Meet Hiller’s Meat Director, Curt Ducharme

Curt has been working in the retail meat business for 38 years, the last 26 years with Hiller's Markets. He is well trained in every aspect of the meat department from spending his first 21 years as a meat cutter and then moving to management.

“I have been welcomed into the ‘extended’ Hiller family and have been granted the opportunity to achieve many personal goals, along with working with a multitude of people who also have the passions for the business that I have,” he said.

A brief chat with Curt and you will quickly realize he has a wealth of knowledge on the right kinds of meat to purchase for any occasion.

1. What types of meat are you looking to purchase in the store this summer?

Summertime equals barbeque time, and the top meats to barbeque are chicken, steaks, ground beef burgers, hotdogs and grilling sausages. Towards the end of August, brisket becomes more popular for barbequing. Hiller’s makes a variety of kabobs, including chicken, lamb and beef, along with homemade marinades.

2. Hiller's prides itself on quality products. What do you look for in meat when you are purchasing it?

When looking to purchase meat, we base 99 percent on quality, so we only purchase the highest quality meat at any given time. We often run different types of meat sales throughout the year. Be sure to keep your eye out for the meat specials.

3. What sets Hiller's apart from other markets in terms of the meat purchased and sold?

We offer a full service staff to make the extra effort to ensure quality meals at the home of our customers. We have a full staff of meat cutters that can special cut any type of meat. We are also able to give service that customers can’t get anywhere else, such as making our own kabobs out of tenderloin and chicken breast, which we hand cut and trim to remove excess fat.

4. Can you explain the different cuts of beef?

There are seven cuts of beef that are most popular, and most are derived from those pieces, including bone in, bone out and thickness. They are tenderloin (beef loin meat is popular through the summer months), rib, sirloin, brisket, round, flank and chuck.

5. What is the best meat for grilling?

Rib, Delmonico steak, porterhouse steak, strip steak and filet.

6. What types of unusual meat sell the best?

We're starting to see a big rise in buffalo with a new line new to Hiller's. The full line of buffalo fresh from Colorado is very lean and low in amino acids. Buffalo is a very wholesome cut that’s gaining a resurgence in popularity. Buffalo can come in a variety of steaks, burgers and sausages.