Raise -and butcher- your own banty's and this won't be a problem?

Why not get a game hen or similar from the ID?

The best price for free-range chicken is at Metropolitan Market. I just bought several for under $6 each. Compare that to $15 for two breasts at Rain Shadow. This doesn't answer your small chicken question (although they are fairly small 3-4 lbs) but is well worth considering. (no slight to rain shadow, they are awesome!)

I hope someone has a good answer for this, because I want one too. Not a Cornish Game Hen, a chicken -- but a normal size, or what used to be a normal size before all chickens started turning into Kardashians, with the giant breasts. Even a 4-pounder is unlikely where I shop; we get these 6-pound behemoths that are way too much even for two. And it's very frustrating when every recipe says "nice 3-pound roaster", when the last one of those I saw was two decades ago.

I've seen half chickens. It's cut straight down the middle. If you have a local store with a butcher I think you can ask them to chop one in half for you. They can stick the other half out on the shelf and I bet it would sell easily.

Turkey breasts might be a nice alternative. They're big like small chicken and you can bake them just the same.

For me, seeing mechicanically seperated meat (aka meat soft serve) in the ingredients sereves as a red flag that says DON"T EAT ME...

That's a pretty transparent label if you ask me, it actually tells you some specific ingredients (pork, pork hearts vs. just "pork"). To add to what Amy said, in layman's terms, when chicken is "mechanically separated" it means that a machine is used to basically pick the bones clean of all meat. The meat that is separated ends up as a paste-like product that can then be formed into things like hot-dogs or chicken nuggets.

It's a warning for the potential for bone fragments because of how it's made. Just like the warning on pitted prunes and apricots and such to watch out for pit fragments.

Here's the USDA label regs: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/meat_&_poultry_labeling_terms/index.asp#12

This is also how McNugget-type products are born.

Could you be more specific? Are we talking corned beef, pastrami, bbq, or pot roast? Or are you wanting an entire uncooked brisket?

Honestly, unless you plan to work in the industry I don't get these questions at all. Food has to be killed, and the wonderful industries are nice enough to keep us in the dark about it by doing it themselves. If you are planning to work in the industry, Google probably has millions of factual answers to this, as many places will incorporate their own methods based on what they believe is most humane, but really, killing "humanely" is just not possible. But I digress, the answer to kobe beef is pretty simple, some fancy way that they can use to make it seem worth more money so people will be willing to spend more on it. Food flavoring is in the seasons more, personally, a well flavored steak with just the right amount of spices and Worcestershire sauce ... magnifique, though I do like it juicy, meaning it must have blood dammit!

The bovine is bathed, dressed in ceremonial white robes, and is fed its favorite meal of beer and skittles. It then prepares for death by writing a death poem.

With its selected attendant (kaishakunin, "second") standing by, the bovine takes up its tantō (knife) or wakizashi (short sword) wrapped in paper so not to sever its hoof or lose its decidedly tenacious grip and plunges it into its abomasum, making a left-to-right cut. The kaishakunin then performs the Moo de grâce.

The former Rhoadie's next to the Space Needle. Aaaaaaawesome brisket.

Central Coop (aka Madison Market) has them pretty regularly and they are exclusively organic livers.

Chicken livers should be pretty standard fare at most grocery stores. My wife loves chicken livers and I bought it from the a Thrifway Market in Greenwood.

Stokesberry Farm, with stands at the U-District Market on Saturdays, Ballard Farmer's Market on Sundays, sells chicken livers.

My family has long considered steaks to be treats. Once I learned enough about beef to be called a Beef Geek (amongst other funny names), it makes sense to keep it that way as in a 1,150 lb steer or heifer, the yield is only 80-100 lbs of steaks (out of a total meat yield of around 450-500 lbs). As for a grilled steak being bad for your health, I can think of a lot of things that are far worse. Charred meat is a bit different - it seems fairly clear that one wouldn't want to eat a lot of this - but then I don't like charred meat in the first place.

I've had sirloin steaks cap on and they were fantastic (and I'd say the same for the Rib-Eye). But in general, I think Tamara's right that one can take advantage of the versatility of the Sirloin if you remove the cap and cook it on its own.

If you bought the whole sirloin then it is called the "sirloin butt"
The sirloin butt is comprised of three cuts. The Cap , Top Sirloin (center) and the Mouse muscle (that gets cut away from the top sirloin) The mouse is typically used for ground meat or stews. The cap can be used for steaks and roasts, and the sirloin center is a very lean cut as well that can be cut into steaks. To remove or not remove is up to you..what are you looking for and how picky are you about fat and sinew? The reason to remove it and cook these pieces separately gives you the opportunity to cut away the connective tissues, because they do not break down very much in the cooking process. Either way I would separate the three components and make them as connective tissue free as possible, then grind, grill ,stew or stir fry away. if I was making a roast, I may just tie it and deal with it. Its ALL good.

It has been proven that the char on overly charred anything is not good for us. It has been proven that a lot of protein from animals is not good for us.
Do I think steak is necessary to supplement your diet..my opinion is no. Is it a treat? Only if you think so, because of health or economic reasons. I am not a vegetarian, but I monitor my meat consumption and I keep in mind that an elephant lives on a plant diet. It's a personal choice and personal decision. Moderation and personal exploration is always good and healthy...ier

Charred meat is bad because a lot of a particular chemical process is able to take place in the conditions that lead to charred meat:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060406101252.htm

A nice lean piece of red meat is great protein and ...iron, I think. I have a health nut body builder friend who'll eat steak. But his muscles get a crazy work out.

It matters more in the context of the rest of your diet, do you subsist wholly on pork roast? If so I'd suggest you skip the steak. Grass fed better then corn fed, "grass finished" could be even better.

I think meat production has become a lot more mechanized in the past 40 years, so maybe costs have gone down. Americans eat a LOT more meat than we used to.

I am not a fan of super smoked meats. When I buy a brisket I look for alot of fat and leave it there. I add onions, garlic, carrots herbs to a roasting pan. I put the fat side down on the veggies. Cover the brisket with liquid, and slow cook it about 4 hrs in a slow 275 degree oven for about 4-5 hrs, until for tender. I take the whole pan and put it in the fridge. The next day all the fat has congeled and i easily remove it. Then I take the juice and reduce it on the stove skimming the extra fat. I add my little cigar packet of soaked chips, vines tec to my bbq and when everything is going... lay the brisket on the grill. Bring it to temp turn the grill off and let it smoke until everything dies down. Slice it thin and pour on the sauce.

I like to grill andouille add it to clams and mussels.

Andouille goes with anything Cajun, obviously, so as a Cajun whose favorite sausage just happens to also be andouille, l'll stick it in just about anything - gumbo, jambalaya, even little chunks in shrimp creole.

A friend of mine introduced me to a great dish including Andouille, though, and this is what l make when l don't have the time for the labor-intensive Cajun dishes l'd otherwise make. lt's a recipe that l adjust based on the number of people eating, and is not an official recipe, so you'll have to kind of play around with the amount, but at least start with one sausage per person.

Pasta
Pesto
Grilled asparagus with garlic salt and pepper (which you can throw in the oven and will chop up and add to the final recipe)
Roasted bell pepper (l prefer yellow ones, but any preference works, and you can toss this in the oven with the asparagus - but it takes longer, so toss it in first and broil that fucker til it's charred, then turn the heat down and add the asparagus)
Andouille (throw in oven or into a pan and sear the outside)
Parmesan or feta - either works, and they change up the flavor. You can throw in an onion for good measure if you like, but it's not necessary.

Boil your pasta, strain and toss it back in the pan. Chop up your asparagus and slice your sausage and toss in pan. Put your pepper in a paper bag or paper towel to remove charred skin (but don't run it under water!), then use a quarter or half of it cut into thin strips. You can save the rest for future tasty dishes. Toss some cheese and desired amount of pesto in, mix all that shit up and get it hot again over relatively low heat so it doesn't burn, and voila! Tasty treats.

lf going for a fancier Andouille dish, there are some great Cajun recipes out there, and crawfish etoufee over grits is fucking DIVINE.

No worse than a big hunk of red meat is going to be anyway, and l don't think there's anything wrong with a big hunk of red meat every so often. What carnivore doesn't occasionally love a good steak?

Steaks tend to be treats for a lot of people based on the price alone, and l'm sure in the sixties they were a treat for most. That said, l've found some pretty inexpensive steaks at Trader Joe's. l only do steak occasionally because it leaves me feeling so lethargic and heavy afterwards, but l also tend to cut it up into smaller amounts for that reason.

But is grilled anything bad for you? Nah, l don't think so, and if you're worried about the charcoal, you can reduce the charcoal by a slight amount and add hickory chips, use a gas grill, or simply char/blacken it in a pan, and then finish it off in the oven.

Layman's version:
l always just sear it on both sides for about five minutes each (depends on grill or stove) over high heat, then transfer it to the coolest part of the grill (or oven) -preferably uncovered so you don't cook it too much and toughen up the meat- for another ten or fifteen.

To determine how well done your meat is based on how you prefer it, the amount of juice and pliability of the meat are the main indicators. lf you're cooking someone else's meat, you obviously want to use a glove for this, but press your finger onto the meat gently after a few minutes over low heat. lf the juice that comes out is still bloody, and there's a healthy indent in the meat, it's more on the rare side. lf your juice is brownish-reddish and the meat is firmer but still gives in to pressure, you're looking at medium rare. After that, the meat will firm up further and the juice will be more brown than red, and unless it doesn't give at all when you poke it, it's medium well. Otherwise, you're getting well-done, in which case, it's not likely to be quite as juicy anyway.

I'm not sure I fully understand this question. If you are specifically looking to avoid dioxins, then you'll want to limit the fats. Dioxins (if present at all) accumulate in the fat of meat & poultry animals as well as fish. This would apply to organic as well. Dioxins are in our environment. They are a product of our industrial world.

If that's not what you were asking, then I apologize.

There is much to love about organ meats. It also doesn't have to be an overly difficult preparation. Key to beef liver is to not overcook. It cooks quickly. My family loves it simply. I heat up a heavy skillet to medium heat, add some olive oil (also healthy), toss in the liver slices (dashed with just salt & pepper) and let them brown. While I'm doing that, I'll saute some onions, then pour over the liver slices. My kids like to add potatoes and maybe some corn.

Oxtail is awesome in stew. You can also slow cook it until the meat falls off the bone. Use the meat as shredded beef in a multitude of dishes. Use the stock for gravies etc...

Tongue is fabulous smoked. Love it. Tongue is fatty. You can also peel the skin, slice it real thin & sear it in a heavy skillet & eat. Nothing fancy. The fat in the tongue is extremely rich. Another easy option for tongue is to slow cook it for several hours (8-10)in a crock pot. Then peel the outer skin. The meat will shred and can be used in fajitas, salad toppers, bbq sandwiches, etc.. or add to soup. Lots of options.

I'm not a fan of kidneys but we have several customers that love these.

Mountain oysters are delectable fried.

It might be a good idea to discuss who gets what if splitting a beef with that many people. Keep in mind that certain desirable cuts on a beef are quite limited. Some examples:

-2 Tenderloins per beef that will only yield roughly 6 or so filets ea.

-2 Tri-tips per beef

-2 Flank Steaks per beef

-2 Skirt Steaks per beef

-1 Hanging Tender per beef

-2 Briskets per beef

Other common cuts are also limited when splitting among that many people.

Per Side (or Half) of beef

Chuck Roasts: 8-9
Chuck Arm (shoulder) Roasts: 6-7

Top Sirloin Steaks: 7-9

Sirloin Tip: 3 Roasts or 6-7 Steaks

These are all averages and of course will vary. It gives you a good idea of how limited different cuts on a beef can be.

With that, I think it is an awesome idea and can be a money saver too!