Just like our forefathers said, you can’t have the Fourth of July without meat. It’s practically in the Constitution.
One of the main features of the holiday – and the summer in general – is throwing some nice meat on the grill and hanging out in the yard all day and night.
Since Concord is home to a couple of places that deal a lot with meat – Quality Cash Market and Concord Beef and Seafood – we checked them out to see what each had going on around this busy time of year.
At Quality Cash, meat department manager Moe Duncan said the hottest items are typically burgers and hot dogs – pretty classic.
“The next thing for us is we do shish kabobs,” Duncan said. “Smaller families, like five or six people or something, that’s what they really look at. They want something unique. It’s got the veggies, it’s got the meat, it’s got everything they want.”
Seems pretty logical. If you’re going to have 50 people over for a cookout, go for the easier (and cheaper) burgers and dogs. If it’s just going to be a small get-together, splurge a little and try the kabobs.
All of the kabobs are put together by hand at the store, and the ground beef is ground there, too.
If you’re going to need a big order for the Fourth, just call ahead (225-9661) at least 24 hours in advance to let them know.
At Concord Beef and Seafood, “beef is king,” said co-owner Rob Darling.
“Steak tips are the best sellers by far because all the work is done for you,” he said. The tips are marinated in a vacuum chamber that allows all the juice to soak into the meat within a half hour instead of 12 or 18 hours. Pretty handy.
All the meat is tenderized the old-fashioned way, too – with a meat tenderizer and a lot of elbow grease. A lot of places use chemicals to tenderize meat, but not Concord Beef and Seafood.
There is, of course, plenty of fresh seafood too, but the guys at this shop are mostly focused on the land-grazing food around the Fourth.
For big orders, call ahead (226-3474) leaving enough time for them to get everything ready for you.
Happy eating!
