Maybe you’ve noticed that everybody is really into eating pig flesh again. Lamb, too. Also duck, elk, quail, and even bunny. This stuff is all over new menus in Brooklyn right now. In general it seems the anemic felchers behind the veggie and raw-food movements are getting their titties stomped once again by revivalist carnivores. Me? I remain a mildly embarrassed vegetarian, a byproduct of being way too into hardcore as a suburban teen. As punishment for my moral fortitude, the Vice zookeepers requested I hoof around Brooklyn and interview a bunch of old families and new faces who service the borough’s meat needs, chopping animals into menstrual-colored morsels of what I’m sure is a mind-twisting tenderness. These are the folks who get whole carcasses of animals delivered to them daily, handle their own butchery, and even string up sausages right there on-site. And just for my slew of local Jewish pals, I made a run by a Kosher butcher and found out what makes their friendly brand of murdered animal so special.

All photos by Shaunna White

Steve’s Meat Market 104 Nassau Ave., Greenpoint Vice: So how long has Steve’s Meat Market been around? Stephen Tychanski: What type of people give you the most money for all this meat? I hear your kielbasa is the best around. True? What’s your favorite? How do you make it so good? What is kielbasa anyway? I actually don’t eat meat. I’m sorry. Sure. If I were to give up all my morals and values and denounce vegetarianism right now, what would you suggest I eat? Oh no. I’m just kidding. But if I was to… You think Steve’s kielbasa could change my mind? You guys are owned by the same people who run Diner and Marlow & Sons. How did this butcher shop come to be? Marlow & Daughters 95 Broadway, South Williamsburg Vice: This butcher shop is pretty new, right? How long has it been here? Sara Kramer: Traditionally, butcher shops tend to be steeped in years of tradition. Marlow & Daughters is a baby compared to other Brooklyn shops. How have you guys been received? It’s pretty rare to see a girl butcher. How did you get into it? I heard you guys sell tail. People eat that? What’s the most unusual pieces of meat that you guys sell? Whoa. So these things right here, trotters. Those are actual pig’s feet. How could someone cook that? They still have hooves! Have you always been a big fan of meat then? Seriously? Los Paisanos 162 Smith St., Carroll Gardens How long have you guys been in Carroll Gardens? You must have a lot of old regulars who still come in. What’s the most important thing about owning a butcher shop? I heard you guys carry a lot of exotic meats. What are the rules you go by when handling the meat? Any accidents over the years? Mostly fingers? Are you the best butcher shop in Brooklyn? Avi Glatt Kosher 1002 Quentin Rd., Flatbush How long have you guys been here? And your family owns both of them? Who’s your clientele? What are the major differences between kosher and nonkosher meat? So, basically it’s just not being a lazy bum and taking the time to thoroughly clean the animals? Since there are so many restrictions surrounding the upbringing of these animals, it must affect their diet, too. What type of meat do you sell here then? Is there intense training for anybody who starts as a butcher? Like an apprenticeship? So, cutting up chickens is like kindergarten for new butchers?