Buying Meat at a Lebanese Butcher: Cuts, Quality, and Custom Orders

Most Lebanese cooks have a regular butcher (lahham) — a relationship that pays off in better cuts, accurate trimming, and willingness to grind on the spot. Walk-in trade at the supermarket meat counter works, but it's not where the best meat goes first.

Common cuts and what to ask for

• Lamb: shoulder for stews, leg for roasting, rack for grilling, kafta blend (usually shoulder + tail fat).
• Beef: filet for grilling/stir-fry, sirloin steak, "fakhda" (round) for slow cooking, ribeye for premium grilling.
• Veal: shawarma blend, scaloppine cuts, osso buco when available.
• Poultry: whole chicken, deboned breast/thigh for grilling, marinated shish taouk pieces.

Local vs imported

Local Lebanese lamb (especially Awassi from Bekaa farms) is prized for flavor; supply varies seasonally. Imported chilled beef (Argentine, Australian, Uruguayan) gives consistency and a wider cut selection. Halal slaughter is the default. Ask about origin and date of slaughter — reputable butchers will tell you.

Kibbeh nayyeh and tartare

For raw lamb dishes, ask explicitly for "kibbeh nayyeh meat" — the butcher will trim a fresh-killed lean cut (often from leg or shoulder) and grind it twice while you wait. Eat it the day you buy it; never freeze and re-use raw.

Custom orders

For shawarma at home, ask the butcher to slice and marinate a 1–2 kg veal-and-lamb mix; pickup later in the day. For mishwi (mixed grill), order kafta, taouk pieces, and lamb chops as a combined platter — most butchers will skewer for you on request.