Let’s have a moment of silence for A&B Meat Market.
Generally speaking most of us get about 2 weeks a year vacation, right? Right. Sometimes we choose to just putter around the house and relax (this is me). But there are many who will want to pack up the truck and spend it driving from destination to destination. These destinations might be the Taco Bell Discovery Science Center or LegoLand or wherever. Not for our plucky heros!
No sir, weeks previous found Chilebrown at the computer with pencil & paper in hand. Taking notes as to where the smokehouses were way up in Oregon. And just to make sure he got what he wanted, he called ahead and placed orders! Smart guy, don’t you think?
Here’s CB’s diary of the Ultimate Meat Adventure. Go man go!
I have 8 different bacons to try. We traveled approximately 1700 miles. We filled up 3 large ice chests full of Meat Products. Ms. Goofy and I traveled through out the state of Oregon in search of Bacon and Meat products. Our last stop, was sort of, our first stop. ‘A&B’ Market. The paint was peeling. The windows were streaked. You could look in and see the meat display cases empty. It was a moment that brought tears to my eyes. Well, at least for a moment, until, I realized the bounty that Ms. Goofy and I had loaded in the back of Black Bart.
I usually told the butchers our quest, some could care less. The Manager from Zenner’s got excited and started to give me free sausage products. ‘Original Bavarian Sausage’ was the most unique. It reeked of smoky goodness. Black Forest Bavarian Bacon is something I have never seen or tried. They were very friendly and welcomed us as family. Otto’s was a local market that just happen to make bacon and sausage and had a grill out front.You can see the picture of Black Bart getting ready to be loaded with goodness. Gartners was a huge place that was impressive. We drove through an enchanted forest to get to Gene’s.
I have enough Meat Products to last me to the next Meat Adventure.
Emmons Meat Market 29545 Highway 34 Corvallis, OR 97333
Canadian Bacon, Bacon, Bratwurst, and lots of Jerky. This was a large clean smokehouse. It was located on the outskirts of Corvallis.
Gene’s Meat Market
Bacon, Maple Bacon, Smoked Pork Chops, and Ham. This was in a Mehama. Or. It was a beautiful drive through a forest. The shop is very tiny.
Original Bavarian Sausage
Black Forest Bacon, Bacon, Smoked Pork Chops and lots of sausage. This place had a lot of atmosphere. You could find lots of German products here.
Debbie D’s
Beer Sausage and Salmon Jerky. It is located near the Tillamook Cheese Factory
City Center Viande
Salami, Smoked Andouille and various cured meats. This was located in a Co-op type store in downtown Portland. There was a small smoker going in the parking lot.
Zenner’s
This is actually a wholesale vendor. I explained the “Ultimate Meat Adventure” to the Manager and he was very nice and sold me a slab. He also gave me free samples of sausage. They are a large supplier to most of the Pacific Northwest.
Otto’s Sausages
A lot of sausage and award winning hot dogs. It is located in Woodstock, a suburb of Portland. It is a local store with a barbeque out front. I wish it was my neighborhood.
Gartner’s Country Meats
Pork Bacon and everything that has anything to do with meat. This place is HUGE. There are at least 6 people working the counter.
REDMOND MEAT LOCKER Railroad St. Redmond, Or.
Pork Chops, Bacon, Ham. This is a full service smokehouse.
A & B Market gone
Voodoo Doughnuts
Maple Bars
The Haul
Chilebrown
Let’s give CB a few hearty rounds of applause here. He’s totally responsible here, I did nothing put plunk the info and images down. Thank you sir!
What’s next? He invites me over to taste all 8 !!!
Biggles
What a charming odyssey. Rounds of apple sauce to CB.
–Party at CB’s! Woo-hoo.–
(Ya notice how all those meat markets look exactly like meat markets are supposed to look? I wonder how Chilebrown did all his research. Smart man.)
I’m not sure about those maple bars but everything else looks fantastic. When and where is the party? 😉
CB – so sad about A&B… but at least you have a whole lot of porcine goodness to help ease the pain.
Bacon on a doughnut? Good Lord, I’ve died and gone to heaven!
‘The Ultimate Meat Adventure’ continues. We missed a connection with ‘Sweet Briar Farms’ http://sweet-briar-farms.com/Index.html at the Eugene Farmers Market. Keith was nice enough to send a half slab UPS. It was very lean and had an old fashioned pork flavor. It was most excellent.
I would like to thank a few people for making the adventure possible. There is my Mom,of course. Ms. Goofy, who was the navigator and shared my love and passion. A Good Friend, Dr. Biggles, who allowed me to share the adventure on Meathenge. Meathenges’s readers who gave me inspiration (Chandler and a lot of others). Dan Wedin at Zenners. Last but not least the good people at ‘A&B’ market. I hope you enjoy your fishing. Let it be known we are on a Quest to find the “NEW Gold Standard of Bacon”. Let the ‘Ultimate Meat Adventure’ continue!
Peace, Paul
I shopped during the last week (late June or July if I remember correctly) and vacillated between tears and glee.. heck I got kick-a@# prices on trays of Kahlua pork. And I’m still pulling frozen bacon out!
Next time he comes thru Bend, (hauling smoked meats) look me up.
Well, now that I have gained about ten pounds just reading the pork inventory, I am way curious about your own weekend project, Biggles. It makes me happy to hear that you felt up to project-ing. I do admire chilebrown’s ambition (and execution). Whoa.
DUN’T DA-DA, DUN’T DA-DA, DA-DA; DUN’T DA-DA, DUN’T DA-DA, DA-DA; DA-DA-DA, DA-DA-DA……..
From the days of “Bonanza”–remember– Little Joe, Hoss, Ben and those outdoor guys bar-b-queing Pork on the Hoof!
What a SAGA! My 5th graders would “eat this up” HA-ha-ha-ha!
Neat journey! Fab journaling. There is always a sad note to a real adventure, and, so it goes with A&B Meat Market!
Hey, ChileBrown, you did real good! Amazing travel log! Had no idea such delicious goings-on were happening in OR!
Thanks!
Mmmmmmm. I am such a fool for not being around for some tasting. Damn!
Wow, Chilebrown. You and Ms. Goofy rock. I have never heard of someone taking a bacon vacation before, but I like it. Enjoy your bounty 🙂
Thanks for bringing this to us Dr. Biggles 🙂