New Cuts, Cooks, and Creativity: The ButcherBox Customer Experience

Last Updated on January 16, 2024

Recently, we had an incredible farm dinner that gave us the opportunity to talk with a few of our ButcherBox customers. The conversations confirmed that the same foundational ideas ButcherBox was built upon are some of the reasons these loyal customers love our ButcherBoxes.

Everyone we spoke with appreciated the access we provide to meat that is free of antibiotics and hormones and is raised humanely.

But we were surprised to hear how many of our ButcherBox customers enjoyed the experience of getting a curated box of different meats each month.

The more unusual and difficult-to-find cuts that we often include in our shipments were mentioned often. People enjoyed having to work with foods they were not used to, either using our recipes or their own creativity and cooking ingenuity.“

“I like how it is a surprise every month of what you can get,” said customer Sam Malekiani. “It keeps you on your toes.”

Karen Reid said “It is tough to find grass-fed, grass-finished meat. I could find it periodically at supermarkets, but not consistently. I like these meats and cuts because they have more flavor.” Customer Eric Kneidel had a similar sentiment: “You get more tender cuts with no hormones and drugs. You can taste the difference.”

Longtime ButcherBox subscriber Jeff Freedman told us, “There have been a lot of types of meat that we’ve gotten that we might not have thought about buying. So we are able to try different types and try different ways of cooking it.”

Introducing people to new cuts of meat is an essential part of the ButcherBox experience. And while we love the recipes we’ve developed and share in our boxes, it was also great to hear how people are using these flavorful meats and unique cuts in innovative ways.

To Alison Fedolak, the chicken thighs we include in some boxes are an “added bonus.”

“They’re tasty; they’re fresh. They go really well on the grill, and they don’t dry out, so you can put a nice rub on them, or marinate, and they taste delicious,” she said.

Matthew Medeiros was never, by his own admission, a big fan of drumsticks, but now it’s his favorite cut. “They are so tender and juicy,” he said. “I slow roast them, and then I’ll broil them to char them or throw them on the grill if it’s nice out.”

Dawn Reid cooks our flank steak on the grill with some chimichurri sauce on it. “Real simple,” she said. “It’s a great summer dish, and it’s great cold in a salad. “

Her sister Karen likes a good flank steak marinated in what she calls her “1/3 recipe”: “A third acid, such as vinegar; a third sweet, could be maple syrup or brown sugar; and a third salty, for which I use soy sauce.”

“Marinate and throw on the grill, and it’s beautiful,” she added.

Greg Loftus uses ButcherBox ground beef in his chili, and, as he said, “It’s a world of difference.”

“Even in chili where there are so many things, it still makes a massive difference.” Greg’s brother Eric confirmed: “The flavor is outrageous.”

And Eric isn’t the only one who has noticed the difference using our meat can make. As Jeff and Jane Freedman explained, “People are always asking where we get our meat, and they want to be invited over whenever we get a new ButcherBox.”

In all, it was great to hear from customers that are enjoying healthier, more humanely-raised meats, but it was fascinating to hear about the new experiences that come with each month’s ButcherBox.