El Toro Gourmet Meat, What do you like there?

[Priscilla]

Really good beef, from Vintage Natural. Back during the early days of Mad Cow discussion/news/hysteria in the media I wrote to Vintage Natural asking about their cow's feed, and they told me no animal-based foods, ever. So there's that.

But the proof is in the pud.

When we're after steaks we usually just go by what looks best in the case, but we sometimes can be swayed by what's on sale, depending. Rib roast, forget about it -- most gorgeous fat cap swathed around, all nice and tied up, ready to go.

For years I ground my own ground beef, often with ETM's Vintage Natural chuck roasts, but after trying theirs I don't have to do that anymore.

(Eliminating pioneer-woman tasks, where I am able to buy something of as good quality as I could make it myself, is a good thing.)

I am not thrilled with the seafood I see in the case, have never bought any, but I try not to hold that against them.

They have Shelton Poultry products. However, it pisses me off that I cannot buy a fresh Shelton duck whenever I want, in fact, the guy won't even order one because he says he has to order a whole case and even I can't use a whole case.

(I think this is not quite true; I think Shelton would be glad to put a single or a couple ducks on the truck and leave them off at ETM, but the guy doesn't know it or doesn't want to do it and sometimes I tire of educating people in their jobs.)

Very very good pork -- don't know its provenance, but to cook a pork chop w/o having brined it to suggest some moisture, and have it be juicy and tender and delicious, welll, that's worth the price of admission, right there. And excellent American lamb... really the best lamb I think a regular person has available to her. So so good. And you'll pay for it, esp. the racks, but the leg, which is superlatively better than other lamb legs, ain't so cher as all that. Adamantly worth it, at any rate.

However, with its faults, and we all have faults, don't we, ETM is indispensable.

Also: Rusty's chips, and good sandwiches, made with freshly sliced meats and cheese rather than stuff that's been sitting out pre-sliced for God knows how long. And Alta Dena Milk, the touchstone.

[Priscilla]

Occurs to me as I come here to copy the link I failed to provide ETM's website. THAT is no good, and so I hasten to correct.

El Toro Gourmet Meat, the website.

Esp. since they sometimes have printable coupons on there, in addition to listing their monthly specials. Watch out for the bellowing steer sound!

[alosha7777]

I came to OCFN yesterday looking for something else and aaaalmost stopped to comment on provisioning at El Toro. Funny timing.

I absolutely love the beef at this market. Thanks to you Priscilla I never buy it anywhere else now. I've had the flank steak a few times (best ever!!), sirloin for use in stir fry and the ground round for burgers and meatballs. Delicious.

I also love the thick cut pork chops here, and I know you do as well. I've had them 4 times now and they not only taste better than they do elsewhere, but they seem to cook much more evenly and retain more juiciness.

So yes, highly recommended for beefy and porky goodness.

[Priscilla]

Ya, ain't it true about the pork chops... a very difficult meat to find in good quality at the normal consumer level, consistently very very good from ETM. It is so easy to think it's YOU and not the meat, cooking regular leathery pork chops, you know? ETM'll set one right on that account.

The other night, as I wrote over here in What did we cook?, was reminded, by serving them, how good their "German" style sausages are. Just plain porky goodness, extremely well made.

And their top sirloin (which is on sale this month) was just perfect for the Stroganoff I made in February for Ivan's Dad's b.d. Most so-called self-styled soi-disant "top sirlion" is not of high enough quality to use in Stroganoff, however, ETM's is perfect for the job: Tender, adamantly beefy, with the slightest pleasant resistance to the tooth.

Plus, no small thing to me, one can get really nice personal service at the counter and still be out of there in like 3 minutes.

[DanGarion]

Too bad they are all the way over in Lake Forest. I'm not going to pull an Alton Brown and take a cooler with me to hold my meat!

[Priscilla]

Hee.

While we often do bring a cooler with us places, all that's needed really is the Magic Silver Bag... you know those sort of Mylar-looking ones sold in frozen food departments, called something very pithy like "Cold Food Bag" or something like that. Also keeps hot things hot. You've probably seen 'em, come in two sizes (get the large).

We have one staged in each car at all times. Easy to do because they are very flat when empty. And, really really work, keeps cold cold and froz froz and hot hot (not all in the same bag of course).

[Priscilla]

THAT said, El Toro Meats is worth a trip, or a detour if you're anywhere near.

Really good stuff.

[alosha7777]

I agree. I make the extra effort to drive to Lake Forest on the weekend just to get meat there.

I also agree about the top sirloin. Much, much better than whatever the heck that is they sell in Albertson's or the like. Big difference.

[Priscilla]

We grilled ETM's justifiably famous carne asada over mesquite yesterday for tacos... excellent.

Also tried their housemade salsa for the first time, since we weren't farmers marketing for ingredients to make our own. Really really good! I'd buy it again anytime. Fresh fresh fresh, and plenty of crunchy jalapeno presence, which is what is usually lacking in your average tub o' salsa.

I am glad to know of this salsa resource. Already knew about the carne asada!

[alosha7777]

Ooo nice to know!