Hirsche Fraser Meats

I’ve been going here ever since I moved to Okotoks for all of my specialty meat needs. From pulled pork to beef brisket, if you can smoke it or grill it, they most likely have it. Friendly and knowledgeable staff.

As someone who really enjoys cooking or grilling a good meal at home, I love this place as my «meat-​meal starting point.»
Why?
Hirsche Fraser is a butcher /​retail store front for local rancher-​raised meats.
The people behind the name and operation are well respected: you see the ranch names in the area, and their awards (like from the Calgary Stampede) line the walls of this shop.
They supply most of what I’m looking for: natural beef; no steroids or hormones. All beef aged 21 days. Free range chickens sans medicated feed. Local pork and lamb. Fresh, free range turkeys during the various holidays. You get the idea.
They also have a lot in terms of homemade items they do themselves, like sausage & meat pies, and they make use of an on-​site smoker. They even sell farm fresh eggs.
Their website also advertises «meat packages» with assortments of beef cuts and chickens at a discount, so you can load up your freezer in one shot.
My typical use, though, is to phone them up and request exactly what I want for a particular occasion. For example, a «boned and rolled» prime rib, which when cooked on my BBQ rotisserie – with a nice rub and hickory smoke – is about the best piece of meat I’ve ever served up. People rave, so that’s my go-​to for special occasions.
Also, the fresh free range turkey I ordered one Thanksgiving turned out to be perfect as well.
The prices are generally higher than the «mystery origin» meat at the grocery store. But it’s worth it, in my opinion.
And I now have friends and family in Calgary ordering from these guys as well, so I’m not the only one who feels that way.