The weather has been wet in the Bay for the start of this year. As a result, some of us are busy trying to keep ourselves – and our homes – dry.  For those of us who enjoy cooking it means we have to find ways to keep good food around without wasting time. Kimchi […]

There is some seasonal variability in chicken egg production. In the fall and winter, adult hens molt —dropping their feathers and growing new ones — a process that can take several weeks. During that time, the hens’ energy and nutrients go into producing new feathers, rather than eggs. This natural slowdown in egg laying is followed by […]

Carbonara is the Italian work for coal miner. This dish is called called carbonara because of the specks of black pepper are reminiscent of coal dust. Aaron Rocchino, co-founder and former co-owner of The Local Butcher Shop, shares his recipe for this very rich dish, featuring The Local Butcher Shop’s housemade guanciale. A note from […]

Classic preparations and recipe ideas for your Passover and Easter meals. Briskets: the Rocchinos Favorite Brisket Bon Appetit’s Guide to Brisket Brisket with Lemon-Oregano sauce Lamb: Boneless Leg of Lamb Lamb Shoulder and Lamb Neck Recipes Spring Shepherd’s Pie with Peas and Mint Hams and Pork: Guide to Reheating and Glazing our house-cured hams Fresh […]

The shoulder of most animals are typically best braised until the meat falls off the bone. Lamb shoulder is a bit more versatile and is just as suitable as a roast; You can tie it up bone in, or to make carving easier have the blade-bone removed. If the shank is attached to the shoulder, […]

January 25th is the birthday of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. Scots celebrate with a decadent meal that includes haggis. Haggis is essentially a sausage that is stuffed and cooked in a sheep stomach. Our haggis is made with lamb meat, heart, kidney, tongue, liver, stock, oats, barley, onions. It’s seasoned with cayenne, thyme, allspice, pepper, lemon, […]

After a full week of closure due to COVID, we are thrilled to announce the shop will reopen with regular hours Friday, January 14th. To our relief, our staff who tested positive for COVID have recovered in isolation and have now tested negative. In addition, our staff who had close contact with these individuals have […]

Join us October 30th to celebrate ten years of good meat and custom-cut butchery! Aaron and I started this butcher shop ten years ago to bring locally-sourced, well-raised meat to home cooks of the East Bay. Another goal was to see more of each other since our prior jobs had us working opposite shifts. Well, […]

We get so many questions about how to prepare holiday meats. So, we’ve compiled our favorite tips, techniques and recipes in one place. Veal Our veal & how to cook specific cuts Beef How to prepare & cook a standing rib roast The Rocchino’s favorite brisket Hams & Pork How to glaze & reheat a holiday ham […]

If you ask our customers why they choose to eat organic, locally-raised meat, you’ll probably get a lot of different answers. Some people do it for environmental reasons, some people do it for health, and just about everyone will tell you that they do it because clean, fresh meat simply tastes amazing. At The Local […]