of fat that covers the muscle. In Canada, the highest grade is Prime, followed by AAA, AA, and A. In the United States, the highest grade is also Prime, followed by Choice and Select.
That instantly recognizable red colour of steak has to do with the amount of blood still left in the cut. If you receive a steak from The Butcher Shoppe that isn’t as red as you expected, it’s likely that the blood hasn’t come to the surface yet. Often, removing your steak from the Cryovac packaging we send it in can also impact the colour.
Generally, an animal that only eats grass for its life is not going to develop as high a grade, as an animal that eats a fattier diet. A very lean diet without corn, grain or wheat will result in a lower grade and very lean meat, which is often not flavourful. Corn, barley, wheat, and grains tend to be higher in carbohydrates, and as a result, a healthy animal will bulk up and provide more flavourful meat.
It’s important to remember that feed is only part of an animal’s upbringing, and that farmers typically feed their animals what is most available given the seasons. For example, in Canada, because we grow so much grain and wheat here, we tend to feed our animals a lot of grain and wheat. In the United States, they grow a lot of corn, and as a result, they feed their animals a lot of corn. In Japan, they grow a lot of rice and sweet potato, and as a result, they feed their animals a lot of rice and sweet potatoes.
No. All of our steaks are cut and prepared by hand with little to no machine processing. We never needle, inject, or mechanically tenderize our steaks. We don’t use machine trimmers because they trim what shouldn’t be trimmed, and often miss what should, meaning the customer ends up paying for the weight of scraps.
Your order is always cut fresh no more than 24 hours before it is delivered to your door, in a vacuum sealed package, on our own fleet of refrigerated trucks.
Generally, we deliver to the Greater Toronto Area, around 250 to 300 kilometers from Toronto city. We use our own refrigerated trucks to complete your delivery. In most cases, next-day delivery is available. At this time, delivery is not available beyond Southern Ontario.
You can set a specific delivery date, yes. On our side, we’ll make sure your meat is cut to order, packaged, and shipped no more than 24 hours before your delivery date. If you need to change your order or delivery date, please call us at (416) 234-2290 or email us at info@butchershoppe.com
Of course! We’d be happy to see you.
You can find us at 121 Shorncliffe Rd, Etobicoke, ON M8Z 5K7
We do not offer a subscription service at this time.
All orders are hand-cut fresh to order, so we recommend that you cook and consume, or freeze, your meat within five days of receiving it. Most proteins will keep frozen up to a year.
We source much of our meat locally, however we do source some of the best products that other countries have to offer.
Wagyu is simply any of the original breeds of Japanese cattle. Meat cut from these animals is known for its intense marbling, high quality, and rich flavor. Kobe beef is a very particular strain of Wagyu called Tajima-Gyu that is raised to strict standards in the Hyogo Prefecture. Kobe is the capital city of Hyogo, thus the name.
We recommend that you prepare or freeze your Butcher Shoppe order within five days of receiving it. Most meat will hold in a deep freeze for up to a year. For best practices around meat handling, see Safe food handling in the home from Canada.ca.
Absolutely. Most of our cuts of meat can be prepared in a large pan, preferably a cast-iron skillet, on high heat. The trick is to season meat appropriately and use the right temperature to achieve that nice crusty sear on the outside. Some of our product pages include recommendations on preparation, including instructions for preparing meat on the stove.
Next-day delivery is free for orders over $250!
Deliver the best. Delight our customers.
Next-day delivery, 6 days per week, by refrigerated truck. Rush service if needed.
Always open, 24/7 days a Week.
Our Customer Sales & Service department can respond 24 hours a day to your sales or order inquiry.
Extensive delivery within Ontario.
We deliver throughout the GTA from Oshawa to Niagara, west to London and north to Bracebridge. Simply place your order online today and we’ll deliver generally next day.