Jeffrey's Meat Market - Meeting the Finest Butcher in Manhattan

With so many great restaurants in the city, we love living in New York City.  What's even better is that we have access to some of the same delicious ingredients that are used by the best chefs in the city.  When we want their produce, we head to the Greenmarket.  But when we desire their meats, we visit Jeffrey Ruhalter, a fourth generation butcher and owner of Jeffrey's Meat Market in Essex Market.



We found this video on Gourmet.com of Jeffrey showing his expertise in butchering a pig.  Though he is actually a lot more exuberant in person, you can tell from the video why we enjoy going to him for advice.

Both visitors and residents of NYC should at least once meet with the entertaining, charismatic, and extremely personable Jeffrey.  Whether it's to learn about his suppliers, what restaurants are currently buying from him, or to pick up something for dinner that night.

His favorite sausage - rabbit - was the star of our dinner that night.  We decided to make Rabbit Sausage with Beer Braised Onions and served them on leaves of Boston lettuce from the farmers' market.      

We caramelized the onions in beer - this makes the onions nice and sweet without burning them.

And then we grilled the sausages....

Finally, we plated them on fresh leaves of Boston lettuce from the Greenmarket.

So good!  This was definitely a great recommendation from Jeffrey.

Jeffrey's Meat Market is located in the Essex Market at 120 Essex Street (between Delancey and Rivington Streets) in NYC.