Underbelly Meat Co. has been a long time in the works for Dustin Dahlin and his business partners. Dahlin, who has been a butcher for four years and working in the hospitality business for 20, told What Now Phoenix, “I’ve wanted to have a significant connection to the job I was doing, and it finally came into place in the form of butchery.”
Dahlin’s first butcher gig was in North Carolina, and while he admits they have good pork and beef over there, he says local ranches in Arizona have some of the best beef he’s ever tasted. On top of quality and flavor, Dahlin advocates for sustainable and responsible food sourcing. “I’m a firm believer in allowing mother nature to do what mother nature does, and we can be part of that, and work with it.”
That’s why Underbelly Meat Co., set to open at 1605 N 7th Ave. in Phoenix, will focus on local, sustainable, and ethically-sourced food. Dahlin expects to carry fresh and local produce, eggs, cheese, and milk products, as well as items he and his team will prepare onsite. He hopes to have a smoker and to sell the shop’s own charcuterie, as well as fresh and cured sausage, and fresh made soups.
“The education part of it is something that can’t be understated,” Dahlin said. He is excited for the moments when he can help customers learn a little more about the meat they’re eating, where it comes from, and what they can do with it.
Dahlin will be breaking down whole lamb and whole chicken in the butcher shop, as well as non-GMO pork and 100% grass-fed beef. “I’ll be sourcing from as many 100% grass-fed beef ranches in Arizona as I can get my hands on,” Dahlin added.
After sustainability, creativity is key to the Underbelly philosophy. Dahlin said, “A butcher shop forces you to be creative…in the interest of not wanting to waste anything.” He hopes the shop can make some of the scarier parts of the animal, like pork liver for instance, a little more approachable to a wider audience.
Underbelly Meat Co. will take over the space at Hurley Summit plaza this month, so opening day is still around five months out. This butcher shop is all about finding “the best product available and the closest, that is good for the business, the earth, the people, and the community.”
So if you’re “AZ all the way,” I’ll see you there.
