Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink
  3. Culture
  4. News

A Man’s Gotta Meat

Men, if they’re like most men (and aren’t vegetarians, who are still men, but who may want to go ahead and click on over to another article), like meat. And if my calculations are correct, more meat is better than less meat. So I really think you should meet a strangely charming company known as Zaycon Fresh. Because oh man, do they know how to meat.

Related: Smoked Meat FTW

Recommended Videos

Before we talk about ribs, bacon, sausage, and other meatstuffs, let’s talk about the company itself, because the Zaycon Fresh business model is… odd. Or rather it’s elegantly simple; so simple it’s almost odd no one thought of their approach before, but more power to ’em. See, usually after meat leaves the farm/processor, it is packed into bulk cases and sent to a warehouse, there to sit awaiting distribution to various grocery stores (sometimes stopping in another regional/local warehouse before even reaching a retail outlet). At the grocery store, the meat is repackaged for display, and then it sits on the shelves waiting for you to happen by and say to yourself: “Yes… yes, I think I will have Polish Kielbasa sausages today.”

Here’s what Zaycon does that’s different: they pick up those big bulk cases (think 40 pounds of fresh chicken or 36 pounds of frozen bacon, for example) and load them into refrigerated trucks. Then they drive their trucks to parking lots where a predetermined sales “event” has been planned, and they load the bulk cases of meat into your car.

"Here's Your Meat!" The Man Says. Probably.
“Here’s Your Meat!” The Man Says. Probably. Image used with permission by copyright holder

And that’s it. The meat experiences zero additional packaging or handling, minimal exposure to contamination, and it is days (or even weeks) fresher than the stuff on that grocery store shelf.

Zaycon-1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The only catch is that you need to pay for your meat in advance, sometimes many weeks ahead of time. But by having the buying leverage of all those pre-orders and by cutting down on the expenses of middlemen (AKA warehouses and grocers) and additional packaging, Zaycon can offer ridiculously low prices. (Go ahead and ridicule them, you monster.) As in prices often 50% lower than what you would pay for the same damn meat. And it’s fresher. And also just look at a few of the meats they sell, like say…

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Fillets

Pork All Dressed Up
Pork All Dressed Up Image used with permission by copyright holder

That’s right, a mere pork chop fillet isn’t porky enough. So they wrapped a slice of bacon around it. Now that’s just goddamn brilliant.

FORTY POUNDS of Ground Beef

Parsley Optional
Parsley Optional Image used with permission by copyright holder

Why settle for the quarter pounder when you can get enough ground beef to feed a football team? Hey, it’s a lot of beef, but the price is right, and your freezer has been looking sad anyway.

Fresh Chicken

Chicken $$ FTW
Chicken $$ FTW Image used with permission by copyright holder

This used to be the only meat Zaycon sold. It’s still their Number 1 seller. Why? Because it costs half as much as what you’d pay in Ralph’s/Safeway/Food Lion/Your Local Grocer That I’ve Never Heard Of And, What? How Have You Never Heard Of My Local Grocer? I’ve Never Heard Of YOUR Local Grocer, OK! Bleh.

Steven John
Steven John is a writer and journalist living just outside New York City, by way of 12 years in Los Angeles, by way of…
Topics
The best beers from California you can buy anywhere
California is more than just IPAs
Sierra Nevada

Currently, more than 9,000 breweries of all sizes operate in the US. That’s an awful lot of IPAs, stouts, and lagers to choose from. Some states are more saturated with breweries (per capita) than others. This includes places like Vermont, Colorado, Maine, Oregon, and, of course, California. While I could take a deep dive into all the biggest beer-producing states, today is all about The Golden State.

I have a special affinity for California beer, and it’s because of one style in particular. Sure, you can find a beer style to fit every palate in the state, but in California, the IPA reigns supreme. In fact, if you look at almost any list ranking the best beers in the state, it will be littered with IPA options. While I often imbibe pilsners and other lagers (as well as wheat beers and other lighter beers) in the summer as well as stouts and porters (and other dark beers) in the winter, I always go back to the classic West Coast IPA.

Read more
Blue Bottle just proved California can grow world-class coffee
Blue Bottle Coffee just dropped a super rare California-grown coffee
Blue Bottle Coffee

Coffee has always had its origins story – Ethiopia, Colombia, Panama. But California was never part of that conversation, until now. Coffee leader, Blue Bottle, has just launched the California Frinj San Diego Gesha, a washed Gesha grown in San Diego and Santa Barbara counties in partnership with Frinj Coffee, the pioneering network behind California's emerging coffee movement. Gesha is widely regarded as one of the most prized varietals in specialty coffee, known for its delicate floral complexity and fruit-forward character –  and this one delivers jasmine, peach, and strawberry in a cup.

Up until now, many coffee brands would shy away from growing specialty-grade coffee in California, as it requires years of experimentation and innovation. For the past two decades, Jay Ruskey, founder of Frinj Coffee, has helped pioneer California coffee product through continual experimentation with innovative growing practices, coffee varieties, and post-harvest processing. Now, this exciting new launch finally reflects that work. Cherries from two California farms were processed at Frinj's wet mill in Ventura, using carefully controlled fermentation to result in an exceptionally clean cup of coffee. This new variety showcases the signature floral aromatics and bright fruit character of the Gesha variety.

Read more
Dark rums for whiskey fans
These rums are a great choice for whiskey drinkers
rum bottles

There’s no disputing the appeal of whisk(e)y. Whether it's single malt Scotch whisky, bourbon, rye whiskey, Irish whiskey, or others. There’s something special about this barrel-aged spirit. But it’s not the only aged spirit, and if you’re limiting your sipping to this style, you’re missing out on some other special, flavorful spirit. Especially dark rum.

I’ve spent years imbibing the various forms of whiskey. But every now and then, I branch out and pour myself a glass of dark rum instead. Unsurprisingly, the two spirits have some of the same aromas and flavors. Since both are matured in wood barrels, they impart flavors like caramel, vanilla, dried fruits, and oak (among others). If you don’t already, you should branch out and add dark rum to your aged spirits rotation.

Read more