BEEF MONTH: Fareway market manager says 'fresh is best'

Heath Smith says his favorite cut of beef is a ribeye steak because of its marbling, flavor and tenderness.

For two and a half years now, he has served as Greenfield Fareway Meat and Grocery’s market manager.

Smith has a dozen years logged with the company, including two and a half years here.

May is Beef Month. In January, Smith was honored at the Adair County Cattlemen Banquet as this year’s Friend of the Cattlemen.

Smith is going on two decades working in the meat business. Upon graduating high school, he dove head first into the restaurant industry. His restaurant made it so that it was a 24/7, 365 days a year proposition.

“All the meat we got at my restaurant was from our local locker,” he said.

When he got out of the restaurant business, on the brink of burnout, Smith found a job at that meat locker where he had gotten all his meat from.

Smith knew what the finished product of most of the cuts were supposed to look like, and he had knife experience from the restaurant.

“The owner looked at me and told me if I knew what the end result’s supposed to look like and have the knife experience, they would teach me everything else,” Smith said.

The primary function of that locker was cutting premium steaks for restaurants, so there weren’t a lot of customers coming through the doors.

“At Fareway, I get the best of both worlds. I get to work with customers and get to cut meat, which I’ve found I really enjoy doing,” Smith said.

Fareway’s belief is that especially when it comes to meat, fresh is best. Each piece of meat in the display case is cut daily on site. Known for their brats as well, Fareway makes those from their trim every day.

Meat is all sourced from right here in the midwest, further cementing their philosphy of freshness. Smith said that when you’re going down the road and see cattle in the pasture, it’s likely those cattle could end up on your plate through the Fareway meat counter some day.

“The quality of steak we’re selling here is pretty much the same quality you would get at a restaurant. The only quality we use is “choice.” We’re able to get “prime” in as well. Most restaurants, they’re using the “choice” grade beef,” Smith said. “Anything you get at a restaurant you can get right here at our Fareway meat counter.”

Smith says he learned at the locker, from the owner, where every piece of meat comes from on the animal. It was there that Smith learned how to cut a steak and ensure it is tender.

“If you don’t cut it the right way it can come out very tough,” Smith said. “There’s a technique to it. He also taught me trim and how important that is.”

Smith said he’s extremely thankful for livestock producers in the local area because of how local Fareway stays.

“We’re not buying it from overseas where it’s been frozen for who knows how long. The fresh beef is the better way to go,” Smith said.

The Adair County Cattlemen plan to partner with Greenfield Fareway Meat and Grocery for a grill out to cap off Beef Month May 31. The event time and more details will be advertised later.