Butchers May 2026
The rise of massive rail networks and refrigerated boxcars led to the creation of massive meatpacking districts, famously centralized in cities like Chicago.
Assembly-line processing broke the animal down much faster than a single craftsman could. By the mid-to-late 20th century, pre-packaged, plastic-wrapped meats in supermarkets began to replace the local corner butcher shop. Butchers
Precision knife work to portion those primals into retail-ready steaks, chops, and roasts, removing excess gristle and silver skin. The rise of massive rail networks and refrigerated
