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Visit InsideHook’s Holiday 2020 gifting hub to find gift ideas for every person on your list this year. Also, who are we kidding? Find lots of ideas for yourself there, too.
As Homer Simpson once informed his vegetarian daughter Lisa, “You don’t win friends with salad.”
How do you win them? In our opinion, high-end meats are a good place to start.
Below, you’ll find a curated list of 15 options to consider gifting your closest carnivore — and a few options that should appeal to any pescatarians you may know as well.
After all, as the old saying goes: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; Give a man a beef tenderloin and you’ll also feed him for a day — and most of the rest of the week.
Porter Road Strip Loin Roast
Dry-aged for a minimum of 14 days at Porter Road’s shop in Nashville after being raised in a pasture with no antibiotics and no hormones, this cut is a meaty masterpiece featuring marvelous marbling and a fetching fat cap.
Katz’s Delicatessen Whole Pastrami
A staple menu item of one of the most beloved delis in New York City, Katz’s pastrami is pickled for three weeks in a secret brine solution before being smoked for three days, then boiled, steamed and prepped for carving.
Wild Boar Boneless Pork Butt
For those who have grown weary of using standard pork for slow-roasted sliders, wild boar may be a game-(y)-changer. A great option for slow-cooker enthusiasts with time on their hands. (So, these days, anyone with a slow cooker and a pulse.)
Bison Bratwurst
Uncured and made without MSG or nitrates, these tasty brats come from free-roaming bison that have never been given antibiotics, hormones or steroids while being raised on ranches in Nebraska and Missouri.
Florida Royal Red Shrimp
Already peeled and deveined by the fishmongers at Peter’s Florida Seafood, Royal Reds can be eaten raw straight out of the package and deliver a fresh taste that some say is better than lobster (no butter, salt or mayo required.)
Campfire Jerky
Smoked over hickory and applewood after being seasoned and sliced by hand, campfire jerky blends smoky, sweet and salty flavors in a way that doesn’t cover up the tantalizing taste of Dicksons naturally-raised beef.
Spiral Sliced Ham
A holiday hit from Omaha Steaks, each one of these bone-in hams is smoked with real wood smoke for up to 24 hours to infuse flavor then painted with a brown-sugar glaze that’s sweet as well as sticky. Spiral slicing makes serving a breeze.
Elk Summer Sausage
Summer sausage is already somewhat of an acquired taste and this version from Wisconsin River Meats takes that notion just a bit further. Made from wild elk meat bound with 10 percent lean beef, these sausages are slow-smoked over hickory and contain no extra added fillers.
American Wagyu Cowboy Steak
A hunk of meat straight out of a rodeo rider’s fever dream, this bone-in cut grades in at 9+ on the Japanese Beef Marbling Scale. the highest level of marbling available on any of Snake River Farms’ premium Wagyu cuts.
A5 Olive Wagyu Ground Beef
Taken from cattle that have been raised on a diet of toasted olive pulp in a remote area of Japan, olive Wagyu is known for its melt-in-your-mouth texture and buttery and bold umami. Crowd Cow’s olive Wagyu sells out fast.
USDA Prime NY Strip Steak
It is hard to go wrong with a classic bone-in New York strip steak, especially a heavily marbled one that has been cut from USDA Prime beef and is just begging for a trip to the back of the broiler or top of the grill.
Dry-Cured Wild Boar
The perfect addition to even the most decadent charcuterie board, this dry-cured sausage is artisanal quality and made by hand without nitrates, nitrites or preservatives by the team at D’Artagnan. Boar is never boring.
Peeko Oysters
A supplier for top NYC restaurants such as Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern and Le Bernardin, Peeko Oyster offers beautiful bivalves that have been sourced from a farm located in the heart of the North Fork in New Suffolk.
Antelope Burgers
Taken from wild antelope that dined on native grasses, seeds and fruit in the hill country of South Texas, these 100 percent all-natural burgers from Fossil Farms have a mild venison-like flavor and surprisingly tender texture.
Joe’s KC Ribs, Brisket & Burnt Ends
At Joe’s KC BBQ, it can be tough to decide between ordering the world-famous ribs, legendary sliced brisket or authentic Kansas City burnt ends. This package from Goldbelly takes the decision out of it by offering all three.
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