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Good Taste: Lindy and Grundy

If a meat-loving queer girl were to dream of a perfect Sapphic alternate reality – let’s call it Girlstown – Main Street would boast a sustainable butcher shop womanned by an ineffably adorable couple of gals named Lindy and Grundy.

Oh, wait! There is a butcher shop in LA called Lindy & Grundy, run by Amelia Posada (Lindy) and Erika Nakamura (Grundy), and they’re the cutest married couple. They’re also extremely devoted to providing local, pastured and organic meats to their community.

They’re running around putting the finishing touches on their shop, but Amelia spared a few minutes to chat via email with AfterEllen.com.

AfterEllen.com: How did you two meet?

Amelia Posada and Erika Nakamura: We met at a drag show at our friends coffee house/lounge in Brooklyn. Amelia was helping out behind the bar and Erika was DJing. Erika turned to Amelia and asked for a white wine spritzer and Amelia didn’t know what that was but she knew Erika was hot and she had to figure out how to make that drink fast.

We started writing long emails to each other and courting, in a way, online! Then we started dating and fell in love fast. We’ve been together for four years and got married in beautiful Santa Barbara on September 4, 2010. We even butchered the beef for our wedding.

AE: I’m one half of a couple who also works together; what do you find to be the challenges and the rewards of combining a romantic partnership with a business/entrepreneurial dynamic?

AP/EN: Erika and I are incredibly communicative people and have the utmost respect for each other personally, as a couple and as business partners. We both have totally different strengths and weaknesses and we nurture those. We never yell, we always process and talk through our problems very unemotionally. We love working together because we are the perfect balance for each other. Working together has brought us closer to each other as a couple as well. We trust each other 1000 percent and always have each other’s backs.

AE: Do you have any family recipes that you’ve updated to include sustainable meat? Please share them.

AP/EN: Sausage-making was a regular childhood activity in the Nakamura household. Erika’s mother, Susan, would often demonstrate creative twists to classic sausage recipes. Among them, Mrs. Nakamura’s tofu sausage recipe stood out in Erika’s adult culinary mind. She has kept true to her mothers vision, and will be introducing a part tofu, part chicken Sweet Italian variety when we open our doors.

AE: If someone came into Lindy and Grundy’s and wasn’t familiar with cooking meat, what would you suggest? What directions would you steer them in?

AP/EN: The first question I ask every customer is: “Beef, lamb, pork, or chicken?” I start to narrow things down by asking some supplementary questions like, “What’s the occasion? Who are you cooking for? Do you have a specific recipe you had in mind to try? Is it something to throw on the grill? Or something to stew?” The answers to these questions usually lead me in the right direction as to what my recommendation will be.

AE: If someone came into Lindy and Grundy’s and was a total foodie, what would you suggest?

AP/EN: To the self-proclaimed foodie, I ask: What is your favorite cut of meat? How do you like to prepare it? My objective is to get a good idea of what folks like, then to introduce them to other unconventional cuts which may not be available at most other meat/grocery shops. Our favorite type of customer will take just about anything I suggest, and eagerly come back for more. It’s amazing to hear how much fun folks have in their kitchen, and I love hearing about everyone’s culinary adventures!

AE: And what would you suggest for someone who wants to grill meat outdoors?

AP/EN: There are the usual suspects like burgers, hot dogs, sausages and ribs, but I like to take it a step further. At Lindy and Grundy, we offer a variety of specialty grinds like beef n’ bacon, chorizo pork, and “lamberguesa.” Some of our house favorites are BBQed pig tails, and our five week minimum dry-aged faux tri-tip steak.

AE: Are you a fan of marinades and rubs? Share some of your favorite easy go-to combinations.

AP/EN: What can I say, I’m a salt n’ pepper girl, all the way! While marinades and rubs are an easy way to flavor your meat, it often distracts you from the real goodness. A simple salt, pepper, garlic, parsley and hit it while it is sizzling hot on your plate with some butter! Yum! (Be sure to allow your steak to rest for about five minutes before cutting into it.)

Rubs can be an excellent way to add flavor to poultry.

Combine all ingredients below into a spice grinder and grind until fine:

1 tablespoon of dried thyme

2 tablespoons of dried rosemary

1 tablespoon of whole black pepper corns

1 tablespoon of paprika

Add the below ingredients to the spice mixture and mix well:

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons salt

Now give your chickie a fierce rub down with the combined spice blend and get ‘er in the oven for a nice roast (375 degrees).

AE: Any closing words?

AP/EN: As ex-vegetarians, both Amelia and I are committed to creating a friendly neighborhood place which has something for everyone.

Check out LindyandGrundy.com for details on the shop’s opening and all about their local, pastured and organic meats.

Candace is the co-editor of Dear John, I Love Jane: Women Write About Leaving Men for Women (Seal Press, 2010), and Ask Me About My Divorce: Women Open Up About Moving On (Seal Press, 2009). She is currently working on a memoir-with-recipes for Seal Press called Licking the Spoon. Candace is also the features editor at Mothering magazine, mama of two, and enamorata of smarty-pants Laura, her live-in recipe tester. Follow Candace on Twitter @candacewalsh.

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