Rich Anderson: Transcript

Meat locker owner
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It’s “locker.” That’s the main word. Locker first started when a lot of people didn’t have a freezer or they had an icebox. You could have your meat processed at this meat locker, and they could in turn package it and store it in either wooden lockers—like they were 2’ x 4’ lockers. Or we have steel lockers that have a drawer, a drawer or a shelf or a—it has a key generally. The people just knew the number of their locker, and they came in, and got their meat, and—just like a safe deposit box in a bank.

The main things we do is slaughter and package meat. We get a hanging carcass of beef—we can cut that. And that can be sold at supermarkets or stores or restaurants. And that is what we can sell at the retail. And that is what you can take to your graduation party or anniversary and serve to the public. I imagine 60-70% comes right off the farm, probably within a fifty-mile radius. We also at the locker do a lot of retail meats that people can come in and buy as beef or pork or turkey or lamb. All our—we have three smokehouses in the Stanhope Locker, and they go continuously whether giving hams or bacons. You know, these specialty jerkies, summer sausage, or balogna, our beef jerky. Every year, no matter what time of the year, we better have some on hand, or people get upset.

In making or processing the turkey, take this chunk of meat, which is probably like a ten, twelve pound chunk of meat. We slice it into about three pieces. We put it in the freezer, to a freeze it a bit, so that it is easier to slice. Then we slice it probably anywhere from a quarter maybe to three-eighth inch thick. Then when it is sliced we have a dry seasoning, and we lay the turkey strips on the seasoning. And then just pick them up and lay them in a pan, and just keep layering it up till the pan’s full. And then the juices of the meat and the seasonings, we let it sit and marinate for 48 hours. We take each piece of meat and lay it on screens to be put in our smokehouse. It takes lots of time. We do one smokehouse on ours, and we have small smokehouses, holds about 60 pounds of meat for jerky. And this jerky is then dried down in the smokehouse. We use a hickory smoke. Then after it is dried down, this product is heated and cooked. And the time frame usually is about six to seven hours. Then, the jerky is removed, cooled down, bagged up, and then later to be packaged and sold.

When we—Julie and I took over the locker—her grandfather had owned the locker about 20 years before we purchased it. From her grandfather to the present there was a gradual change. There’s still T-bones, there’s still rib eyes, there’s still pork chops, but there was no jerky, there was no summer sausage, there wasn’t any of the specialty meats. Julie’s grandfather also did not have smokehouses—everything was fresh. Instead of bacon, they’d have side pork. Instead of hams they’d have roast. The beef and the pork and the lambs—all the livestock have changed. They’ve, genetically, they’ve, they just have more meat, more muscle. The people are different; they expect more now. They expect that it should be leaner, more healthier for you. They—health issue and food safety issue is to me is at its peak, that I have ever seen it.

As being a father you’d always, you know, like to have your kids work with you. But they’ve just got to know where they’re at first. And I’m not going to say they never will help me, but, you know, college is definitely important, so you, know, we’ll see.