Glorious Beef: The LaFrieda Family and the Evolution of the American Meat Industry – A Fourth-Generation Butcher's Behind-the-Scenes History

by Pat LaFrieda, Cecilia Molinari

An insightful and engaging insider’s look at the history and business of the meat industry, from master butcher Pat LaFrieda  "A full-throated celebration of red meat from one of the nation’s major purveyors. . . . The true meat of his book is a study of how beef is brought from farm to table as well as an account of commercial success that deserves a place on any business school syllabus." --  Kirkus Reviews It all began when Pat LaFrieda’s great-grandfather Anthony LaFrieda decided to pack up and move his family from Italy to New York in search of a better life, setting up the family’s first retail butcher shop in 1922 in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Almost one hundred years later, Pat LaFrieda, a fourth-generation butcher and third-generation meat purveyor, is at the helm of a family-run business that has been providing meat to customers for decades, through wars, the Great Depression, the tumultuous years when New York City was dubbed “Fear City,” the fall of the Twin Towers, unprecedented hurricanes, and even a pandemic. Most people don’t know the amount of time, commitment, and extenuating work that goes into bringing them the piece of meat on their plate. What are the real implications of grass-fed beef on climate change? What is involved in humanely processing animals at harvesting facilities? Why is grading, labeling, and traceability essential for the consumer?  And what’s the beef with eating meat? There are two sides to every story; however, in the beef industry’s case, only one side seems to get most of the airtime. In  Glorious Beef,  LaFrieda shares his family's legacy and pulls back the curtain to reveal a behind-the-scenes view of each stage of the process involved in bringing beef from pasture to plate and the truths behind the industry’s story of survival and constant evolution. 

Genres: Biography, Food, Nonfiction, Memoir, History

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 26, 2021

Reviews

[Marne - Reader By the Water · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is part deep dive into the meat industry (literally from field to table) and part memoir of a successful businessman/butcher/meat purveyor.

The sections on the meat itself - the cuts, relationships with growers and processors, difference between grades, what graders look for, etc. - are fantastic. But the more “memoir” sections feel like you’ve been trapped by your great uncle at thanksgiving as he regales you with stories from how he made his way in the world. It’s a bit disjointed, rambling, and a little braggy.

Bottom line: The information about the meat industry is worth the price of admission. LaFrieda’s love of meat and family comes through loud and clear. Although the sentimental stories get boggy, the rest of the book was fascinating.

Thank you to #netgalley and #eccobooks for the advance copy of “Glorious Beef: A Family of Meat Purveyors and the Evolution of an American Staple” in exchange for an honest review.

Release date: 26 Oct 2021

[oohlalabooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is inspiring and full of information. Growing up in New York City, you get your meats at the butcher shops for all your meals. I just never knew the process involved and this book explains every step. The author wrote a wonderful book about his father’s legacy. Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

[BTD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. Great mix of history, pride in the product/family business, and useful information. Only downside is now I really, really, want a steak.

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than six decades ago, I was fortunate to grow up on two hundred acres (small by todays standards) of farm/ranch land. Yes, it was both, my father raised cattle, wheat and cotton. I requested this book to learn about the industry changes since my early experiences. It was mind blowing to compare how extremely industry standards have changed. This is an excellent read for the younger generations with no personal knowledge of how we got to these standards. The book described all steps and processes of getting your cut of beef to the table, it isn't for the queasy or feint of heart. Personal background meant I was already familiar with processes and procedures this book didn't even address.
The book is adept at explaining purveying,  butchering and the history of the La Frieda family. It's part biography, memoir, many personal stories, it's not a cookbook or recipe source. Although, there are great tips, suggestions and some recipes in the latter part.
The discussion about nitrates and processed meats was particularly of interest to me, as I found both contributed to my migraines (along with other foods). There are many reference sources quoted to substanciate opinions. The author has definite beliefs, thoughts, views and years of experience to base those on. I found it helpful to know the how, what and why he believes in his family's industry. While I did not agree with everything, it gave me great insite.
There is discussion of the vegetarian choice, meat substitutes and climate effects. I find it ironic that some think meat substitutes are a new concept. I was eating these products, along with  beef, fifty years ago. Now they're popular and expensive.
Being a self-proclaimed foodie and beef lover I couldn't wait to read an author I know by reputation and food television appearances. It was worth the read.
Thanks to NetGalley, Pat LaFrieda and Cecilia Molinari, and to Ecco for the advance digital copy of Glorious Beef: The LaFrieda Family and the Evolution of the American Meat Industry. These are my honest and personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily.

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

***I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway***

As a lifelong veggie lover and meat minimalist, I could not stop laughing when I found out I won this book. Glorious Beef! How absurd.

Once I started reading it, however, I forgot about the absurdity and simply enjoyed the learning experience. Pat LaFrieda runs his family business in meat purveying and seems to truly love the industry and what to do right by his clients and employees. No matter where you stand on meat consumption, that's worthy of respect.

While it's not the focus of the book, he does address several of the reasons people avoid beef (or meat in general). He talks about animal treatment, slaughter, USDA regulations, sustainability...and for the most part, he makes great points. I appreciated the insight into all the different words that get thrown around (all natural, grass fed, grain finished, product of USA, etc).

One point that I don't think he addressed strongly enough has to do with animal treatment. He states time and again how cattle being treated well equates to better quality beef and so it's in the interests of the growers to treat their animals well. Sure. Totally agree. If they're trying to sell high quality beef...there is a lot of beef being sold that is NOT prime or choice cut. If you're supplying taco bell's beef, you really care more about quantity than quality and that means the cattle aren't going to be treated as well. That's just economics and can't be ignored.

Moral of the story: buy your beef from USDA verified sources, locally if possible. And we should ALL understand our food industries more than we currently do.

[Jena Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this a history book, business book, cook book or memoir? Author and butcher extraordinaire Pat LaFrieda gives us all of these in “Glorious Beef”, an ode to his family and to his livelihood. Mr. LaFrieda’s story is an All-American one, that begins one hundred years ago when his grandfather left Naples, Italy for New York City, and brought with him a dedicated work ethic and his skills as a butcher. His little shop became the Pat La Frieda Meat Purveyors, still run buy the fourth generation of La Friedas.

The book covers the growth of the business through the years. From the mafia, to September 11, to the pandemic, there have been plenty of challenges, and also much success. The family values of Quality,Transparency, Dedication, and Loyalty are at the heart of their business.

The author gives us his view from his butcher’s table and it’s fascinating. He shares the basics of how our steaks get from farm to table in America. We learn how the meat is processed, how to choose the cut and quality and how to prepare it. Porterhouse, rib eye, strip loin steak, tomahawk, filet mignon- Mr. La Frieda knows how to cut it, what makes a great steak and the best way to cook it. From gourmet restaurants to Shake Shack, Mr La Frieda knows his meat and how to serve his clients.

This is a positive and interesting book and I recommend it. Thanks to Net Galley for an anvance digital review copy. This is my honest review.

[Thomas Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read about one companies rise in the world of a meat purveyor that started with the authors great-grandfather and progress to Pat now running the day to day business. You see in the authors eyes the privilege i finally being able to go to work in the family business which his father tried mightily to discourage from. This is quite a rise from a one man shop to the point that they are in today were on average the process by hand about 80,000 pounds of meat each night in their 35,000 square foot facility to supply their mail order business and as many as 1500 restaurants and clients as large as Shake Shack. It is interesting to read how they developed the relationships they have to get exactly the type of product they want their customer are asking for. Not bad form a one man shop to the ability generate revenue now in the hundreds of millions of dollars in business that is almost a 100 years old.

You can always learn something form everything you read and this is no different some of things that stick out is are, did you know that beef comes from three different varieties or beef. That to have kosher beef you can only use the front half of the steer or heifer. Along with is the author makes some compelling arguments concerning the effects of beef on the environment, the development of meat alternatives along with why the meat industry will look out to do what is right in the interest of protecting their industry as it is in their best interest so they can continue to sell their product. Very informative. Thank you to Netgalley and ECCO Publishing for an ARC for a fair and honest review.

[Sharon Dene · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book how the meat was prepared in New York and held his great grandfather Anthony came older from Italy and learned the butcher would trade. It was really interesting about the high line when they used to throw them they made off the train and they had to catch it I thought that was pretty funny. And how they survived the depression of the hurricanes and this guy packed LA Fred a explain this and really great detail. And how his father was somewhat in the background in the background but his son said we have to move more into the 20th century so he went to school and then he worked For a while in the financial businesses. He then moved the business from the lower East Side to New Jersey because he felt he could expand. He kept the business going through hit's going through his hamburgers because people really love them even when the pedamic hit he actually started A MAIL ORDER Business to keep the company going. They also talked about different cuts of meat in this book and how he made them popular. He also had a good report with chefs and make a cand they could call many times they wanted to get me and then when he moved to New Jersey they had to order them through the computer Great book

[LeeAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad that I read this book. Very insightful!!! I'm planning to buy a few LaFrieda burgers as a Christmas gift for a friend who is a "foodie"!
I appreciated all the health info included and the disspelling of a few myths surrounding beef (CO2 emissions). The story of this family business was interesting but I did feel that Pat wrote the book really to tell his dad,"I told you so!!". While I'm sure there was often push back, every time Pat wrote about something new or innovative, there was always a line saying, basically, "dad didn't want to do it, but once he saw how great the idea was, he was happy"... other than that, I did glean some helpful info about the food I eat!!

[Linda Conrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good book and very easy to read. Straightforward! I enjoyed it enough that I put aside the novel I was reading for when I got done with Glorious Beef. It was written as if the author was speaking directly to you in a conversational tone and the pages kept turning. Anyone who has ever eaten a steak or a hamburger will find something interesting here, and also glean a little insight into the world of steak houses! I also enjoyed learning the process from raising the cattle to the final stage, when it ends up on your plate.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a great deal from this memoir plus deep look at the beef industry. Pat LaFrieda's name is familiar to foodies everywhere thanks to the way he's branded his meat. His family history, however, is not so well known. It's interesting but more interesting is the look at the entire process of bringing beed to market. Those who shy from beef won't find anything that will change their minds but it's educational and that's a good thing. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. For foodies.

[Nicole Sperry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sections about the meat industry, it’s history and current state are very informative and interesting. The thing that I didn’t like was that this book was also trying to be a biography. The sections about Pat’s life and his company’s history were…kind of neat, but really didn’t mesh well. He should have just written a separate book about that, if you ask me. Pat also comes off as “braggy” at times. Worth the read, but not the best read out there on the meat industry.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book by Pat LaFreida.
Very good book for entrepreneurs.
I laughed, I cried, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book
Pat did such a good job explaining cuts of meat and the classes of meat.
I also enjoyed hearing about the whole meat to market process.
I wish Pat all the luck in the world.
He definitely works hard.

[Ricky Stevenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The memoir portions of the book are drawn out and braggy. The overall story is inspiring but as another reader noted, the memoir sections are like being trapped in a room with your great uncle. The informational sections of the book offer good insight into an industry that we rely on but generally do not know much about.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it but also struck me as defensive and not entirely persuasive since it harps on why beef isn’t bad for the environment, or why factory farming is important and maybe even more safe than more local production; questions that are fun to nuance around, but he seemed more interested in defending himself than engaging in a deeper way.

[Thomas Radigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to learn everything about the history and evolution of the beef industry in the USA, and how it works nowadays this book is for you. Yes, the author is braggy about himself and his family business as others have said, but this is still chock full of wonderful information and is very interesting, and not overlong. Recommended.

[Manda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This book was great! It was packed full of great information about the beef industry. It was so fascinating to learn about the history of their business. I would love to watch them butcher product one day.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story of the LaFrieda Meat Purveyors and their rise in the business. A very fast read worth every word. Every time I have a cheeseburger at a Carolina Hurricanes game from Shake Shack I'll think of this organization!

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting! Well written.

[Joni Owens]

Very in depth book on beef and the process of where your beef comes from. It was very interesting to see how the beef industry evolved over time.

[Mike Gremillion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warm, folksy account from a man who simply put just really loves beef. Nothing too deep but with a few neat insights into the industry and how things get to your plate

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read that makes me feel more hopeful about the meat industry. Love the tie of industry and memoir.

[Lime · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book's goal is to further the contemporary political interests of the author's business. Thankfully, the author's goals align with the reader in large sections where specifics about the industry are revealed out of necessity of furthering that goal. Not enough to make the book an enjoyable read for me, but it's close.

[Jeanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be perfectly honest, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this book about the meat industry. While the writing isn’t anything exciting, the tone of the book is somewhat conversational since this is partly informative nonfiction and partly memoir. The author shares facts and also gives his opinion from time to time too. While this could have very easily turned out to be a boring read, I was nerding out on all the little facts I didn’t know before and could not stop myself from sharing them with others (annoying, I’m sure). But really, I feel so much better informed about this industry as a whole now and better able to make quality choices at the grocery store too.

Thank you Ecco Books, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a free e-ARC of this title!