How a Fourth Generation Butcher is Ready to Help People Eat Less Meat

July 7, 2021

Andre Natera

butcher

Cara Nicoletti

meat

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Andre Natera

From new technologies and changing food trends to supply chains and innovative concepts, the restaurant industry is everchanging. Host Andre Natera shares kitchens, plates and stories with food and beverage superstars, preparing a new dish and offering valuable insights from the front lines of the culinary industry.

The art of butchery was Cara Nicoletti’s birthright in many ways, growing up working in her grandfather’s Boston shop. She comes from generations of it but changed course after considering the sustainability of meat. She recently joined Andre Natera on Run the Pass to share her story.

Nicoletti has a diverse background, working as a butcher, writing a cookbook, and hosting shows on VICE Munchies. In February 2020, she launched Seemore Meats & Veggies, which makes humanely raised, veggie stuffed sausages. “I started making sausages 11 years ago to help people eat less meat and stretch the meat further with fillers that were good like vegetables,” Nicoletti said.

“We can’t keep up the demand for meat and do it in a way that’s good for the Earth. So we need to eat good meat but less of it.” – Cara Nicoletti

Growing up around butchers, Nicoletti noted she was “more sensitive about where meat comes from,” and then working in restaurants saw all the waste. Although she hadn’t initially intended on becoming a butcher, she found an apprenticeship and stayed in the industry for several years.

Sustainability became a big focus for Nicoletti—one which became even more true during the pandemic. “Our supply chain is flimsy, especially with meat, as we depend on four giant companies that control the meet supply in the U.S. It’s a deeply unsustainable market,” she said.

Nicoletti spoke about the concept of regenerative agriculture and its critical role in the meat industry. “It’s when grazing animals diversify the soil. If they in stalls all day eating grain, it’s stripping the soil and creating monocultures. There’s no way we can keep up with demand and do it in a way that’s good for the Earth,” she explained.