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Readfield Meats

10,730 Views | 24 Replies | Last: 10 yr ago by Butchy Woods
Die Hard Ag
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Anyone know if they have an after hours or Sunday drop off?
TX_COWDOC
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Do yourself a favor and go to Granzin's in New Braunfels instead. I'll took a WTD to Readfields and will not do it again. Granzin's produced the best product I've experienced in deer processing.
Die Hard Ag
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Granzin's is my go to (live in spring branch) but shot a deer near Rockdale and remember folks on here talking about readfields as the place to go over here.

Any opinions on slovaceks?
agfan2013
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quote:
Any opinions on slovaceks?
Know several people who use them regularly though I've never used them myself and never heard of any issues, they can be a little pricey compared to others. I'd say take it to Texas chaw who did a great job on my deer last year but their commercial side really took off this year and they aren't doing deer this year. I'd just give Slovacheks a chance if you are trying to keep it somewhat close.
Mathguy64
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I have taken deer to Slovacek's for years. Never had any issues with sausage or summer sausage. Never tried Readfields because I haven't seen any need to try anyone else.
GSS
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A friend of mine who used Slovaceks for years took a deer to Readfields two yrs ago, and now swears by them. No problem with Slovaceks, just a little pricey.



Glad I process my own...I get all the credit, or the blame....and with $1.00/lb pork at HEB...it's cheaper than ever to DIY.
NRA Life
TSRA Life
Ragoo
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quote:
Do yourself a favor and go to Granzin's in New Braunfels instead. I'll took a WTD to Readfields and will not do it again. Granzin's produced the best product I've experienced in deer processing.
dad always took ours to Schwab's, not sure if they are still open.
mwm
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I've taken my deer to Readfields for 20+ years. Never a problem and always tasty.
John Cocktolstoy
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Die Hard, I have not taken anything to Readfields, just bought stuff from them. But I know more about Slovaceks than I care to. I think they do good work sometimes, you can get lucky like I did for years then expect that same quality every year. I don't know what happened there in Snook maybe lost some good employees. But the last two years they lost my meat, did not return my calls, what they did find was not what I ordered. I was pretty angry since I can do it myself and save lots of money...but for the time it takes and some of the stuff they make I try and keep it simple for what the family likes to eat. Long story short I was put in touch with Laura at Slovaceks and she did tell me that at the end of the season they would make it right. See at the end of the season some never show for their meat. That is what I was going to get. So the meat that I quartered cleaned cubed and bagged down to the ounce never made it to my table and when I called Laura in April like she asked I never got a return call. I showed up there one afternoon to see what I could do. Money back was not going to cut it. I ended up with random leftovers that they admitted were put in wrong bags. Like hamburger in a pan sausage bag and what not. I was very disappointed since I had never had issues with them ever.
I hunt down south, coming home I could stop in Snook and it was convenient. Now I may just stop at Granzins in Seguin, They do great work but then I have to have family pick it up, then go to Seguin to pick it up. Until you can do every last bit of processing yourself you are at risk of the above. It is the price of doing business these days as many of them don't provide the service we are all used to in the past.
Go ahead and ask who will be making some of my products this year. I will have to say most likely Slovaceks.
Second Hardest Workin Man on Texags
John Cocktolstoy
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Ragoo, remember how good the dried sausage was at Schwabs? That place had great stuff but I never took a deer there.
Second Hardest Workin Man on Texags
MW13
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Always been very satisfied with Readfields.
fido00
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Ive taken several deer to Schwab's and Granzin's. I prefer the dried sausage/bucksticks at Schwab's and everything else at Granzin's. Neither of which do great deer jerky. Both are what I would call affordable after seeing what my dad used to pay at Midway processing in Katy.
aggiebear69
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Wills Joe's in High Hill (just N of Schulenberg ) does a great job. Now owned and operated by an Aggie.!
Sgt. Hartman
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Granzin's is for gouging the tourists. The locals use Koepp's for processing
CT'97
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I had a deer done at Granzins last season and while it was good I didn't think it was up to Slovachek.
I thought the Granzins sausage was rougher and had tougher skins.
Thisguy1
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I was talking to a good friend of mine about Slovacek's last night. I brought over some deer sausage from Green's for him to try because he was fed up with Slovacek's. He said too many times he's gotten bones in his meat and the meat you bring in isn't the meat you get back. He knew this because they gave him backstrap back when he didn't bring backstrap in (although some may not complain about it working out that way).

My old boss has also brought in elk and gotten back whitetail.
rather be fishing
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do it yourself, eot.
Butchy Woods
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Not to hijack your post.

Mickey Schwab is my cousin and I worked at Granzin's in the 80s. I was raised on Fritz's sausage before Mickey bought him out. Both make great Hill County German sausage. Penshorn in Marion is also good. I also like Slovacek's but not a big fan of Midway and Dozier's in Fulshear. They are not bad and it is just personal preference.

I use to think German sausage was German sausage. When we moved to Flower Mound in 2004, I tried to find a local sausage maker. My family has turned into sausage snobs and do not like store bought sausage. First year in FloMo, my wife and I also traveled to Muenster Tx and tried their German sausage. Just did not cut it. If you like Hill Country German sausage, you will need to have it made from meat markets from Fredericksburg to New Braunfels. Try the sausage from each meat market and select the one that more aligns with your taste. Granzins and Schwabs will adjust their spices to your preference.

We process our own meat but we let Granzin's or Schwab make our sausage from the trimmings. We wait until February before we bring in the meat so that I know I am getting my meat back. I do this no matter who makes our sausage. My wife is an Animal Science major and a meat Nazi, no hair or blood clots in the meat to grind, no matter how small. I swear she has radar.

Now I am hungry for some dry sausage.
John Cocktolstoy
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Butchy...you know Hoch Strauss?
Second Hardest Workin Man on Texags
Die Hard Ag
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Great info. Thanks
ksp
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IMHO this order as a local review only.

1) Slovaceks.
2) Texas Chaw
3) readfields

Honestly all three are good, I have tried them all, but in last 29 years I have used Slovacek's all but 4 times. You could maybe even flop slovacek's and Chaw, but slovacek's in closer than chaw by 25 minutes for me.

With that said, I cannot comment whether more expensive or not, as I 100% debone all my meat. One gets harvested into smoked and summer sausage, the other 3 deer get ground up. (me and my son harvest four combined, usually 2 doe and 2 bucks)

With that said, damn glad it is hunting season, we are just about 100% out of all deer meat/sausage.
Jason C.
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quote:
We process our own meat but we let Granzin's or Schwab make our sausage from the trimmings. We wait until February before we bring in the meat so that I know I am getting my meat back. I do this no matter who makes our sausage. My wife is an Animal Science major and a meat Nazi, no hair or blood clots in the meat to grind, no matter how small. I swear she has radar.

I'm interested in trying that method this year. Do you do anything in between storing and transport/processing? Or just freeze it? Appreciate any tips.
ursusguy
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As long as you aren't getting the Brothers/Champion fiasco of 2014, you are probably good.
JYDog90
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Texas Chaw.

I can't stop in Caldwell without buying 6 or 7 packs of it.
pacmanj
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In years past Readfields has stayed open on opening weekend. You may want to call and double check. Never had a problem with Readfields. I have also heard how great the sausage from slovaceks is.
Butchy Woods
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KnightAg - cannot say I know Hoch. Maybe by face. We left in 1998. Don't bother asking him if he knows Butchy Woods, it is a nickname from living in DG.

Jason C - we either put the trimmings in a zip lock bag and remove all the air or in vacuum seals. Since we are making sausage there is usually WTD and elk in the mix. Some with better taste buds than me make taste the difference but my sense of taste appears to be on the piss poor side.

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