Among encased-meat products, handmade sausage is the most delightful, followed closely by a saddlebag filled with jerky and a can of Spam crammed inside a larger can of Spam. Sample the top of the meaty pyramid with today’s Groupon: for $89, you get $200 worth of fresh, all-natural meat at Aubrey’s Meats in the historic ByWard Market.
Since 1908, Aubrey’s Meats has been a haven for local carnivores seeking a traditional butcher-shop experience. The bounteous lineup includes pork products such as net-eluding butterfly pork chops ($10.88/lb.) and game meat including elk steaks ($30.39/lb.) and boneless farm-based venison loin medallions ($53.48/lb.). Stock up on fajita fillings with grain-fed, free-run boneless chicken breasts ($11.79/lb. for skinless; $12.24/lb. for skin-on), or add to an alphabet-shaped food collection by taking home T-bone steaks ($12.24/lb.). Rather than prepackage delectables, all Aubrey’s expert cleaver-wielders are trained in-house to cut meats to order and specialize in friendly service and turkey-carcass ventriloquism.