Every small town needs a butcher like Dale’s Steak and Chop Shop in Rensselaer, Indiana. Really, everywhere needs a butcher! You have to have that place where, when you walk in, they probably already know what you want. A place where they learn the name of your kids and like to tease the oldest about “Butterball,” a word that our 10 year old finds repulsive. You have to love a place that will tease your kid just like you do!
Of course, the meat selection is a pretty important part of it too.
Like Carson Daly said, A good butcher is important to have. It's like a shrink. Share on XWhat You’ll Find at Dale’s Steak & Chop Shop
Located behind a bowling alley, I am not always sure that people realize it is there. They are missing out! There’s so much good stuff here.
The pizza burgers are the best sellers, hands-down. Folks seem to know a good thing when they find it! One man came in last week and ordered a whole tray of pizza burgers–along with several other trays of meats! Each tray holds 25 items. Now that is some party!
Can you imagine being his neighbor and smelling those yummy scents of cooking meats all night? That would be the worst!
It pays to plan ahead. Make sure that if you have your heart set on something for a group, that you call ahead of time. When the meat is this good and fresh–it does not sit for long before someone comes in and swoops it up.
When I asked what their favorite cut of meat was, owner Dale and his helper, Patty, both said, at the same time, “Rib-eyes!” They didn’t even need to think about that one. They carry nice, thick rib-eyes.
Meat, Chops, and More
I frequently purchase the bulk country sausage and the bulk Italian sausage. It’s handy to have on hand. But I recently discovered a new love: brats and sausage links. Oh. My. Word. They stuff their own sausage here. Tailgater (regular) brats, Italian links, there’s multiple varieties that might just grace the case during your visit.
The tomato basil links are incredible in every way. I use them in things all the time. I need to get my hands on the jalapeno and cheddar brats–they look so amazing!
If you are lucky, you may discover chicken bombs. Yes, chicken bombs. Now, I like a little spice. But with these, you just never know if they will be medium heat or light your mouth on fire! I guess that is part of the fun because I can’t seem to help but buy them! It’s basically a jalapeno wrapped over seasoned chicken. I don’t know what that chicken is seasoned with, but I sure do know that I love it! I’m not alone. Patty was making dozens of the chicken bombs for a graduation party a month or two ago.
If God did not intend for us to eat animals, then why did he make them out of meat? Tom Snyder Share on XSpeaking of chicken, the chicken kabobs are also really good. They definitely make it easy on the cook as well. Just add in a side of rice and there you go. Dinner is done.
For our sons, though, they always want stuffed chicken. Although you may purchase the stuffed chicken and simply bake it at 350* for 30-40 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven), I take it a step further. Please see my favorite way to fix stuffed chicken in the recipe below.
More Than Meat at This Indiana Butcher Shop
The best part of all is that they like to play around with things, trying new combinations, and coming up with new products to line the shiny, clean glass case.
Maybe there’s a hefty stuffed whole chicken in the case, maybe there’s apple cinnamon sausage to perfectly accompany pancakes or waffles, or maybe bacon and blue cheese burger patties. You might see bourbon peppercorn marinated boneless pork chops or pork burgers. There’s probably a line of steak and an assortment of pork chops.
More than just refrigerated cases of meat, Dale’s holds freshly made salads that are prepared in-house by Angie, yet another frequent friendly face. There’s bean salads, pea salads, pasta salads, and coleslaw (to name a few). It’s a great match for the deli case right next to it!
Find all the deli meats and cheese you need: pastrami, bologna, turkey, and ham (in all their different stylings). Provolone, Colby Jack, Swiss…everything you need for your lunch time fixings are easy to see. You can even find sandwich bread, hamburger buns, and onion rolls here as well.
Vegetables are interesting but lack a sense of purpose when unaccompanied by...meat. Fran Lebowitz Share on XDecades of Experience
Dale Northcutt didn’t open this up without a bit of thought. You see, Dale knows meat. He has been a butcher since 1970.
After working for other people for years, Dale decided that it was time to do things his own way. After all, he knew what he needed to do and he knew what people wanted by this point. Opening up Dale’s Steak & Chop Shop made perfect sense.
The community couldn’t agree more. Look for special events when Dale offers freshly smoked meats available as ready-to-go sandwiches, like how he did during Rensselaer’s (almost) famous Cruise Night! Now that was one mouthwatering deal.
Keep up with all the latest news and whatever meat option they have created next on the Dale’s Steak and Chop Shop Facebook page. As someone with hypoglycemia, and the same goes for our youngest, I love having a better (and tasty) option to keep our protein up. I hope you got a kick out of the quotations above. As with everything else, vegetarian or meat eater, to each his/her own. It is meant in fun.
Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that's bad for you! Tommy Smothers Share on X
Italian Dressing or Marinade Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Oregano
- 1 Tablespoon Parsley, Dried
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Basil, Dried
- 1/4 teaspoon Thyme, Dried
- 1/2 teaspoon Celery Leaves, Dried
Instructions
- Mix together in covered container.
- For Dressing or Marinade: Mix 2 Tablespoons of mix with 1/4 Cup Vinegar, 2 Tablespoons Water, and 1/2-2/3 Cup Olive (or Canola) Oil.
- For Stuffed Chicken Marinade: Combine as listed above, omitting Water. Place Chicken in glass baking dish. Pour in Marinade. Let sit as desired. Bake uncovered, 350* for at least 30 minutes (the chicken is very thick so be sure it is cooked through). Spoon marinade over chicken during baking.
Small Towns: Destinations, not Drive-Thrus! I’m Jessica Nunemaker and THIS is little Indiana!
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Dale’s Steak and Chop
814 S College Avenue
Rensselaer IN 47978
219.866.4004
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