Let us Process your Wild Game

With hunting season in full swing, there are certainly many deer to be processed.

And, if you bring your wild game to Grand Champion Meats, you’re guaranteed to leave with the best tasting meat around!

Grand Champion Meats has a wide range of meat processing services, and offers wild game processing year round. We’ll process your order as quickly as possible, but our first concern is to create high-quality meat. We will call you when your order is ready.

Our Crosslake location may be closed for the season, but our Grand Champion Meats-Foley location is still open for business year round! Looking to process your wild game? We are not able to accept whole deer and trim in Crosslake at this time. Just bring your game to our Grand Champion Meats-Foley location, and we will arrange for free delivery back to Crosslake once your order is finished. Follow this link to see all of our services and pricing: http://ow.ly/FePlM

Call us for more details: 320-968-7267

At the time of drop off you must leave your cutting instructions and notify us if you would like the antlers and/or hide. We keep the hide as part of the processing. If you would like your hide back, there’s an extra charge of $10.

Remember:

• All wild game must be tagged and registered. Trimmings must be clean and must have tag numbers.
• As always, we like to remind hunters to follow safe food handling practices with your meat. We will not accept any wild game carcasses or trim that appears to be mishandled or unsanitary. Do not use garbage bags.
• We reserve the right to dispose of any game that is spoiled – owner will be notified first.
• All your chops, steaks and roasts are cut boneless. All cuts are wrapped in paper.
• All sausages are made 1/2 wild game, 1/2 lean pork. Sticks, summer and bulk fresh sausage are 2/3 wild game, 1/3 lean pork. Prices include the pork added. If you would like beef added instead, the price increases $.50 per lb.
• All prices listed are charged on the weight of the wild game and added pork before smoking, not the finished weight.
• If you change your order after your initial order is put in, we do our best to see that the change gets made, but we do not guarantee it will happen.
• We are happy to make any special orders after Jan. 15th. Special orders require a minimum order of 25 lbs.

If you are the type of person that likes to do it yourself, we have everything you need to create the best tasting results including:

• Beef Trimmings
• Pork Trimmings
• Tallow
• Seasonings
• Hi-Temp Cheese
• Swiss
• Mozzarella
• Hot Pepper
• Bleu Cheese
• Cheddar
• Casings
• Wrapping paper, tape and tape dispensers
• Hamburger bags and food grade bags
• Knives, steels, hand-saws and saw blades
• FREE expert advice

Please keep in mind that we will be grinding, seasoning and mixing every Saturday from 8:00am till noon, beginning November 8th through January. Please call ahead to reserve a time and order the trimmings, seasonings, and/or supplies you will need.

Have you had your wild game processed at Grand Champion Meats before? Comment below about your experience!

Grand Champion Meats: Best in Central Minnesota

Nominations were made, the ballots are in and the winner has been chosen. On October 4th, a Times Media contest and local voters declared Grand Champion Meats the best in Central Minnesota in the category of brats/sausage! Nominated and chosen by the public, we are honored to have won this category.

Here are the total number of votes from our category:

• Grand Champion Meats: 1,662
• St. Joseph Meat Market: 1,572
• Manea’s Meats: 845

It’s because of our amazing customers that we won this award - so as a big thank you, we have been giving away packages of our award-winning brats throughout the month of October. So far, we’ve had seven lucky winners of krautwursts, beer and apple brats - but don’t worry, you have one more chance to win!

To quickly enter, visit our Facebook page and “like” this photo and share for your chance to win our award-winning brats. It’s really that easy! This week we are giving away a seasonal favorite, our pumpkin pie spiced fresh brats.

We value our customers and appreciate your kind reviews. Recently, Rick Conklin commented, “I have lived in New York, California, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and spent many trips in between all of them trying brats and sausages from coast to coast. One thing for sure, and it’s something I can swear to, Grand Champion sausages are by far, the BEST I have ever had ANYWHERE in the country!”

If you haven’t already, make sure to stop by and try your favorite pumpkin product before the season is done! They’ll make the perfect additional to your Halloween festivities.

• Pumpkin Spiced Fresh Brats
• Pumpkin Spiced Bacon
• Pumpkin Spice Mousse

For more product information, visit our website.

Grand Champion Meats: Your Party Headquarters

Whether it be a birthday party, tailgating party, graduation, family reunion, or any other social gathering, Grand Champion Meats is here to help you plan a successful celebration!

Parties are full of friends, family, fun games, laughter, and, of course, food.  And, Grand Champion Meat’s award-winning products will go the distance to make your bash a hit! We have many delicious products that will keep you coming back for more.

Choose anything from:

• Deli Meats
• Deli Cheeses
• Fresh Baked Hamburger, Hot Dog, Brat, or Dollar Buns available in White or Wheat.
• Potato Salad, Coleslaw, and Baked Beans
• Seasoned Boneless Beef Roast, Seasoned Boneless Pork Roast
• Hamburger Patties
• Shredded Pork, Chicken or Beef with Sauce
• Grand Champion Boneless Ham, Cooked Beef Roast
• Meat and Cheese Party Platters and Trays
• Polish, Bratwurst, Wieners and much more!

Let us know if you would like us to help make your party a hit!

For more details and pricing click here, or call ahead to place your order at: (320)968-7267

The Benefits of Eating Meat

Beef. Chicken. Salmon. Turkey. Yep, there are tons of great-tasting and nutritious meats to add to the dinner plate.

Now, we all know that good health involves a balanced diet - including protein. And, meat is definitely the best way to get that protein!

That’s not to say all meats are created equal. When prepared improperly, undercooked, or overly processed, some meats can be unhealthy. But, when you do it right, eating meat adds a great deal to your overall health.

With that said, here are some great reasons to make meat part of your daily diet

It’s nutritious. Meat is loaded with things your body needs, including vitamins D, B1, B2, B6, B12 and niacin, as well as minerals iron, zinc, selenium and more. Many of these essential nutrients just can’t be retained from a diet of fruits, veggies and carbs. For a more in depth look into what vitamins, minerals and proteins can be found in each type of meat, refer to this chart.

It’s the ultimate protein factory. As previously mentioned, the amino acids known as Protein serve as major building blocks for our muscles and other bodily tissues. Most athletes and coaches agree that with a more active lifestyle, you’re definitely going to need to fortify your body with ample amounts of protein.

It’s delicious. Let’s get serious here. Can you imagine breakfast without sausage or bacon? A football game without a burger or brat? A fancy dinner without steak or salmon? In our opinion, meat makes the meal!

It’s not deserving of a bad rap. It is true that vegans and vegetarians tend to have better health than most, but that fact is born of lots of reasons  - many having nothing to do with their lack of meat consumption. For one, vegetarians tend to be more health conscious overall. Most of the food they buy is unprocessed and organic, and many of them are more likely to exercise regularly. They’re also less likely to smoke or invite harmful chemicals into their bodies. Carnivores - take a note. It’s been proven that people who eat meat and also live a healthy lifestyle are just as healthy as people who don’t.

At Grand Champion Meats, you will find the freshest cuts of beef and pork, as well as a wide variety of sausages, smoked products, chicken and seafood. We work hard to provide you with the best quality meat that will not only be healthy for you and your family, but taste just as good!

How to Grill a Perfect Steak

Since opening our doors in 1971, we’ve had the opportunity to hear everyone’s tips and tricks for cooking the perfect steak. From ridiculous to practical, from tenderizing the meat to slicing the finished product - we’ve heard it all! Here are some of the best tips we’ve heard for grilling a mouth watering steak.

The Cut

Everyone likes something a little different. We recommend trying many different cuts of steak so that you know your preference. For those that like a leaner cut of meat, we recommend a sirloin or a top round steak. For a more sinful steak, try a beef tenderloin, ribeye, or porterhouse. Fortunately, if you aren’t sure what cut you like best, we have multiple packages for you to test the different cuts!

Good Quality Meat

The foundation of a great steak is good quality meat! Our dedicated team have taken our product to award winning status, still priding itself on using traditional techniques in producing the best quality and widest selection of products available.

Preparation

Approximately 30 minutes before placing on the grill, remove the steaks from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.

While your steaks are coming to room temperature, get the grill going! Preheat the grill on high and make sure your grill is clean!

With the right cut of meat, you should only require salt and pepper for seasoning! Fancy shmancy seasoning is only necessary if you are using poor quality meat. Lightly brush with oil to prevent from sticking, and add the salt and pepper shortly before placing on the grill.

It’s go time on the grill!

Sear each side of the steak to lock in flavor and keep the grill covered as much as possible.

Use tongs to flip the steak. Piercing the steaks with a fork or otherwise will allow tasty juices to escape.

Cook to your desired temperature by using a meat thermometer! Here is a quick reference guide for a perfectly cooked steak:

It’s cooked to perfection. Now what?

After removing your steak from the grill, allow it to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into it. This helps the steak retain the juices!

You’re ready to whip out the fork and steak knife. Always cut against the grain to make the steak less chewy. It’s easier on your teeth and will make your steak eating experience all the more enjoyable.

Congratulations on a successful grill session and good luck fighting off friends and family from your deliciously prepared steak. You’ll probably need it!

Stop in to one of our Minnesota locations: Foley or Crosslake to find a delicious cut of meat that is just right for you and your family!

Are we “Bacon” you Hungry?

Maybe you think of it as a simple breakfast side dish or a burger topping. Maybe you’ve ventured outside these boundaries and turned it into an hor d'oeuvre or a dessert. Whatever the case, it’s undeniable that America loves bacon.

 

  

I mean, consider the numbers.

  

The typical American meat-eater consumes roughly 18 pounds of bacon a year. Translated to the whole of the nation, that’s over 5.6 BILLION pounds devoured in total.

 

So clearly, our collective love affair with bacon is pretty serious. Here at Grand Champion Meats, it goes without saying we’re fans - and that’s why, all last month, we’ve been celebrating the joys of bacon with special deals!

  

  

Before we get into all of that, did you know…

• Of the roughly 5 billion pounds of bacon eaten in the US each year, approximately 1.7 billion are consumer in restaurants.
• Bacon contains a property called umami - a certain food quality so appealing, it actually triggers neurological responses in our brains, making us crave more.
• The recipe for a bacon cologne (yes, you read that correctly) was created by a French chemist in 1920.
• Bacon is nearly ancient; in fact, there’s evidence of the Chinese salting and curing strips of pork circa 1500 BC.
• Studies show that pregnant women who make bacon part (not all) of their diets tend to have healthier pregnancies and deliver more robust children.
• 53% of all American households claim to have bacon waiting in their refrigerators at all times.

 

So, that’s a snapshot of some of the more unknown qualities of America’s favorite breakfast meat. There’s a lot more to be found - I mean, these days, bacon even has it’s very own television programming.

Here at Grand Champion Meats, we’re ready to help you get your bacon fix, here are 11 types of bacon we make. You can choose from:

 

*Hickory Smoked Bacon

*Pepper Bacon

*Beef Bacon

*Homestyle Cottage Bacon

*Thick Sliced Bacon

*Apple Cinnamon Bacon

*Raspberry Chipotle Bacon

*Honey Glazed Bacon

*Maple Bacon

Got a style of bacon that’s a particular favorite? Anything you do differently with bacon that you’d like to share? Leave us a comment and tell us about it!

Meat Safety

Ah, summer. Cookouts, picnics, coolers loaded with food...and food poisoning.

Alright, so that last one doesn’t exactly belong on a list when it comes to summertime nostalgia...but it can inadvertently become part of your adventures without proper caution.

According to some recent US Government statistics, about one out of every six people will experience some type of food-borne illness this year - and many of these people will suffer food poisoning as a result of spoiled meat products.

It’s easy to see why; your steaks, chicken breasts and seafood are highly sensitive to the elements, making them premier hosts for harmful organisms like e. coli, salmonella, and the parasite listeria.

So, when you arrive home with your future dinner menu ingredients, there are some things to keep in mind.

STAY CLEAN. Even fresh raw meat is teeming with organisms, which of course will disappear once properly cooked. In the meantime, as you prepare your meal, wash your hands and food prep zones with hot water and antibacterial soap frequently.

STAY ORGANIZED. Food prep can be chaotic, especially when you’re cooking for lots of people, but make sure throughout the process that you keep items separate from one another.  Without paying attention to this, it can be all too easy for your raw meats to come into contact with surfaces near veggies and other ingredients. Make sure those not-yet-cooked items don’t encounter your fresh vegetables.

STAY COOL. This one is tough during these warm months, but it’s critical if you want to avoid poisoning yourself. Food parasites multiply at breakneck speed during warm weather, and they’ll be a lot harder to kill after that. If you’re still getting the grill fired up, or haven’t decided how to marinate your steaks, store them away in the refrigerator.

HEAT PROPERLY. Never pull your meat items off the grill or out of the oven until they’ve reached their proper bacteria-killing temperatures. Check out this helpful guide with proper temps for heating, thawing and more.

BUY QUALITY. Many people like to buy their meat products in frozen form if they’re not sure when they’ll be cooking them. This is completely acceptable, but refer back to that handy guide when it comes to thawing methods. When it comes to your fresh meat products, place your trust in a quality market; you can rest assured your dinner has been freshly prepared and, if you follow the above guidelines, not liable to make you sick!

From all of us here at Grand Champion Meats, have a fun and safe summer grilling season!

Grilling Time - Tips for Buying a Grill

Tis the season for swimming pools, yard games...and a really awesome grilled burger. 

If you’re looking forward to cooking outside this summer, count yourself in the majority. A 2013 study conducted by the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) found 80% of all U.S. households own some type of grill. 97% of those grill owners actually used their grill in the past year, and about 14 million new grills were shipped in 2013 alone.

For some, a simple charcoal grill is the ticket. Others prefer the ease and convenience of gas or electric.

Whatever your preference, if you’re in the market for a grill, there are certain things to always keep in mind; after all, a grill, like any other larger purchase, is an investment - and you don’t want to have to replace it mid-summer!

So, if you’re planning a grill shopping outing, here are a few things we suggest keeping in mind as you go on that quest. 

GET THE RIGHT KIND. 

This one seems like a no-brainer, but really - think about what you’re going to be using your grill to accomplish. Are you thinking small, immediate family cookouts once in a while? Or are you inviting the whole neighborhood over for a BBQ blowout? Are you a devotee of charcoal, or are you open to gas or electric? Lowe’s actually has this nifty, quick guide to selecting the right kind of grill - scope it out and get a feel for what’s on the market right now.

WHAT ARE YOU GRILLING?

Once you’ve honed in on what fuel source and size you’re interested in, think about what you’ll be grilling. This will also affect your decision. Different grills heat to different temperatures - and thrive at those temperatures - so take inventory of what you’ll be grilling most and buy accordingly. 

WIGGLE TEST

So the grill looks nice, and it’s the right size. So now it’s time for the wiggle test. 
While in the store, gently move it around and rock it back and forth to gauge how study it is. A structurally compromised grill will almost definitely wiggle. If it’s this unsound in the store, it probably won’t hold up on your patio or in your backyard. 

CHECK OUT CONSUMER REPORTS

Not all grilling apparati are created equal, so product reviews are a great place to start. Consumer Reports offers this glance at gas grills, which are perennially popular - and usually cost a pretty penny. Research is key!

Are you grill shopping? Any idea what kind you’re getting? Leave us a comment and tell us about your favorite cookout device!

Grand Champion Meats Wins Big at State Competition

Grand Champion Meats is proud to share the news; they earned a handful of high honors at this year’s Minnesota Association of Meat Processors (MAMP) convention, held in St. Cloud. 

Back Row: Nic Fairbanks, Liz Stang, Bernie Latterell, Jone Jonas, Alyssa Stewart, Jerry Gall
Front Row: Lori Julson, Kelly Gall, Valerie Kloss, Kayla Hoffman, Deb Heirigs, Teri Parker
Not Pictured: Linda Gall, Tony Washa, Tom Kampa, Dave McKenzie, Lance Jeppesen, Sherry Erickson, James Evans, Cody Talberg, Jeff Kollar, Katie Jacobson, Aaron Stauffenecker, David Orton

Surrounded by hundreds of other meat processors and industry experts, Grand Champion’s Kelly Gall Washa (the president of MAMP) and Tony Washa, along with Jerry and Linda Gall, took in three days of discussions and seminars covering new equipment, trends and topics, and brainstormed on issues within the meat industry. 

Grand Champion Meats also joined in this year’s MAMP Product show - and came away with some awards. Winners included summer sausage, Grand Champion wieners, buffalo blue cheese chicken brats, and braunschweiger. 

In honor of the winning products, Grand Champion Meats will be offering specials through the remainder of April. They also invite you to stop by their Foley store to try free samples of each. 

Teri Jo Parker

Also honored at the conference: Teri Jo Parker & James Evans of Grand Champion Meats. Their combined efforts won First Place for the Innovative Pork Contest with their “Capone Pork Roll.” This champion concoction is a pork shoulder, stuffed with hot italian pork sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, black olives and mushrooms. This category, judged by the Minnesota Pork Board, rated creations based on appearance and workmanship, desirable flavor and texture, as well as creativity and marketability.

Kelly says she’s grateful to the entire team at Grand Champion Meats for their contributions and efforts in helping to produce this year’s award winning products, as well as all of the other processors who participated.

On deck - a trip for Kelly & Tony to the 75th Annual American Convention of Meat Processors and Suppliers Exhibition in Milwaukee in June.  Grand Champion Meats will be entering products into the American Cured Meat Championships (ACMC) to be judged against other products from across the country; they’re hoping to return with the coveted American Cured Meat Championship Plaque.

And finally, the team at Grand Champion Meats reminds you that their Crosslake store will be opening April 28th. This new Brainerd Lakes presence will provide the very same beef and pork, sausages, smoked products, chicken and seafood that are beloved in Foley.  Come see us!