Baby Beasts

I saw that Farmer's Best Market in Niles is now offering whole baby goats and spring lambs for sale by special order. I asked the butcher about suckling pigs, and he said they could order pigs as small as 18-20 lbs (which, I believe, is the top end of the suckling range). He called them "baby" pigs, which indicates that they may be newly weaned piglets, and not actual "suckling" pigs.

Farmer's Best International Market

8526 W. Golf
Niles, IL
847 965-0260

23 W. North Avenue
Northlake, IL
708 562-5800

I thought the Northlake and Niles markets were under different ownership - Northlake is owned by the guy who's moving to Evanston; he said something to the effect that he'd sold the Niles store 3 years ago but allowed them to keep the name.

Much as I love to munch on babies be they animal or vegetable, I kind of hope he doesn't bring this to the new Evanston location - there was a lot of buzz about free trade, vegan, cruelty-free, etc., etc. I'd hate them to lose business over the political aspects of the demise of something fuzzy and cute, as I love baby animals but I love easy access to good produce and cheese even more.

This little piggy may go up to Farmer's Best and check it out, though - how many people do you need to invite to justify cooking 18 lbs of pork?

Mhays wrote:how many people do you need to invite to justify cooking 18 lbs of pork?

3

Mhays wrote:I thought the Northlake and Niles markets were under different ownership - Northlake is owned by the guy who's moving to Evanston; he said something to the effect that he'd sold the Niles store 3 years ago but allowed them to keep the name.

I just copied the addresses from their pitiful website (it is actually just a webpage), which I know hasn't been updated in at least 3 years, so you are probably correct. I wasn't even aware there was a Northlake location before. It was at the Niles location that I saw the wee beasties for sale.

Much as I love to munch on babies be they animal or vegetable, I kind of hope he doesn't bring this to the new Evanston location - there was a lot of buzz about free trade, vegan, cruelty-free, etc., etc. I'd hate them to lose business over the political aspects of the demise of something fuzzy and cute, as I love baby animals but I love easy access to good produce and cheese even more.

If Sparky is indeed squeamish about eating "baby" animals, then I suggest you do not let him see the baby pigs at Farmer's Best. They look so pink and cuddly all encased in their stretch-wrap.

BTW, I bought a beautiful leg o' lamb there for only 2.49/lb.

d4v3 wrote: If Sparky is indeed squeamish about eating "baby" animals, then I suggest you do not let him see the baby pigs at Farmer's Best. They look so pink and cuddly all encased in their stretch-wrap.

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Yes, well, he refused to eat tongue, duckies, and bunnies on the same principle - until they got to the table...but yes, good warning to downplay the raw version if I do it. He didn't at all like the pics of the piggy at SunWah.

That's a terrific price on leg o lamb, (in our household, it's LOL) but I think we'd be adding $8 in gas to get there. I'll have to remember next time I'm in the area.

Mhays wrote:how many people do you need to invite to justify cooking 18 lbs of pork?

Depends on the people! I suspect that if it were Gary and Geo, that would be all the folks needing inviting.

Geo