Have you ever wandered into the meat section of the grocery store, a butcher shop or even a fancy charcuterie-style restaurant and been just slightly perplexed about which cuts to get, how to know if the meat is safe and healthy, the difference between words like natural, grass-fed, grain-fed, hormone-free, feedlot/CAFO free, or humanely raised?

In this podcast, we delve into the mystery of meat with Jacob Dickson of Dickson's Farmstand Meats. Dickson's is a"candy shop for carnivores”, one of the most sought after purveyors of fine quality meats in the city of New York, and offers things like artisanal meats and house-made charcuterie made from animals raised without added hormones, prophylactic antibiotics, or animal by-products - whatever those are. -How Jacob came into the food industry originally from corporate marketing... -Which animal is the most efficient animal to eat from nose-to-tail... -What you should you look for when you walk into the meat section (or a butcher’s shop) to know that the meat you’re getting is actually healthy... -Why some grass-fed meat is not actually healthy grass-fed meat... -What it really means for an animal to be humanely-raised and how you can know it’s really true... -Why the word "natural" on a label means pretty much nothing... -A big misconception about antibiotics, and why they're actually used... -Whether the mold and fungus that forms on meat in the curing process is really bad for you.. -How you can cure your own meat at home… -The ultimate way to cook the tastiest steak...

Resources we discuss in this episode: -Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan -Joel Salatin's book -Beyond Bacon book -Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing

Do you have questions, comments or feedback about choosing healthy meat, grass fed vs. grain fed, DIY meat curing or other meat-related topics? Leave your thoughts at BenGreenfieldFitness.com!